Damian Bertheloot, Ph.D.
Institute of Innate Immunity, Bonn, Germany
Dr. Damien Bertheloot is passionate about the
signature dying cells leave behind and the impact these molecular patterns have
on the immune system. His first taste for the world of innate immunity came
from an internship in the laboratory of Prof. Bryan Williams (Monash
University, Melbourne, Australia). Coming back to Europe for his doctoral
studies, Damien joined the newly founded Institute of Innate Immunity under the
mentorship of Prof. Eicke Latz (University of Bonn, Germany), where he
investigated the role of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE)
in the sensing of nucleic acids by endosomal Toll-like receptors (TLRs). After
graduation in 2016, he joined IFM Therapeutics, a biotech startup that develops
drugs targeting the innate immune system. There, Damien contributed to the
discovery of small-molecule medicines targeting the innate immune receptors
NLRP3 and STING, which are now tested in the clinic for treatment of cancer or
inflammatory diseases. Stronger from this successful experience, Damien decided
to come back to his academic roots and joined the laboratory of Prof. Bernardo
Franklin in May 2019, keeping a sharp focus on innate immune research with
translational potential.