Nina Babel Explained

Nina Babel is a German physician and scientist. As a professor at Ruhr University Bochum and Charité, she treats patients and performs research in the field of immunodeficiencies and kidney diseases.

Life

Babel is the head of a research group focusing on immunology at the Charité.^[1] At Ruhr University Bochum, she heads the Center for Translational Medicine with a focus on immunology and transplantation at Marien Hospital Herne.^{[2] [3]}

She studied medicine at Humboldt University of Berlin and completed her clinical training in the field of internal medicine, nephrology, and immunology at the Charité, where she also obtained her habilitation in 2008.^[4] As a Rahel Hirsch habilitation grant recipient, she carried out most of her habilitation work at the Charité and, from 2006 to 2007, as a fellow at the Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic (Ohio).^{[5] [6]}

Research and patient care

Babel's laboratory investigates mechanisms underlying the immunopathogenesis of viral diseases and develops new parameters and technologies to monitor the individual immune response and the risk of viral infection and virus-associated complications in immunocompromised patients.

Babel has led several research projects focusing on the host's immune response to SARS-CoV-2. For instance, the researchers discovered that individuals who had a severe course of COVID-19 did not exhibit a diminished immune response in comparison to those who had a mild course of the disease.^[7] In another study, it was observed that the development of antibodies after vaccination was lower with immunosuppressants than without, while the cellular immune response was preserved. According to this, patients can benefit from the vaccination despite their immunosuppressive therapy.^[8] Babel continues to work on the topics of Sars-CoV-2 immunity, and in particular Long Covid and chronic fatigue.^{[9] [10]} Furthermore, her research topic includes analysis of interaction between host's immune response and herpes viruses such as Epstein–Barr virus.^[11]

Babel has been coordinator and principal investigator of several DFG^[12] and BMBF projects.^{[13] [14]} She has an h-index of 53, has been involved in over 300 scientific publications,^{[15] [16]} and is editor-in-chief for the Immunosuppression section of the journal Frontiers of Transplantation.^[17]

Young researchers support programs

Babel is actively involved in initiatives aimed at nurturing young researchers. Following her tenure as co-spokesperson of the SFB 650 Research Training Group at Charité from 2012 to 2016, she transitioned to Ruhr University Bochum, where she currently leads the RIMUR Research Training Group.^{[18] [19]} In addition, Babel spearheads the Clinician Scientist Program at Ruhr University Bochum, securing funding from the DFG in the summer of 2022 to support this endeavor.^{[20] [21]}

Publications (selection)

