The TRA Modelling continuously supported emerging research topics at the University of Bonn. One of the most important developments was the establishment of the IRU Mathematics and Life Sciences (MLS). In 2019, Prof. Jan Hasenauer started as the first recruit in this area as an Associate Professor (W2) with tenure track. Prof. Hasenauer is an expert in data-driven computational biology, image-based modeling, computational data analysis, and software development, making his research profile an excellent fit for TRA Modelling. One of the first applications for TRA seed funding was initiated by Prof. Hasenauer in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Marieta Toma and Prof. Dr. Michael Hölzel of the University Hospital Bonn (UKB). These clinical partners contributed tissue samples, imaging data, and expertise in experimental pathology and oncology.
Starting in September 2020, TRA Modelling funded their joint project, which focused on establishing novel computational methods for spatially resolved deep profiling of biological tissues. The 12-month TRA funding was instrumental in strengthening the IRU MLS as well as fostering productive collaborations between the modeling groups at the University of Bonn and the experimental groups at the UKB. This successful project was pivotal in consolidating the Hasenauer Group for Computational Life Sciences at the IRU MLS. It also contributed to the subsequent acquisition of an ERC Consolidator Grant and a BMBF grant, as well as the appointment of Prof. Hasenauer as Schlegel Professor of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in 2022.