The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the results of the latest round of its 2024 "Proof of Concept Grant" competition. Among the researchers selected for funding is Prof. Yang Li. She is a professor at Hannover Medical School (MHH), co-director of the Center for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM), head of the Bioinformatics of Individualized Medicine research department at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), and a researcher in the Excellence Cluster RESIST. In early 2024, she became a DZL-PI at the BREATH site, further strengthening the infectious disease research sector within our network.

Prof. Li has now secured one of the prestigious ERC grants for the second time. In total, the ERC has selected 134 projects for funding, each receiving €150,000. The CiiM is a joint research institute of MHH and HZI.

"Prof. Dr. Yang Li impressively combines insights from life sciences and data research in her work. By doing so, she lays the foundation for new opportunities in personalized diagnostics and therapies in medicine. As the head of the Center for Individualized Infection Medicine in Hannover, she is working on developing better and more tolerable vaccines, thereby strengthening the close collaboration between Hannover Medical School and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. Congratulations to Prof. Li and her entire team," said Lower Saxony’s Minister of Science, Falko Mohrs.

In the ERC-funded project, Yang Li and her team are investigating why vaccine effectiveness varies from person to person. Seasonal influenza, in particular, poses a significant public health challenge worldwide, with three to five million severe cases and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths annually. Influenza vaccines play a crucial role in preventing illness, reducing the severity of infections, and limiting virus transmission. However, their effectiveness varies, depending on factors such as immune status and pre-existing comorbidities.
Using machine learning models, Prof. Li has successfully predicted vaccine response based on biomarkers. With ERC funding, she now aims to validate these biomarkers and, in collaboration with an industry partner, develop them into an innovative, fast, and reliable diagnostic test. This advancement could significantly improve influenza vaccine effectiveness, reduce the disease burden, and ultimately save lives.
We wish Prof. Li and her team great success in this and all their future projects!
 

Text: HZI

Photo: Nico Herzog