Although they contain the same genetic blueprint, the different cell types in the human body perform different tasks depending on which genes are active in them. While cardiac muscle cells generate the mechanical force for the heartbeat, so-called endothelial cells form the inner lining of the blood vessels and thereby regulate, among other things, blood clotting. Which tasks – and thus which gene activities – are needed at any given time is controlled by a complex network of molecular signals. Particularly important in this process are so-called non-coding RNAs. These small molecules act like “switches” in the cells: they control which genes in a cell are switched on or off – a mechanism that becomes especially important when heart tissue is damaged, for example after a heart attack.
This is precisely where Stefanie Dimmeler’s research comes in. Together with her team, she has shown how the inner lining of blood vessels is regulated at the cellular level and how these processes can be specifically influenced in order to strengthen vascular protection. In doing so, Dimmeler has contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases and has brought non-coding RNAs into focus as the basis for new therapeutic approaches, for example for treating premature ageing processes in the heart. Dimmeler’s work demonstrates how findings from basic molecular research can be translated into clinical application.
Stefanie Dimmeler is a biologist and has been Professor and Director of the Institute for Cardiovascular Regeneration at the Centre for Molecular Medicine at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main since 2008. She is also Chair of the Board of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and spokesperson of the Cluster of Excellence Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI). Across disciplines, she is regarded as one of the most highly cited scientists in Germany and has already received numerous awards for her research – including the Hector Science Award in 2025, the Otto Warburg Medal of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) in 2022, and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2005. In 2017, the Leopoldina admitted her as a member of its Section Internal Medicine and Dermatology.
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the Federal Republic’s highest distinction for services to the common good. It is awarded in eight different classes. Stefanie Dimmeler receives the Cross of Merit First Class, the third class of the Order. The award was presented to her on 13 July by Hesse’s Minister-President Boris Rhein in Wiesbaden.