Research Focus
Cardiovascular Sciences
Focus
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Cardiovascular Sciences was established in mid-2019 as a new research focus at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn.
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In terms of content, the focus is on cardiac, vascular and valve degeneration, metabolism and regeneration mechanisms in the cardiovascular system.
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The clinical and basic science departments of the focus are also united in the Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn.
Speaker
Prof. Dr. med. (l) Bernd Fleischmann
Institute of Physiology I
At a Glance
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in the Western world. Their incidence continues to rise, also because of the obesity pandemic and the increasing aging of society. They are largely caused by disease of the vessels (atherosclerosis). In addition to the vessels and the heart, other organ systems are affected, especially the brain and kidneys.
Interventional therapeutic approaches and devices have significantly reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease in recent years. Nevertheless, mortality and morbidity remain high, the underlying molecular causes are still largely unclear, and causal therapeutic approaches are lacking. This underpins the great relevance of insight-driven basic and clinical research in this field. The aim of our research is to better understand the causes of this widespread disease and to establish new therapeutic concepts for the treatment of patients.
Cardiovascular Sciences was established in mid-2019 as a new research focus at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn22. In terms of content, the focus is on cardiac, vascular and valve degeneration, metabolism and regeneration mechanisms in the cardiovascular system. The clinical and basic science departments of the research focus are also united in the Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn33. The development of the clinical performance figures of the Heart Center is very positive and the expansion of pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery will lead to a further increase in patient numbers. This consolidates the importance of the site for the research and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. There are close scientific interactions with the Immunosciences and Infection and Genetics and Epidemiology research foci of the faculty, cross-faculty interactions with departments (LIMES, Pharmacy, Biology) of the Faculty for Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Bonn, and with the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Current Events
Seminars, events and news can be found on the following pages.
Highlights
Collaborative Research Centres/Transregios (applicant/co-applicant)
- TRR 259 "Aortic Disease"
Coordination: Prof. Georg Nickenig - TRR 333 "Brown and Beige Fat – Organ Crosstalk, Signaling and Energetics (BATenergy)"
Coordination: Prof. Alexander Peifer
Collaborative Research Centres/Transregios (participating)
- SFB 1328 „Adenine Nucleotides in Immunity and Inflammation“
TP A09 „The spatiotemporal signature of cAMP signaling in brown/beige adipocytes and its interaction with the chemokine-cytokine network“, Prof. Alexander Peifer - SFB 1425 "Heterocellular Nature of Cardiac Lesions: Identities, Interactions, Implications"
Coordination Prof. Peter Kohl, Experimentelle Kardiovaskuläre Medizn, Universität Freiburg
TP P14: "Modulation of Cx43 Expression and Targeting of the Myocardial Scar: Impact on Cell Fate, Scar Formation, and Electrical Vulnerability Post-Myocardial Infarction"
Speaker Bonn: Prof. Bernd Fleischmann, Prof. Wilhelm Röll
BMBF Collaborative Projects with Speaker Function
- ACRIBiS "Medical informatics use case “Improving cardiovascular risk identification by synthesizing structured clinical documentation and phenotypes derived from biosignals"
Coordination: PD Dr. Sven Zenker
BMBF Collaborative Projects with Participation
- VERO "KI-basierte Bewertung der Vertrauenswürdigkeit von Online verfügbaren Gesundheitsinformationen zur Optimierung der Eigenrecherche und des Arzt-Patientengesprächs unter Einsatz von Retrieval-Augmented Generation"
DFG-funded Research Units
- FOR 2372 "G protein signalling cascades: with new molecular probes and modulators towards novel pharmacological concepts"
TP "Effects of direct pharmacological Gq protein modulation on lung and right heart remodeling"
Speaker Bonn: Prof. Bernd Fleischmann - FOR 2743 "Mechanical Stress Protection"
TP "Mechanical stress-induced pathomechanisms in BAG3-associated myopathies"
Speaker Bonn: Dr. Michael Hesse - FOR 5298 "iMAGO - Personalized diagnostics for the treatment of obesity"
TP "Markierungsfreie Bildgebung des Lipid-Glukose-Stoffwechsels in Zellen, Geweben und im Mausmodell"
Speaker Bonn: Prof. Dr. Yongguo Li
EU Research Projects with Participation
- AI-POD "Trustworthy AI Tools for the Prediction of Obesity Related Vascular Disease"
Cordination: Prof. Dr. Ulrike Attenberger
Goethe-University-Frankfurt:
Institute for Biophysical chemistry
Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf:
Experimental Vascular Medicine
Institute of Molecular Cardiology
Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology
