FIGON DMD

Martina Schmidt

Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen

Martina Schmidt studied at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany). Here she obtained her PhD from the Department of Physiological Chemistry for a thesis on the phosphoinositide metabolism (1992). Afterwards she went to the “Institut für Pharmakologie” of the Universitätsklinikum Essen (Germany) where she specialized in Molecular Pharmacology. She received her “Venia legendi” in Pharmacology & Toxicology (2000) and is registered as Pharmacologist from the “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie” (2002). In addition, she is registered as Pharmacologist from the “Dutch Society of Pharmacology”, the Netherlands. In 2022, she has been awarded the title European Certified Pharmacologist.

In 2005 moved as a Rosalind Franklin Fellow to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Groningen. In September 2006 she was appointed as adjunct professor of Molecular Pharmacology. In 2007 she received the Organon prize for pharmacology. In September 2011 she was appointed as full professor of Molecular Pharmacology. Since 2017, she is head of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology, at the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP).Martina Schmidt has held various positions or is active as: board member of the Dutch Pharmacology Society, board member of the Groningen Research Institute of Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), the University Faculty Council, chair of the education committee of the top master program Master Pharmacological Drug Innovation (MPDI) now Molecular Medicine and Innovative Treatment; she was vice-dean pharmacy. Her translational research focuses on the molecular pharmacological aspects of the development and course of chronic inflammatory diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and neuronal systems. The research is part of the partnerships CBN, GUIDE, and GRIAC of the University of Groningen. Her enthusiasm for education is appreciated by many students, PhD students, post-doc trainees. Currently she is member of the executive board FIGON and member of the program committee FIGON Dutch Medicine Days, and Fellow of British Pharmacological Society, FBPhS.

Presentation: Receptor pharmacology: Taking the lead in targeting nanocompartments in COPD and Alzheimer

Chronic diseases afflict millions of people of our worldwide aging society causing individual suffering and an enormous economic burden on our health care system. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and Alzheimer’s dementia are common chronic diseases threatening the world population. COPD and Alzheimer’s dementia show tissue degeneration, inflammation and oxidative stress. Environmental stressors such as air pollutants and smoke are traditionally linked to COPD. Recent research had shown that people living in highly polluted areas have a higher risk in developing Alzheimer’s dementia. Despite the global impact of COPD and Alzheimer’s dementia, there have been very limited breakthroughs in our understanding and insights into the underlying mechanisms into their causes, treatment or cure.Clustering of cyclic nucleotide (and calcium) signaling in defined subcellular compartments/microdomains (signalosomes) has developed as a promising route to pursue to shed light into the mechanism enabling cells to exert their highly specialized tasks. We used approved drugs in combination with novel druggable components to achieve direct pharmacological targeting of nanocompartments in a unique model subset. Our concept potentially not only holds for COPD and Alzheimer’s dementia but also for other chronic diseases.