09.07.2026
1000 Köpfe Plus: Research on Immune Mechanisms in COPD
How do misdirected immune responses contribute to the development of COPD and pulmonary emphysema? Dr. Jia Li is investigating this question as part of the “1000 Köpfe Plus” program of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). She is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and has been working since March for two years as a visiting researcher in the “Immunology and Cell Biology” research group at the FZB led by Prof. Silke Meiners.
With “1000 Köpfe Plus,” the Federal Ministry aims to aims to attract top international researchers to Germany as a center of scientific excellence and to strengthen existing research collaborations in the long term. This gives scientists from abroad the opportunity to contribute their expertise to German research structures and to establish long-term, international partnerships.
Dr. Jia Li earned her Ph.D. at Leiden University Medical Center and subsequently worked there as a postdoctoral researcher. For her work on immune cell development in the fetal lung, she was awarded the Chiesi Young Investigator Award by the Dutch Lung Congress in 2024. Her scientific career is firmly rooted in the field of immunology, with a particular focus on the development and function of immune cells in the lung.
The contact between Jia Li and Silke Meiners’ research group was established during Jia Li’s doctoral studies in Leiden at the annual congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Over time, this connection continued to develop, including after Jia Li’s return to Guangzhou, China.
“We regularly discussed our research projects via email and video conferences, coordinating closely with one another,” Li Jia explains. This continuous exchange laid the foundation for her research project and her successful application to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. “The collaboration with Jia Li is of great strategic importance for our laboratory, as it establishes an exciting scientific link to renowned COPD laboratories and clinical centers in China,” emphasizes Prof. Silke Meiners.
In her current research project, Jia Li is investigating whether changes in the immunoproteasome lead to the misdirected activation of certain CD8+ T cells. Building on this, she is examining the role these processes play in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly pulmonary emphysema. In the long term, the findings are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the immunological mechanisms underlying the disease and to identify new targets for future diagnostics and therapy.
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