Head of Division "Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities"
Prof. Dr. Sabine Steffens
“My research focuses on the role of endogenous lipid signaling pathways in inflammatory processes that underlie atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac remodeling. It is a great privilege to conduct my research at the interface between cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in a vibrant scientific environment in collaboration with experts from both research areas.”
Academic Career and Research Areas
Sabine Steffens studied biology in Giessen and obtained her PhD in Düsseldorf, Germany. After earning her Ph.D. in gene therapy and completing a short postdoctoral training in Philadelphia, she worked at the Medical Faculty in Geneva, Switzerland, for several years. In 2013, she has been appointed as a professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) of Munich, and since 2024 she is also an associated group leader at the IDC at Helmholtz Munich.
Some of her recent key studies on the role of innate immune responses in post-myocardial infarction healing and the influence of the circadian rhythm on these processes have been published in European Heart Journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine and Circulation. More recent work on the role of the lipid receptor GPR55 in regulating B cell function in the context of atherosclerosis has been published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
She has received several awards, including the Cardiovascular Biology Award from the Swiss Society of Cardiology and the Outstanding Achievement Award from the European Society of Cardiology. She is also an active member of several commissions of the German Cardiac Society and the European Society of Cardiology. Additionally, she is involved in mentoring and coordinating training networks for the next generation of cardiovascular scientists.
Fields of Work and Expertise
Cardiovascular Biology Circadian Biology Metabolic Diseases Inflammation & Immunometabolism
Lipid Signalling
Professional Background
Associated Group Leader, Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities, Institute for Diabetes and Cancer (IDC), Helmholtz Center Munich, Germany
W2 Professor, Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, LMU Munich, Germany
Habilitation, “The role of the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis”, Medical Faculty of Geneva, Switzerland
Postdoc and Junior group leader, Medical Faculty of Geneva, Switzerland
DFG Postdoc Fellowship, Children´s Hospital Philadelphia, USA
Honors and Awards
- 2023 - Arthur Weber Price and Silver Honorary Needle of the German Cardiac Society
- 2016 – European Society of Cardiology Outstanding Achievement Award
- 2013 – Denber Pinard Award, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva
- 2005 – Swiss Society of Cardiology Research Award
