Curriculum Vitae

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Felix Bock

Department of Ophthalmology
Experimental Ophthalmology
University of Cologne
Kerpener Strasse 62
50937 Cologne, GERMANY
Tel. (+49)-221-478 97789
Fax. (+49)-221-478 97836
Email: felix.bock@uk-koeln.de

Scientific career

2001-2002 Study of Biology at the University of Erlangen

2002-2004 Study of Biology at the University of Saarland, Diploma in Biology

2005-2008 PhD (summa cum laude) at the University of Erlangen

2008-2011 DFG Postdoctoral fellow at Department of Ophthalmology, University of Erlangen (Laboratory Prof. Dr. Claus Cursiefen)

2009 IZKF-foreign exchange scholarship at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA (Laboratory Prof. Dr. Sharmila Masli)

2011- Laboratory Leader CorneaLab, Experimental Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2011- Director of the Reading Centre CORIC (Cologne Ophthalmological Reading and Image Analysis Center)

2015- Principal Investigator of Project 1 “Induction of transplant tolerance by antihem- and antilymphangiogenic therapies” in the DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 “Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye” at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2016- Scientist in the Horizons 2020 research consortium ARREST BLINDNESS, funded by the European Union, an associated project of the DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 “Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye” at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2016 Habilitation and Venia Legendi from the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne (Experimental Ophthalmology). Habilitation title: Die Rolle der Lymphangiogenese bei Abstoßungsreaktionen nach Hornhaut-Transplantation/The role of lymphangiogenesis in rejection reactions after corneal transplantation

2017- Co-Principal Investigator, B3 “Novel therapeutic role of myeloid cell-derived VEGF-C and lymphangiogenesis in resolution of corneal inflammation and reestablishment of corneal transparency”, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)

2018- Principal Investigator of Project P1 “Induction of corneal transplant tolerance by anti(lymph)angiogenic therapy” in the DFG Research Unit FOR 2240 “Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Cellular Immunity in Inflammatory Diseases of the Eye” at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne

2018-2022 Project Leader of the DFG grand “Donor induced graft tolerance by sCD83 after corneal transplantation”

2019-2020 Guest Editor of Special Issue “Corneal Transplant Immunology”, J Clin Med

2020- Call to W2 Professorship to University of Marburg; successful defense offer by the UoC

2020-2021 Guest Editor of Special Issue “Local Immune Modulation of Macrophages and Dendritic Cells”, Frontiers in Immunology

2023- Appointed adjunct professor

Prizes and honors

2006 Travel Award of the “Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society” (TFOS)

2007 Young Investigator Publication Award, IZKF Erlangen

2010 Streilein Foundation Travel Grant

2009 Sicca-Research Award, DOG Ressort Dry Eye

2009 2009 ARVO ISOCB Conference Travel Grant

2011 Sicca-Research Award, DOG Ressort Dry Eye

Selected publications

Hamdorf, M., Imhof, T., Bailey-Elkin, B., Betz, J., Theobald, S.J., Simonis, A., Di Cristanziano, V., Gieselmann, L., Dewald, F., Lehmann, C., Augustin, M., Klein, F., Alcazar, M., Rongisch, R., Fabri, M., Rybniker, J., Goebel, H, Stetefeld, J., Brachvogel, B., Cursiefen, C., Koch, M.*, Bock, F.* The unique ORF8 protein from SARS-CoV-2 binds to human dendritic cells and induces a hyper-inflammatory cytokine storm. J Mol Cell Biol., 2023, accepted

Zhang W, Schönberg A, Hamdorf M, Georgiev T, Cursiefen C, Bock F. Preincubation of donor tissue with a VEGF cytokine trap promotes subsequent high-risk corneal transplant survival. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 Nov;106(11):1617-1626

Peckert-Maier K*, Schönberg A*; Wild AB, Royzman D, Braun G, Stich L, Hadrian K, Tripal P, Cursiefen C, Steinkasserer A, Zinser E*, Bock F*. Pre-incubation of corneal donor tissue with sCD83 improves graft survival via the induction of alternatively activated macrophages and tolerogenic dendritic cells Am J Transplant 2021 Aug.

