BMBF New pioneering Leibniz Lab to combat future pandemics

Founded in March 2024, the Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future” links excellent inter- and transdisciplinary research from 41 Leibniz Institutes in preparation for the next pandemic. For the first time in Germany, pathogen-oriented sciences (virology, bacteriology, mycology and immunology) are joining forces with other life sciences, such as ecology, health technologies, health economics and educational research. This new instrument of the Leibniz Association will receive 3M € in funding over three years. The aim of the Leibniz Lab is to pool research in these areas in order to prepare, prevent and respond better to future pandemics. The
knowledge gained will be made available to policymakers in the form of evidence-based recommendations for action.

“In the Leibniz Lab, we will bring together the unique expertise of the Leibniz Institutes in Germany in respiratory pathogen research (viruses, bacteria and fungi), looking at their impact on the acute course of disease as well as their possible long-term consequences. Linking knowledge in these inter- and trans-disciplinary research fields was long overdue, considering that most pandemics in the past were caused by respiratory pathogens, especially influenza viruses,” says Prof. Dr. Gülşah Gabriel, Head of the Department of Viral Zoonoses – One Health at the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) and spokesperson for the Leibniz Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future”.

“Future pandemics must not lead to children and adolescents again developing major learning deficits and showing frequent psycho-somatic abnormalities. The work of educational and spatial research within the framework of the Leibniz Lab should therefore generate knowledge on how the education, care and upbringing mission of educational institutions can be maintained in the best possible way during pandemics,” says Prof. Dr. Olaf Köller, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) in Kiel and co-spokesperson of the Leibniz Lab.

“Pandemics are a global challenge: neither their prevention nor an efficient response to future pandemics can succeed if countries act in isolation,” explains Dr. Michael Stolpe, Head of the Global Health Economy Research Center at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and co-spokesperson of the Leibniz Lab. “In the new Leibniz Lab, we want to learn how to increase the resilience of our healthcare system and make the best use of scarce medical resources to save lives during a pandemic, and also develop proposals for greater international cooperation both in preparation for and in response to future pandemics,” he adds.

Scientific contact: Prof. Dr. Gülşah Gabriel (guelsah.gabriel@leibniz-liv.de), Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover