First postdoctoral qualification at MHB

Milestone in MHB-history.

Neuruppin, 28 June 2023

Dr. med. Georgios Nikolakis has acquired a postdoctoral qualification in the field of dermatology and venerology at the Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FGW), a joint institution with the University of Potsdam and the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg. Georgios Nikolakis gave his inaugural lecture at the MHB in Neuruppin on Tuesday, 27 June and subsequently received the authorization to teach at professorial level from FGW Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Dawid Pieper. Dr. med. Georgios Nikolakis is currently a senior physician with the clinic for dermatology, venerology and allergology at the Städtisches Klinikum Dessau, one of the academic teaching hospitals associated with the MHB.

Role model for prospective students and researchers
MHB president Prof. Hans-Uwe Simon congratulated Georgios Nikolakis as the first candidate at the MHB to acquire the postdoctoral qualification: “This is an important milestone and makes you a role model for our prospective students and researchers. Your extensive research activities and your dedication to the topic of acne inversa are most impressive. Your focus on a complex disorder has produced significant findings for the dermatological treatment of affected patients, and your work will definitely contribute to a better understanding and better treatment options. As a lecturer you will have the opportunity to convey your sound expertise and experience to students – a valuable chance to inspire future physicians and encourage them to follow your example and engage in teaching and research.”

The key research interest of the native Greek is Acne inversa, a skin disorder. The skin mutations look like harmless pimples or papules and are often confused with skin impurities. Actually, they are deep-seated, painful inflammatory lumps and may appear in different areas of the body. It can take many years to get an unequivocal diagnosis. In his doctoral thesis (2014) the 37-year-old physician had already explored three-dimensional skin models in sebaceous gland research, and Acne inversa was a novel field of interest for him. He underlines the growing significance of this specific skin disorder over the past years due to the strong impact on patients’ quality of life: “Many patients are ashamed; many have problems seeking medical advice.”

Another milestone in history
This is one of the reasons why the dermatologist decided to stay with the topic. He coordinated an ongoing European multi-center study including 2,000 affected patients and the same number of healthy controls. The MHB co-funded the project with € 20,000 from its research promotion scheme.

Dr. Joachim Zagrodnick, director of the Dessau hospital which became an academic teaching hospital for MHB students in 2017, celebrated Dr. Nikolakis as the first candidate in his hospital to acquire the postdoctoral qualification: a novelty in the history of the hospital; he expressed the hope that others will follow and seize the opportunity of an academic career.

In the first place, Dr. Nikolakis intends to provide support to motivated colleagues who plan research activities in his subject field. Supervision of doctoral candidates is one of many requirements for a later appointment to a professorship.