Department of Cardiology, Pneumology & Angiology
University Hospital Gießen und Marburg:
Institute for Human Genetics
University of Cologne:
Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne
Institute of Biochemistry II
Institute of Genetics
Clinic III for Internal Medicine
Max Planck Institute for Metabolic Disorders
University of Amsterdam:
Department of Medical Biochemistry
Primarily associated institutes & clinics of the Medical Faculty:
Institute for Experimental Hematology and Transfusion Medicine
Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Institute of Physiology I
Clinic and Polyclinic for Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine
Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac Surgery
Clinic and Polyclinic for Nuclear Medicine
Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II
Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine of the Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery of the Center for Pediatrics
Department of Pediatric Cardiology of the Center for Pediatrics
Associated institutes & clinics of the Medical Faculty and the University of Bonn:
Institute for Innate Immunity, Medical Faculty
Institute for Experimental Immunology, Medical Faculty
Institute of Family Medicine, Medical Faculty
Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty
Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty
Institute of Molecular Immunology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Clinic for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty
Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences:Prof. Andreas Schlitzer, Quantitative Systems Biology
Prof. Elvira Mass, Developmental Biology of the Immune System
Pharmaceutical Institute, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
- Heisenberg funding:
Prof. Philipp Sasse (2020) "Cardiac optogenetics" - ERC Starting Grant:
Prof. Yongguo Li (2024) "Turning off the furnace: the intracellular brake systems for brown fat thermogenesis" - Emmy Noether-Nachwuchsgruppe (DFG)
Prof. Yongguo Li (2020) "Molecular networks and epigenomic mechanisms underpinning white fat browning capacity" - Leopoldina members:
Bernd Fleischmann
Ulrich Gembruch
Frank Holz
Alexander Pfeifer
Promotion of Young Talent
Education Structure
Integrated Reasearch Training Group Aortic Disease (iRTG - TRR259)
Management: PD Felix Jansen, Medical Clinic and Policlinic II
Prof. Gerhard Sengle, Institute for Biochemistry II, University of Cologne
Dr. Markus Wagenhäuser, Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Düsseldorf University Hospital
The goal of the iRTG is to train talented PhD/MD students to become the next generation of cardiovascular scientists and physicians. An interdisciplinary and structured program of the iRTG guarantees close collaboration between the different research groups in general and in particular the exchange of basic scientists and clinicians to deepen cardiovascular expertise. The young scientists can thus be taught basic immunological, pathophysiological and pharmacological principles of the development of aortic diseases in an interdisciplinary manner. The young scientists learn state-of-the-art technologies for conducting basic research through regular workshops and exchange among themselves. Comprehensive on-site mentoring, regular progress reporting, retreats, and career development activities such as statistics courses and soft-skill workshops are an important component of the iRTG.
The iRTG promotes the transfer of knowledge of basic research results towards clinical application. The special clinical workshops are designed to introduce students to cardiovascular medicine with all its modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, while highlighting unmet medical needs and challenges in patient care.
Furthermore, clinical research during or even after residency training is to be strengthened. To this end, TRR259 awards fellowships to young physicians from clinical institutions, giving them the opportunity to completely interrupt their clinical work already during their residency training in order to exclusively pursue their scientific work. These fellows are involved in the iRTG.
Bonn International Graduate School of Drug Science (BIGS DrugS)
Management: Spokesperson: Prof. Alexander Pfeifer, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Speaker: Prof. Christa E. Müller, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry
The BIGS DrugS is a structured training program focusing on pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences. The program was founded in 2010 and is part of the Bonn International Graduate School (BIGS). Talented young scientists are offered a three-year structured program with a focus on basic and applied research for the development of new drugs and therapies. In the process, scientists explore new pharmacological targets, new chemical and biological main components as innovative therapeutic approaches. Concepts based on stem cells, RNA or nanotechnology are developed. The development of therapies for common diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems is of particular interest.
In addition to workshops, lectures, colloquia, and symposia, mentoring by 2 experienced scientists is an important component of BIGS DrugS.