Autoimmunologie

Scientific career

• Since 2019 Group leader “Autoimmunology”
• Since 2014 Consultant Rheumatologist, Head of Outpatient Clinic, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité – University Medicine Berlin
• 2010 – 2019 Postdoctoral fellow at the Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin

Education

• 2022 Habilitation at Charité University Medicine Berlin
• 2014 Board certification Rheumatology (Berliner Ärztekammer)
• 2013 Board certification Internal Medicine (Berliner Ärztekammer)
• 2004 – 2013 Resident internal medicine at Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité – University Medicine Berlin
• 2010 Doctoral thesis (summa cum laude) with Prof. Falk Hiepe
• 2004 Approbation
• 1995 – 2002 Medical School Humboldt University, Charité Berlin

Boards

• Since 2017 Disease Coordinator at the European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Connective Tissue and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ERN ReCONNET)
• Since 2017 Steering Committee Regionales Rheumazentrum Berlin
• Since 2016 Secretary of Autoimmune Disease Working Party (ADWP) of European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)
• Since 2014 Steering Committee German Society for Lupus-Research

Membership

• Since 2006 Member German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh)

 Third party funding

• 2012 – 2014 Project leader SFB650 (TP12) Cellular Approaches for the Suppression of Unwanted Immune Reactions – From Bench to Bedside
• 2004 – 2007 “Network innovative Rheumatology Diagnostics and Therapy”, funded by German

Awards

• 2015 Award Rheumastiftung ”Ideenwettbewerb”
• 2013 Award Posterprize Annual Meeting DGRh
• 2013 Award Wolfgang-Schulze Foundation
• 2004 Award EULAR-Award of Annual European Rheumatology Research Congress (EWRR)

Key publications

1. Ostendorf L, Burns M, Durek P, Heinz GA, Heinrich F, Garatziotis P, Enghard P, Richter U, Biesen R, Schneider U, Knebel F, Burmester G, Radbruch A, Mei HE, Mashreghi F, Hiepe F, Alexander T. Targeting CD38 with Daratumumab in refractory Systemic Lupus erythematosus. New Engl J Med. 2020 in press
2. Alexander T, Sarfert R, Klotsche J, Kühl AA, Rubbert-Roth A, Lorenz HM, Rech J, Hoyer BF, Cheng Q, Waka A, Taddeo A, Wiesener M, Schett G, Burmester GR, Radbruch A, Hiepe F*, Voll RE*. The proteasome inhibitior bortezomib depletes plasma cells and ameliorates clinical manifestations of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015 Jul;74(7):1474-8
3. Laurent SA, Hoffmann FS, Kuhn PH, Cheng Q, Chu Y, Schmidt-Supprian M, Hauck SM, Schuh E, Krumbholz M, Rübsamen H, Wanngren J, Khademi M, Olsson T, Alexander T, Hiepe F, Pfister HW, Weber F, Jenne D, Wekerle H, Hohlfeld R, Lichtenthaler SF, Meinl E. γ-secretase directly sheds the survival receptor BCMA from plasma cells. Nat Commun. 2015 Jun 11;6:7333.
4. Alexander T, Sattler A, Templin L, Kohler S, Groß C, Meisel A, Sawitzki B, Burmester GR, Arnold R, Radbruch A, Thiel A*, Hiepe F*. Foxp3+ Helios+ regulatory T cells are expanded in active systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Sep 1;72(9):1549-58.
5. Alexander T, Schneider S, Hoyer BF, Cheng Q, Thiel A, Ziemer S, Burmester GR, Arnold R, Radbruch A, Hiepe F. Development and resolution of secondary autoimmunity after autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for systemic lupus erythematosus: competition of plasma cells for survival niches? Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Jun;72(6):1102-4
6. Alexander T, Thiel A, Rosen O, Massenkeil G, Sattler A, Kohler S, Mei H, Radtke H, Gromnica-Ihle E, Burmester GR, Arnold R, Radbruch A, and Hiepe F. Depletion of autoreactive immunologic memory followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with refractory SLE induces long-term remission through de novo generation of a juvenile and tolerant immune system. Blood. 2009 Jan 1;113(1):214-23