Schönberg, A., Hamdorf, M., Bock, F. Immunomodulatory Strategies Targeting Dendritic Cells to Improve Corneal Graft Survival. J Clin Med. 2020 Apr 28;9(5)

Salabarria, A.C., Koch M, Schönberg A, Zinser E, Hos D, Hamdorf M, Imhof T, Braun G, Cursiefen C, Bock F. Topical VEGF-C/D Inhibition Prevents Lymphatic Vessel Ingrowth into Cornea but Does Not Improve Corneal Graft Survival.J Clin Med. 2020 Apr 28;9(5):1270.

Salabarria, A.C., Braun, G., Heykants, M., Koch, M., Reuten, R., Mahabir, E., Cursiefen, C. & Bock, F. Local VEGF-A blockade modulates the microenvironment of the corneal graft bed. Am J Transplant (2019).

Willrodt AH, Salabarria AC, Schineis P, Ignatova D, Hunter MC, Vranova M, Golding-Ochsenbein AM, Sigmund E, Romagna A, Strassberger V, Fabbi M, Ferrini S, Cursiefen C, Neri D, Guenova E, Bock F*, Halin C*. ALCAM Mediates DC Migration Through Afferent Lymphatics and Promotes Allospecific Immune Reactions. Front Immunol. 10:759 (2019).

Hou Y, Le VNH, Clahsen T, Schneider AC, Bock F, Cursiefen C (2017). Photodynamic Therapy Leads to Time-Dependent Regression of Pathologic Corneal (Lymph)Angiogenesis and Promotes High-Risk Corneal Allograft Survival. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. Nov 1;58(13):5862-5869.

Bock F, Onderka J, Braun G, Schneider A-S, Hos D, Bi Y, Bachmann B, Cursiefen C (2016). Identification of novel endogenous anti(lymph)angiogenic factors in the aqueous humor. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. Dec 1;57(15):6554-6560

Bock F, Matthaei M, Reinhard T, Böhringer D, Christoph J, Ganslandt T, Cursiefen C (2014). High-dose subconjunctival cyclosporine a implants do not affect corneal neovascularization after high-risk keratoplasty. Ophthalmology. Sep;121(9):1677-82.

Lipp M, Bucher F, Parthasarathy A, Hos D, Onderka J, Cursiefen C, Bock F (2014). Blockade of the VEGF isoforms in inflammatory corneal hemangiogenesis andlymphangiogenesis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. Jun;252(6):943-9.

Bucher F, Parthasarathy A, Bergua A, Onderka J, Regenfuss B, Cursiefen C, Bock F (2014). Topical Ranibizumab inhibits inflammatory corneal hem- and lymphangiogenesis. Acta Ophthalmol. Mar;92(2):143-8.

Bock F, Maruyama K, Regenfuss B, Hos D, Steven P, Heindl LM, Cursiefen C. (2013) Novel anti(lymph)angiogenic treatment strategies for corneal and ocular surface diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res. May;34:89-124.

Bucher F, Bi Y, Gehlsen U, Hos D, Cursiefen C, Bock F (2014). Regression of mature lymphatic vessels in the cornea by photodynamic therapy. Br J Ophthalmol. Mar;98(3):391-5.

Bock F, Rössner S, Onderka J, Lechmann M, Pallotta MT, Fallarino F, Boon L, Nicolette C, DeBenedette MA, Tcherepanova IY, Grohmann U, Steinkasserer A, Cursiefen C, Zinser E (2013) Topical application of soluble CD83 induces IDOmediated immune modulation, increases Foxp3+ T cells, and prolongs allogeneic corneal graft survival. J Immunol. 191(4):1965-75

Steven P*, Bock F*, Hüttmann G, Cursiefen C (2011). Intravital two-photon microscopy of immune cell dynamics in corneal lymphatic vessels. PLoS One.;6(10):e26253.

Dietrich T*, Bock F*, Yuen D, Hos D, Bachmann BO, Zahn G, Wiegand S, Chen L, Cursiefen C (2010) Cutting edge: lymphatic vessels, not blood vessels, primarily mediate immune rejections after transplantation. J Immunol 184(2):535-9 *contributed equally