ReproTrack.MS
Infertility is on the rise, indicating an overall decrease in Reproductive Health. This emerging scientific and societal issue needs to be addressed by integrated research approaches of highly-skilled reproductive scientists. However, scientists with the required comprehensive expertise as well as career tracks for becoming scientific and/or clinical leaders in this field are rare. The establishment of the Junior Scientist Research Centre ReproTrack.MS strives to narrow this gap. ReproTrack.MS fosters translational research on reproduction and infertility, bringing the concept “FromBench to Bedside and Back” to life. Accordingly, the Junior Scientist Research Centre is designed to 1) break barriers between disciplines as well as basic and clinical science, 2) provide interdisciplinary scientific and clinical education, and 3) deliver hands-on guidance in career development and leadership. We hereby prepare Medical and Clinician Scientists for an academic career in Reproductive Health.
Why Münster?
Unique within Germany, the Medical Faculty of the University of Münster has been fostering Reproductive Health as a research topic, acknowledging its emerging significance. To this end, over the last 15 years the Medical Faculty has enhanced reproductive research and medicine by a series of strategic measures. These are reflected by the foundation of the Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology (CeRA), the University Hospital Fertility Centre, and the Institute of Reproductive Genetics. Besides, researchers located at the Department of General Paediatrics, the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the Department of Radiation Oncology, the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, the Institute of Medical Informatics, and the Institute of Geoinformatics are dedicated to finding answers to the challenges of infertility. Together, these institutions constitute a functioning network and versatile nest for Medical and Clinician Scientists on track for a career in reproductive science. In addition, this network is supported by a number of pre-existing local research and career-development initiatives that feed into the success and transdisciplinary nature of ReproTrack.MS.