Type of funding, third-party funding provider

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)

Website

• www.sfb1665.uni-luebeck.de
• SFB Science Blog: sfb1665blog.de

Contact persons, coordination, press inquiries

Speaker: Prof. Dr. med. Olaf Hiort (Olaf.Hiort@uksh.de),
Prof. Dr. phil. dipl. biol. Rehmann Sutter (christoph.rehmannsutter@uni-luebeck.de)
Coordinator: Renate Wagner (renate.wagner@uni-luebeck.de)
Press inquiries: Dr. phil. Juliane Scholz (juliane.scholz@uni-luebeck.de)

Mission Statement and Research Goals

What is sex, how does it develop and differentiate? What are the consequences of gender and its categorization? The Collaborative Research Center (CRC) investigates the diverse manifestations of sex in different contexts. In the first funding period (2024–2027) of the research network, 17 individual projects from biology, medicine, neuroscience, social sciences and humanities are conducting research. In an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, the relevant levels of analysis of sex and gender are included - from cells to organs, from organisms to social systems and knowledge cultures.

The CRC “Sexdiversity” is about examining the diversity of sex in different research contexts. To this end, modern methods from biomedicine, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences are used, from endocrinological and genetic laboratory research to clinical medical studies and neuroscientific investigations to scientific theoretical reflection as well as ethical, cultural studies, legal and historical analyses.

The CRC is divided into three project groups: the M-projects, which investigate molecular factors and mechanisms, the S-projects, which look at systemic mechanisms and relationships, and the Z-projects, which provide administrative support for the scientific projects through central administration.

By characterizing the determinants, meanings and effects of sex at each of these levels, the CRC aims to better understand sex and gender. The research perspective goes beyond a purely binary understanding and follows new scientific findings that show that biological sex is varied and can manifest itself differently on several levels and in different contexts. These provisions and their interrelationships across all levels should be examined.

The CRC brings together scientists, researchers and clinicians from the University of Lübeck and the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel. There are also external experts from Berlin (Charité and Humboldt University), from the European University of Flensburg, the University of Magdeburg, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Hanover Medical School with expertise in research on variants of gender development Gender studies and jurisprudence.

Central to the organization of the CRC is the promotion and implementation of inter- and transdisciplinary research between the life sciences, medicine and the social, cultural and humanities. Together we would like to develop a more precise understanding of biological sex, better understand gender diversity, promote new therapy methods for different patient groups and involve interest groups, social actors and those affected in the research process.

A more nuanced, empirical understanding of biological sex and gender diversity will provide a more solid foundation for personalized medicine and new clinical treatments. The contribution of the humanities and social sciences will be not only to sharpen the understanding of the interaction of sex and gender, but also to promote methodological reflexivity in research processes and to clarify central legal and ethical foundations.

Publications

P. Holterhus, A. Kulle, H. Busch, and M. Spielmann,
Classic genetic and hormonal switches during fetal sex development and beyond
Medizinische Genetik , vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 163-171, 2023.
DOI: doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2036

A. Kulle, M. Jürgensen, U. Döhnert, L. Malich, L. Marshall, and O. Hiort,
Contexts of care for people with differences of sex development
Medizinische Genetik , vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 181--187, 2023.
DOI: doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2037

C. Rehmann-Sutter, O. Hiort, U. Krämer, L. Malich, and M. Spielmann,
Is sex still binary?
Medizinische Genetik , vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 173-180, 2023.
DOI: doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2039

C. Rehmann-Sutter, N. Hornig, B. Stammberger, and H. Stoff,
The past and future of “sex genes”
Medizinische Genetik , vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 153-161, 2023.
DOI: doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2040

O. Hiort, U. Krämer, L. Malich, C. Rehmann-Sutter, and M. Spielmann,
The Role of Genetics in Sex Diversity
Medizinische Genetik , vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 151-152, 2023.
DOI: doi:10.1515/medgen-2023-2035