Matthias Dobbelstein

Matthias Dobbelstein is a Professor of Molecular Oncology at the University of Göttingen and Director of the Institute of Molecular Oncology at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). He is also a Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences (MPI-NAT) and a faculty member at the Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB). His research is conducted within the Göttingen Center of Molecular Biosciences (GZMB) at the Faculty of Medicine, where he leads one of three research groups in the Department of Molecular Oncology alongside Professors Holger Bastians and Ramona Schulz-Heddergott.

Professor Dobbelstein received his medical degree (Dr. med.) summa cum laude from Munich University in 1994, with research in Tumor Virology. He completed his habilitation in Virology at Philipps University Marburg in 2002. His educational journey began with studies of Human Medicine at Munich University (LMU) from 1986-1992, during which he received multiple scholarships including the Bayerisches Begabtenförderungsgesetz and the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.

His research program focuses on the tumor suppressor p53 and its antagonist MDM2, investigating how these molecular pathways can be targeted to improve cancer therapy. Remarkably, his laboratory discovered that similar therapeutic approaches can be effective against infectious agents, particularly viruses, leading to a significant expansion of their research into antiviral pharmacotherapy, especially against SARS-CoV-2. The group has made important contributions to understanding MDM2's multifaceted roles beyond its regulation of p53, including its functions as a chromatin modifier and enhancer of DNA replication fork progression. Their work on nanobodies for neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and on nucleoside analogues that interfere with viral replication represents cutting-edge translational research with potential clinical applications.

• Lecturer of the Year, Molecular Medicine Master Program (2007)
• Postdoctoral Award for Virus Research, Robert Koch Foundation (1999)
• Research Award, Hessian Cancer Society (1998)

Professor Dobbelstein has established robust mentoring programs for students and early-career researchers. He serves as spokesperson for three Clinician Scientist Colleges funded by the DFG, the Ministry of Science of Lower Saxony, and the Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung. He also leads the Promotionskolleg for research projects run by medical students, funded by the EKFS. His laboratory currently includes PhD student Jennifer Jansen, who holds a stipend from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (2021-2024). His research is supported by multiple substantial grants including projects from the Deutsche Krebshilfe, Volkswagen Stiftung, COFONI (Corona Forschungs Netzwerk Niedersachsen), and the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE).

The Dobbelstein lab is part of a larger collaborative network that includes the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, the German Primate Research Center, the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology at UMG, and the Friedrich Loeffler Institut. They operate within the Department of Molecular Oncology, which comprises three laboratories (Dobbelstein, Bastians, and Schulz-Heddergott labs) with approximately 30 team members across 12 funded projects. Notably, Professor Dobbelstein leads an S3 laboratory for research on SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious pathogens, established with European Regional Development Fund support, which enables research on recombinant pathogens using cell models to test anti-infective therapies up to the stage of clinical application.