Biosketch

  • 1986 – 1991 Studies of Biochemistry and Crystallography, University Leipzig, Germany
  • 1992 – 1995  PhD-Thesis (Dr. rer. nat.) at MPI for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
  • 1999 – 2003  Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.) in Biophysical Chemistry
  • 2006 – 2012  Associate Professor for Biochemistry, University of Manitoba, Canada
  • 2006 – 2016  Tier-2  Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Structural Biology
  • 2013 Promotion to the rank of  Full Professor
  • 2014  Co-Founder/Director of COGRAD
  • 2017  Tier-1 CRC in Structural Biology and Biophysics (renewed 2024)
  • 2019 Founder/Director of CISB
  • 2024 CEO White Otter Biotech Inc.
  • 2025 Appointed as Distinguished Professor

Profiles

Wikipedia · ORCID · LinkedIn · Google Scholar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6rg_Stetefeld
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1478-3248
linkedin.com/in/jorg-stetefeld-03aa7617a
https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=j4a_zwUAAAAJ&hl=en

Current Research

Dr. Stetefeld studies the structural and functional aspects of receptor-ligand interactions that play important roles in biology and human disease. To do this, he integrates traditional structural biology approaches with in-depth biophysical characterisation. The overarching  goal is to obtain detailed mechanistic insights of how ligand binding is structurally coupled to receptor activation, and to exploit this information to manipulate signaling with resulting in therapeutics. The Stetefeld laboratory focuses on “dependence receptors”, and their role in targeted apoptosis.

Since arrival at UM, Dr. Stetefeld has recruited ~$29.1M in infrastructure support, including grants from CFI (4), WED (2) and NSERC-RTI (8). He successfully received ~$18.2M to establish his research program, including support from the CRC-program (4), CIHR (8), NSERC (8), Heart-and-Stroke Foundation (3) and Multiple Sclerosis Society Canada (1). The latest addition, a cryo-3D TEM was supported in part by the Dean of FOS, CFI and an award by the Presidents office at UM. Dr. Stetefeld has published over hundred peer-reviewed research papers, including articles in Nature Communications (3), PlosBiology (1), Cancer Cell (1), Nature Genetics (1), Nature Structural Biology (2), EMBO J (5), PNAS (1), NAR (4) and Matrix Biology (5) and has filed three international patent applications.

Personal Research Statement

After more than two decades of leading my own research program, I can say: I have seen it all !

Great science needs challenging questions and access to world-class infrastructure. But over the years, I have learned that these alone do not make a successful research program. Science is ultimately about people. They turn ideas into discoveries and share the excitement when things work, bring new perspectives when they do not, and provide the determination and support needed to get through the inevitable rough stretches of research. And, I have experienced both sides of it: moments of great excitement, trust, friendship and shared achievement, but also times of setbacks.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with outstanding students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and technical staff in my own research group and with close friends and collaborators around the world. They bring scientific excellence, and shared enthusiasm to what we do together.

I am deeply grateful to the people who have made this journey possible !