• Book: Seibert . Stervbo . Wiemers . Skrzypczyk . Hogeweg . Bertram . Kurek . Anft . Westhoff . Babel . Felix S. . Ulrik . Lea . Sarah . Maximillian . Sebastian . Julia . Moritz . Timm H. . Nina . Severity of neurological Long-COVID symptoms correlates with increased level of autoantibodies targeting vasoregulatory and autonomic nervous system receptors . Autoimmunity Reviews . 22 . 11 . November 2023 . 1873-0183 . 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103445 . 37689093 .
• Book: Anft . Paniskaki . Giglio . Wellenkötter . Blazquez-Navarro . Meister . Roch . Giesecke-Thiel . Westhoff . Stervbo . Pfaender . Cinkilic . Babel . Moritz . Krystallenia . Tina . Jacqueline . Arturo . Toni L . Toralf . Claudia . Timm H . Ulrik . Stephanie . Okan . Nina . SARS-CoV-2 vaccination improves HBV seroconversion rate through heterological immunity . Kidney International . 103 . 223-225 . January 2023 . 10.1016/j.kint.2022.10.012 . 36332726.
• Book: Hugo . Westhoff . Babel . Christian . Timm H. . Nina . Vaccination in patients with kidney failure: lessons from COVID-19 . Nature reviews / Nephrology . 2022 . 708-723 . 10.1038/s41581-022-00617-5 .
• Book: Stumpf . Siepmann . Lindner . Karger . Schwöbel . Anders . Faulhaber-Walter . Schewe . Martin . Schirutschke . Barnett . Hüther . Müller . Langer . Pluntke . Anding-Rost . Meistring . Stehr . Pietzonka . Escher . Cerny . Rothe . Pistrosch . Seidel . Paliege . Beige . Bast . Steglich . Gembardt . Kessel . Kröger . Arndt . Sradnick . Frank . Klimova . Mauer . Grählert . Anft . Blazquez-Navarro . Westhoff . Stervbo . Tonn . Babel . Hugo . Julian . Torsten . Tom . Claudia . Jörg . Leona . Robert . Jens . Heike . Holger . Kerstin . Jan . Petra . Torsten . Thilo . Kirsten . Frank . Thomas . Annegret . Katja . Simon . Hansjörg . Frank . Harald . Alexander . Joachim . Ingolf . Anne . Florian . Friederike . Hannah . Patrick . Jan . Kerstin . Anna . René . Xina . Moritz . Arturo . Timm H . Ulrik . Torsten . Nina . Christian . Humoral and cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in renal transplant versus dialysis patients: A prospective, multicentral observational study using mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine . Lancet Regional Health Europe . 2021 . 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100178 . 34318288 .
• Book: Thieme . Schulz . Wehler . Anft . Amini . Blàzquez-Navarro . Stervbo . Hecht . Nienen . Stittrich . Choi . Zgoura . Viebahn . Schmueck-Henneresse . Reinke . Westhoff . Roch . Babel . Constantin J . Malissa . Patrizia . Moritz . Leila . Arturo . Ulrik . Jochen . Mikalai . Anna-Barbara . Mira . Panagiota . Richard . Michael . Petra . Timm H . Toralf . Nina . In vitro and in vivo evidence that the switch from calcineurin to mTOR inhibitors may be a strategy for immunosuppression in Epstein-Barr virus-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder . Kidney International . December 2022 . 10.1016/j.kint.2022.08.025 . 36103953 .
• Book: Thieme . Anft . Paniskaki . Blazquez-Navarro . Doevelaar . Seibert . Hoelzer . Konik . Berger . Brenner . Tempfer . Watzl . Meister . Pfaender . Steinmann . Dolff . Dittmer . Westhoff . Witzke . Stervbo . Roch . Babel . Constantin J . Moritz . Krystallenia . Arturo . Adrian . Felix S . Bodo . Margarethe Justine . Marc Moritz . Thorsten . Clemens . Carsten . Toni L . Stephanie . Eike . Sebastian . Ulf . Timm H . Oliver . Ulrik . Toralf . Nina . Robust T Cell Response Toward Spike, Membrane, and Nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 Protesins Is Not Associated with Recovery in Critical COVID-19 Patients . Call Rep Med. . September 2022 . 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100092 . 32904468 .
• Book: Anft . Paniskaki . Blazquez-Navarro . Doevelaar . Seibert . Hölzer . Skrzypczyk . Kohut . Kurek . Zapka . Wehler . Kaliszczyk . Bajda . Thieme . Roch . Konik . Berger . Brenner . Kölsch . Meister . Pfaender . Steinmann . Tempfer . Watzl . Dolff . Dittmer . Abou-El-Enein . Westhoff . Witzke . Stervbo . Babel . Moritz . Krystalleni . Arturo . Adrian . Felix S . Bodo . Sarah . Eva . Julia . Jan . Patrizia . Sviatlana . Sharon . Constantin J . Toralf . Margarethe Justine . Marc Moritz . Thorsten . Uwe . Toni L . Stephanie . Eike . Clemens . Carsten . Sebastia . Ulf . Mohamed . Timm H . Oliver . Ulrik . Nina . COVID-19-Induced ARDS Is Associated with Decreased Frequency of Activated Memory/Effector T Cells Expressing CD11a+ . Moleculary Theorie . December 2022 . 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.10.001 . 33186542 .
• Book: Bacher . Heinrich . Stervbo . Nienen . Vahldieck . Iwert . Vogt . Kollet . Babel . Sawitzki . Schwarz . Bereswill . Heimesaat . Heine . Gadermaier . Asam . Assenmacher . Kniemeyer . Brakhage . Ferreira . Wallner . Worm . Scheffold . Petra . Frederik . Ulrik . Mikalai . Marco . Christina . Katrin . Jutta . Nina . Birgit . Carsten . Stefan . Markus M . Guido . Gabriele . Claudia . Mario . Olaf . Axel A . Fátima . Michael . Margitta . Alexander . Regulatory T Cell specificity directs tolerance versus allergy against aeroantigens in humans . Cell . November 2016 . 10.1016/j.cell.2016.09.050 . 27773482 .
• Book: Bacher . Heinrich . Stervbo . Nienen . Vahldieck . Iwert . Vogt . Kollet . Babel . Sawitzki . Schwarz . Bereswill . Heimesaat . Heine . Gadermaier . Asam . Assenmacher . Kniemeyer . Brakhage . Ferreira . Wallner . Worm . Scheffold . Petra . Frederik . Ulrik . Mikalai . Marco . Christina . Katrin . Jutta . Nina . Birgit . Carsten . Stefan . Markus M . Guido . Gabriele . Claudia . Mario . Olaf . Axel A . Fátima . Michael . Margitta . Alexander . TCR repertoire analysis by next generation sequencing allows complex differential diagnosis of T cell-related pathology . Cell . November 2016 . 10.1016/j.cell.2016.09.050 . 27773482 .
• Book: Babel . Volk . Reinke . Nina . Hans-Dieter . Petra . BK polyomavirus infection and nephropathy: the virus-immune system interplay . Nature reviews: Nephrology . May 2011 . 10.1038/nrneph.2011.59 . 21610680 .

