Retreat 2020 in times of Corona

A few days before the FOR2240 wanted to have the retreat in a cozy cottage in Bedburg (https://danielshof.de/), the Corona wave started to hit Cologne. Consequently, every larger meeting had to be canceled and the FOR2240 held a small full-day meeting – only the principal investigators – in the Lecture Room of the Department of Ophthalmology. All the necessary precautions were taken very seriously during the gathering – such as keeping distance, no handshake, etc.
All principal investigators of the funding period presented and discussed the results of their projects. Titles included: „Personalized Immunomodulation in High-Risk Corneal Transplantation”, “Identification of novel endogenous modulators of developmental and inflammatory lymphangiogenesis by analyzing mouse strain-specific differences”, “Ocular GvHD”, “Myeloid cell function in corneal hem- and lymphangiogenesis”; “Midkine mediates metastasis in uveal melanoma by modulation of Notch2 signaling”, “Microglia in AMD” and “Potential new/affiliated projects”. Afterward, the Principal Investigators had a discussion about the planned SFB application and strategic actions to be taken.
FOR2240 also had the chance to welcome a new member – the successor of Dr. Jens Horstmann – Ph.D. Gwen Musial from the USA. She was appointed to the new project as the investigator of the C1 Project (Cologne Experimental Eye Imaging Center).
“Potential new/affiliated projects”. Afterward the Principal Investigators had a discussion about the planned SFB application and strategic actions to be taken.