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The graduate centre FIRST (Frankfurt International Research School for Translational Biomedicine) was founded in 2007 as graduate school by the Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, the Georg-Speyer-Haus (GSH) in Frankfurt and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute in Langen. At Frankfurt University, groups within the faculties of Medicine (FB14) and Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy (FB 14) that address different aspects of drug research from basics up to clinical development, have joined to form FIRSTwhich became in autumn 2009 the Graduate Centre BioMed FIRST at the Goethe Graduate Academy.
FIRST is an integrated effort to accelerate education and research in the areas that show great promise for translating basic biomedical knowledge into prevention strategies or new treatments with the ultimate aim of enhancing and prolonging life. FIRST is devoted to the interdisciplinary research of excellent international PhD students in translational biomedicine with a focus on drug research, development and safety.
The establishment of FIRST represents the logical consequence of the long experience in translational biomedical research in the Rhine-Main area and is driven by key research areas in which Frankfurt University possesses a critical mass of reputed researchers, i.e. in the areas of Lipid Signalling, Cardiovascular Signalling, Oncogenic Signalling, Redox Signalling and Biologicals & small molecules in drug research. Our regional, national and international research networks help to guarantee the highest international standards for both research and education. Within FIRST, strong links between academia and pharmaceutical companies have been forged to facilitate the rapid exploitation of results from basic science. However at this point we must stress that the development of drugs is not a primary aim of FIRST. Rather, FIRST provides a platform for the education of PhD students who will later establish careers in drug research and development, both in academia and industry. The integration of pharmaceutical companies within the FIRST programme highlights the interest of non-academic institutions in this education concept and guarantees an up to date and practically orientated curriculum tailored to the future needs of biomedical research.
Given the overwhelming volume and complexity of current scientific knowledge, FIRST does not attempt to provide postgraduate education in all the of the natural and medical sciences simulteaneously. Rather, FIRST concentrates on translational biomedicine and the interdisciplinary training of postgraduate students. Such programmes are essential for the future realisation of the full potential of new discoveries made that the level of basic science by ensuring rapid transferral into clinical studies.
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