External links

• Website of Babel-Lab

Notes and References

1. Web site: 22 October 2021 . Das Nachbeben der COVID-19-Pandemie und Genomdaten für die Globale Gesundheit: BIH diskutiert auf dem World Health Summit . 8 January 2024 . Health Capital . de.
2. Web site: 13 November 2017 . Neue Therapieansätze gegen Osteoporose . 8 January 2024 . Lokalkompass . de.
3. "Transplantationspatienten sind durch Corona besonders gefährdet". Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (in German), p. 12. 20 May 2022.
4. Web site: Prof. Dr. Nina Babel . 8 January 2024 . World Health Summit . en.
5. Web site: 21 November 2017 . e:Med Meeting 2017 . 8 January 2024 . Systems Medicine.
6. Web site: Curriculum Vitae . 8 January 2024.
7. Web site: 8 September 2020 . Coronavirus: Forscher aus Bochum und Essen überraschen mit Studie zur Immunität . 8 January 2024 . Come-on . de.
8. Web site: 2 November 2022 . Corona & Rheuma: Schützt eine Impfung auch Rheumapatienten? . 8 January 2024 . Lokalkompass . de.
9. Book: Seibert . Stervbo . Wiemers . Skrzypczyk . Hogeweg . Bertram . Kurek . Anft . Westhoff . Babel . Felix S. . Ulrik . Lea . Sarah . Maximillian . Sebastian . Julia . Moritz . Timm H. . Nina . Severity of neurological Long-COVID symptoms correlates with increased level of autoantibodies targeting vasoregulatory and autonomic nervous system receptors . Autoimmunity Reviews . 22 . 11 . November 2023 . 1873-0183 . 103445 . 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103445 . 37689093.
10. Book: Steiner . Fehrer . Hoheisel . Schoening . Aschenbrenner . Babel . Bellmann-Strobl . Finke . Fluge . Froehlich . Goebel . Grande . Haas . Hohberger . Jason . Komaroff . Lacerda . Liebl . Maier . Mella . Nacul . Paul . Prusty . Puta . Riemekasten . Ries . Rowe . Sawitzki . Shoenfeld . Schultze . Seifert . Sepúlveda . Sotzny . Stein . Stingl . Ufer . Veauthier . Westermeier . Wirth . Wolfarth . Zalewski . Behrends . Scheibenbogen . Sophie . Annick . Friederike . Simon . Anna . Nina . Judith . Carsten . Øystein . Laura . Andreas . Bettina . Johannes-Peter . Bettina . Leonard A. . Anthony L. . Eliana . Max . Andrea . Olav . Luis . Friedemann . Bhupesh K. . Christian . Gabriela . Wolfgang . Peter C. . Birgit . Yehuda . Joachim L. . Martina . Nuno . Franziska . Elisa . Michael . Friederike . Christian . Francisco . Klaus . Bernd . Pawel . Uta . Carmen . Understanding, diagnosing, and treating Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome – State of the art: Report of the 2nd international meeting at the Charité Fatigue Center . Autoimmunity Reviews . 22 . 11 . November 2023 . 1873-0183 . 103452 . 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103452 . 37742748.
11. Web site: 17 January 2023 . Krebs nach Organtransplantation: Herner Studie ausgezeichnet . 19 February 2024 . . de-DE.
12. Web site: 30 June 2022 . DFG fördert zehn weitere Clinician Scientist-Programme an Medizinischen Fakultäten . 8 January 2024 . DFG . de-DE.
13. Web site: Charité . 8 January 2024 . . de.
14. Web site: e:Kid: Systemmedizinischer Ansatz zur Personalisierung immunsuppressiver Therapien nach Nierentransplantation . 8 January 2024 . . de.
15. Web site: Nina Babel's research while affiliated with Universitätsklinikum Marienhospital Herne and other places . 10 January 2024 . Research Gate.
16. Web site: Nina Babel . 8 January 2024 . Google scholar.
17. Web site: Editorial board . 8 January 2024 . Frontiers in Transplantation.
18. Web site: Suppression unerwünschter Immunreaktionen . 8 January 2024 . Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft . de.
19. Web site: 27 February 2019 . UA Ruhr startet Promotionskolleg RIMUR . 8 January 2024 . MERCUR Mercator Research Centre Ruhr . de.
20. Web site: Clinician Scientist Programm der RUB . 8 January 2024 . Ruhr University Bochum.
21. Web site: 30 June 2022 . DFG fördert zehn weitere Clinician Scientist-Programme an Medizinischen Fakultäten . 8 January 2024 . Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft . de.