Skip to main content
Standort Dresden
Frank Möller

Helmholtz Diabetes Center Institute for Pancreatic Islet Research

The mission of the IPI is to protect and restore the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas to prevent and cure diabetes mellitus.

The mission of the IPI is to protect and restore the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas to prevent and cure diabetes mellitus

About our Research

The research at the IPI focuses on the pancreatic islets, in which the insulin-producing beta cells, which are damaged or even destroyed in type-1 and type-2 diabetes, are located. The study of the underlying mechanisms and their better understanding helps scientists to develop new therapeutic approaches.

Since January 2016, the IPI has been part of Helmholtz Munich as a satellite institute and forms the core of the previously founded Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.).

Currently, the IPI comprises 16 research groups dealing with various aspects of diabetes. The scientists are working on deciphering the mechanisms that lead to the destruction and/or functional impairment of beta cells and are also trying to develop new approaches to replace damaged or destroyed beta cells.

Therefore, our mission is to protect and restore the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas to prevent and cure diabetes mellitus.

Over the past years, an international team of scientists from a wide variety of disciplines has been recruited to perform their research in Dresden, making IPI to one of the leading diabetes research locations in Germany. The interdisciplinary cooperation and the close connection of experts from different disciplines such as genetics, immunology, cell and developmental biology with the clinical departments of internal medicine and visceral, thoracic and vascular surgery or stem cell experts guarantee a translational orientation of the research. The excellent research infrastructure in Dresden provides moreover the basis for future scientific excellence.

Our Research Groups

Solimena Lab

Molecular Diabetology

Our laboratory is interested in the cell biology of  beta cells of the endocrine pancreas. Our research is focused on the insulin secretory granules, their cargoes as dominant autoantigens in Type-1 diabetes and the identification of the pathogenic mechnisms leading to the failure of  pancreatic beta cells in Type-2 diabetes through the study of  islets of living donors.

Gavalas Lab

Stem Cells in Pancreas Development and Disease

We are interested in understanding how extracellular signals and intrinsic genetic programs interact to initially dictate cell fate decisions in stem and progenitor cells and eventually establish mature phenotypes. 

Coskun Lab

Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research

We challenge the mutual interdependence of lipid-protein interactions by an interdisciplinary approach, combining cell biology and synthetic biology as well as protein biochemistry, structure biology and biophysics.

Speier Lab

Islet of Langerhans physiology in the pathogenesis and therapy of diabetes

Our group investigates the role of beta cell mass and function at distinct stages of diabetes pathogenesis and aims to discover novel therapeutic targets for beta cell protection and recovery in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Our Staff at IPI

Porträt Juha Torkko 2000x2000 Cyan Setcard

Juha Torkko, PhD

Postdoc
MuellerA_2000x2000_MunichPurple

Dr. Andreas Müller

Postdoc
Portrait Carolin Eckert

Carolin Eckert

Technische Assistenz
Daniela Friedland Portrait 2000x2000 Munich Red

Daniela Friedland

Technische Assistenz
Katharina Ganß 2000x2000 Setcard MunichRed

Katharina Ganß

Technische Assistenz
Katja Pfriem 2000x2000 Munich Purple

Katja Pfriem

Administrative Coordination
Ünal Coskun 2000x2000 Cyan

Prof. Dr. Ünal Coskun

Gruppenleiter View profile
Michal Grzybek 2000x2000 Setcard MunichPurple

Michal Grzybek, PhD

Postdoc
Brankatschk Beate_Portrait_2000x2000_MunichRed

Beate Brankatschk

Technische Assistenz
Anthony Gavalas 2000x2000 MA-Setcard MunichPurple

Prof. Anthony Gavalas, PhD

Gruppenleiter View profile

Alin Jurisch

Technische Assistenz
Stephan Speier 2000x2000 Setcard Mitarbeiter MunichRed

Prof. Stephan Speier, PhD

Gruppenleiter View profile

Dr. Christian Cohrs

Postdoc

Katharina Hüttner

Technische Assistenz
Dana Krueger Setcard Portrait 2000x2000 Cyan

Dana Krüger

Administration
Portrait Frank Moeller 2000x2000 Secard Munich Red

Dr. Frank Möller

Scientific Coordination
Portrait Mandy Rödiger 2000x2000 Setcard Cyan

Mandy Rödiger

Predoc
Elisa Zanfrini Portrait 2000x2000 Munich Purple

Elisa Zanfrini

Predoc
Portrait Zeina Nicola 2000x2000 Cyan

Zeina Nicola, PhD

Postdoc / Labormanager
Carla Münster 2000x2000 Setcard Cyan

Carla Münster

Technische Assistenz
Porträt von Eyke Schoeniger

Eyke Schöniger

Technische Assistenz

Alessandra Palladini, PhD

Postdoc
HerrmannC_2000x2000_MunichRed

Dr. Christine Herrmann

Postdoc
Sarah Hermann 2000x2000 MunichRed IPI

Sarah Hermann

Technische Assistenz

Ivan Perez Rodriguez

Predoc
Portrait Ana Karen Mojica Avila 2000x200 Setcard MunichPurple

Ana Karen Mojica Avila

Predoc

Ekaterina Nikitina

Predoc
Yanni Morgenroth 2000x2000 Cyan

Yanni Morgenroth

Manuj Bandral

0
Employees
0
Published Research Articles
0
% Female Staff
0
Years since Founding
0
Million Pipette Tips

Publications

Read more

Contact us!

Katja Pfriem 2000x2000 Munich Purple

Katja Pfriem

Administrative Coordination

Portrait Frank Moeller 2000x2000 Secard Munich Red

Dr. Frank Möller

Scientific Coordination

Dana Krueger Setcard Portrait 2000x2000 Cyan

Dana Krüger

Administration