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Core Research Areas

The Faculty strives for excellence in all spheres of biomedical research. Due to strategic appointments and large research projects in the last years, we have built up special expertise in five core areas:

Infection and immunology research

What is it about?

Scientists and clinicians with a focus on infection research and immunology investigate questions of infection biology and immunologic defense, mechanisms of inflammation, auto-immunity, and transplant immunology.

Projects and research training groups with national public funding

  • SFB 1181 „Checkpoints for Resolution of Inflammation“ with Integrated Research Training Group
  • TRR 130 „TRR 130 B Cells: Immunity and Autoimmunity” with Integrated Research Training Group
  • TRR 221 “Modulation of graft-versus-host and graft-versus leukemia immune responses after allogeneic stem cell transplantation”
  • TRR 241: “Immune-Epithelial Communication in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases”
  • KFO 262 „Tumor Metabolism as Modulator of Immune Response and Tumor Progression“
  • GK 1660 „Key Signals of Adaptive Immune Response“
  • Metabolic Impact on Joint and Bone Diseases (METARTHROS)

European Projects

  • APPROACH
  • Be the Cure (BTCure)
  • EAVI2020
  • Euro-TEAM— Towards early diagnosis and biomarker validation in arthritis management (Euro-TEAM)
  • Unraveling the interactions between the immune system and bone (OSTEOIMMUNE)
  • Post-infectious immune reprogramming and its association with persistance and chronicity of respiratory allergic diseases (PreDicta)
  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) as elixirs against chronic disease: Oxidative regulatory mechanisms in T cells and neutrophils (REDOXIT)

Centers and research infrastructures

  • Erlangen Center for Infection Research (ECI)
  • Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Georg Schett

Kidney and vascular research

What is it about?

Our renal and vascular experts work towards a more effective prevention and regenerative mechanism in order to address the high socio-economic cost of chronic kidney and vascular disease.

Projects and research training groups with national public funding

  • German Chronic Kidney Disease (GCKD) Study
  • Translational Kidney Research (TRENAL)

European Projects

  • Screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among older people across Europe (SCOPE)

Spokeswoman

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Amann

Neurosciences

What is it about?

Experimental and clinical neurosciences research in Erlangen ranges from stimulus transmission and processing to the perception of pain and glaucoma research.

Projects and research training groups with public funding

  • Bavarian Research Network Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (ForIPS)
  • GK 2162 „Neurodevelopment and Vulnerability of the Central Nervous System“

European Projects

  • Clonidine for sedation of pediatric patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (CloSed)
  • Development and epilepsy – strategies for innovative research to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in children with difficult to treat epilepsy (DESIRE)
  • MicroRNA in the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of epilepsy (EpiMiRNA)
  • Mechanisms and treatment of migraine and its chronification (EUROHEADPAIN)
  • European multicenter, randomized, phase III clinical trial of hypothermia plus best medical treatment versus best medical treatment alone for acute ischemic stroke (EuroHYP-1)
  • GAbapentin in pediatric pain (GAPP)

Centers and research infrastructures

  • Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience (ICN)

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Dieter Chichung Lie

Tumor research

What is it about?

Breast cancer, leukemia and lymphomas, lung cancer, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and colorectal carcinoma are the primary areas of interest of our cancer researchers.

Projects and research training groups with public funding

  • TRR 221 “Modulation of graft-versus-host and graft-versus leukemia immune responses after allogeneic stem cell transplantation”
  • KFO 262 „Tumor metabolism as modulator of immune response and tumor progression“
  • FOR 2127 „Selection and Adaptation during Metastatic Cancer Progression“
  • FOR 2438 “Cell Plasticity in Colorectal Carcinogenesis”
  • MelEVIR – Melanoma, Extracellular Vesicles and Immune Response

European Projects

  • EEC-EURO EWING consortium: International clinical trials to improve survival from Ewing sarcoma

Centers and research infrastructures

  • Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC Erlangen-EMN)

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Thomas Brabletz

Medical Engineering

What is it about?

Last but not least, researchers and engineers at the Faculties of Medicine and Engineering and the surrounding industries have turned the region into a hotspot for medical technologies (especially imaging, bio-informatics, and intelligent sensors).

Projects and research training groups with public funding

  • BMBF Leading Edge Cluster Medical Valley EMN
  • International Max Planck Research School for Optics and Imaging
  • Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT)
  • BMBF MI-I: MIRACUM
  • MelEVIR – Melanoma, Extracellular Vesicles and Immune Response

European Projects

  • EIT Health
  • Nanomedicine for target-specific imaging and treatment of atherosclerosis: development and initial clinical feasibility (NanoAthero)
  • APPROACH
  • Electronic Health Records System for Clinical Research (EHR4CR)
  • European Medical Information Framework (EMIF)

Centers and research infrastructures

  • Imaging Science Institute (ISI)
  • Medical Technology Test and Application Center (METEAN) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
  • Central Institute of Medical Engineering (ZiMT)
  • Interdisciplinary Center of Ophthalmic Preventive Medicine and Imaging (IZPI)

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Prokosch

Furthermore, the Faculty of Medicine contributes to the focal areas of FAU “Molecular life sciences and medicine”, “Medical technologies”, and “Optic and optical technologies” with strong links to the Faculties of Engineering and Sciences.