Dr. med. Caroline Perner
Perner.Caroline@mh-hannover.de 
Phone: 9737

Dr. Caroline Perner works as a Junior Research Group Leader and physician scientist with affiliations in the Institute of Immunology at the Hannover Medical School. After completing medical school, Dr. Perner graduated (Dr. med) in the Department of hematology at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg in 2016. Following two years as a clinical fellow in Neurology at the Uniklinikum Jena, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases at the Massachusetts General Hospital & the Harvard Medical School (2018-2022). She returned to Germany to continue her clinical training as a Neurologist in 2022 at the Universitätsmedizin Greifswald where she also started working scientifically as a principle investigator. Since 2024 she is working as a Junior Research Group Leader at Hannover Medical School.

Paul Neuhof
Neuhof.Paul@mh-hannover.de 
Phone: 9738

Paul Neuhof is a PhD candidate within the HBRS program and the center for infection biology (ZIB), studying neuropeptide influence on innate immune cells.
His project focuses on investigating the role of neuropeptides, such as Substance P, CGRP and PACAP, in modulating immune responses. These neuropeptides are known to influence innate immune cells like macrophages, microglia, mast cells, and dendritic cells, which play a crucial role in the body’s immune defense. The project aims to explore how these neuropeptides affect immune cell function, specifically their signaling networks, transcriptional programs, and epigenetic responses. Additionally, the study will examine how neuropeptides influence cellular reactions in pathological conditions, shedding light on their potential to shape immune cell behavior in a manner similar to cytokines.