Research The Bayer Scientific Magazin, Edition 28

Into the research laboratory with the 

Germany Scholarship

Biochemist Timo Konen received a Bayer-sponsored Germany Scholarship in 2013. This enabled him to 

 concentrate on his studies and also provided an insight into industrial research. research spoke to him about  

his experiences.

What exactly is a Germany Scholarship?

These new scholarships have only been around since 2011. 

Universities award them directly to the recipients, who 

receive EUR 300 a month for at least two semesters – half 

of this comes from the federal government, and the other 

half is sponsored by a company.

How did you become a recipient of a Germany Scholar-

ship?

I studied biochemistry in Hanover. I applied for the scholar-

ship at the beginning of my Master’s course. However, I 

was only successful second time round.

Did you also benefit from the contact with Bayer?

Yes, after graduating, I was able to fit in an internship at 

the Bayer Research Center in Berlin. I worked in Dr. Oliver 

von Ahsen’s Global Biomarker Research department. The 

Bayer Foundation made the initial contact for me, which 

made my application easier.

What were you working on in Berlin?

I helped on two projects, and also carried out my own 

experiments. One thing we were looking at was circulating 

endothelium cells. These are cells that are found in small 

numbers in the blood when certain cardiovascular diseases 

are present, and can therefore be used as a diagnostic 

marker. In the other project, we determined the counts of  

a tumor gene that is needed for tumor cell growth. These 

threshold values are vital for subsequent therapy decisions.

What are your plans now?

During my internship, I discovered that industrial research 

is much more targeted, and to some extent it is also more 

efficient than research at university. Nonetheless, I still 

intend to finish my doctorate in the academic sector. There 

is a much broader scientific dialog going on there. That 

does not mean that I would rule out taking on a job in the 

industrial sector at a later date.

The Bayer foundations – committed to progress since 1897

Bayer foundations have been promoting education, science and social innovation all over the world since 1897. As part of the inno-

vation company Bayer, the foundations see themselves above all as initiators, promoters and partners for progress at the interface 

between industry, science and the social sector. Their programs are focused on pioneers – their commitment to public welfare, their 

wealth of ideas in resolving social tasks, and their creativity in the fields of science and medicine. The Bayer Science &  Education 

 Foundation, for example, grants scholarships and awards which encourage young talents and top researchers alike to deliver 

 outstanding achievements in their field. The Bayer foundations also  

support efforts to resolve social issues. For example, the Bayer  

Cares Foundation focuses on citizens’ projects and  resolving issues 

in the field of social medicine. The objective of the  foundations is 

always to improve human life through innovation and initiatives.

www.bayer-foundations.com

Visit this site to apply or to obtain more information

(see back cover flap).

Looking into the laboratory – Timo Konen (left) gathered experi-

ence in industrial research at Bayer HealthCare in Berlin. He joined 

the team of Dr. Oliver von Ahsen (right) as an intern. He also 

received support from the Bayer foundations, whose Managing 

Director is Thimo V. Schmitt-Lord (center), in the form of a  

Germany Scholarship.

26

Bayer research 28    July 2015

BAYER FOUNDATIONS 

Current highlights

---

GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR CHEMO PATIENTS

Cooling against hair loss

Of the many side effects of chemotherapy, hair loss is perhaps the most obvious and dreaded. “It tells everyone that you are 

suffering from a life-threatening disease,” says Dr. Trudi Schaper, chairperson of the breast cancer self-help group ISI (Interna-

tionale Senologie Initiative) in Düsseldorf.

Since the beginning of 2014, patients at 

the breast center in the Luisenkranken-

haus hospital in Düsseldorf have had an 

opportunity to keep their hair by wearing 

a cooling cap during chemotherapy. The 

cap cools their skin to 19 to 22 degrees 

Celsius, which reduces blood circulation 

at the hair roots. As a result, fewer of the 

chemotherapy toxins get through to the 

sensitive cells.

This cooling system was financed by 

the ISI self-help group with the support 

of the Bayer Cares Foundation. As part of 

its voluntary program, the Bayer founda-

tion is providing EUR 5,000 to support the 

project. “Demand is enormous among the 

patients,” says former Bayer employee and 

psychologist Monika Puls-Rademacher, 

who works for ISI as a voluntary patient 

advisor.

The Internationale Senologie Initia-

tive is documenting the conditions un-

der which the treatment is successful. 

“We hope to reach a point where health 

insurers will pay for this in future,” says 

Puls-Rademacher. “We are therefore col-

lecting as much data as possible to prove 

that it is successful.” The “ISI cares for 

hair” initiative was one of the  eleven fi-

nalists for the Aspirin Social Award.

HELP FOR TEENAGE MOTHERS IN PERU

Routes out of poverty

Although there has been positive economic development in Peru over the past few years, poverty and malnutrition are still 

widespread. In the slums around the capital Lima in particular, there is a high rate of teenage pregnancy. It is very difficult for 

these young women to find a way out of poverty.

As a result, the South American foundation CONIN – which stands 

for Cooperadora para la Nutrición Infantil, or cooperative for child 

nutrition – has set up a training program for teenage mothers in 

the Nueva Rinconada slum. “The program is about more than just 

teaching these young women how to run a household and prepare a 

healthy meal,” reports Diana Saenz, Head of Country Administration 

& Organization at Bayer HealthCare Peru. “We also want to boost their 

self-esteem, assertiveness and empathy.” Ideally, the program aims to 

enable the young mothers to earn a living running small businesses 

or as domestic help.

Students, teachers and parents from the Casuarinas International 

School, which Saenz’s son also attends, do voluntary work for the 

project. The mothers who volunteer show the young women how to 

cook, iron and give first aid, for example. The Bayer Cares Founda-

tion has ensured that the group can provide the utensils needed for 

cookery courses. A donation of EUR 3,500 was used to convert exist-

ing rooms into a teaching kitchen. Adds Saenz, “Thanks to amazing 

support from Bayer, CONIN can now improve the training, personal 

development and job opportunities offered to teenage mothers as 

part of this program.”

Protective headgear – at the Bayer foundations dialog 

in Dormagen, Monika Puls-Rademacher (left) and her 

colleagues showcased the cooling cap that protects 

breast cancer patients from losing their hair.

Help for the little ones – Diana Saenz (center) fights poverty and malnutrition 

in Peru. She helps young mothers prepare meals for their children and earn a 

living.

Bayer research 28    July 2015

27

BAYER FOUNDATIONS 

Current highlights

---