Harald Grallert

Head of "Diabetes and Related Traits"

+49 89 3187-1195 Email meBuilding/Room: 34/310

“We aim to understand the complex molecular interplay in development of cardiometabolic traits and the impact of lifestyle factors on the molecular level. Both from an epidemiological view.”

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Academic Career and Research Areas

Dr. Harald holds a Diploma in Biology. In 2008 he received his doctorate in natural sciences from the Technical University of Munich. He then worked as a postdoc at the Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Institute for Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München. Since 2011 he is heading his own research group "Molecular Epidemiology – Diabetes and related Traits".

Harald’s research focuses on the molecular analysis of diabetes and connected intermediary phenotypes – such as obesity and glycemic alterations. Harald has particular experience in the conduct of high-throughput genotyping and genome-wide methylation projects. The group uses epidemiological methods to study the complex interplay between molecular mechanisms and environmental factors in the context of the onset and progression of diabetes and obesity.

Professional Background

Since 2011

Head of Research Group "Molecular Epidemiology – Diabetes and related Traits"

2008

PhD in Natural Sciences (Dr. rerum naturae), Technical University of Munich and Center of Natural Sciences Weihenstephan

2004

Diploma in Biology, Technical University Munich

See all

2025 Diabetes Obes Metab

Niu J, Adam J, Skurk T, Seissler J, Dong Q, Efiong E, Gieger C, Peters A, Sharma S, Grallert H.

Machine learning approach on plasma proteomics identifies signatures associated with obesity in the KORA FF4 cohort.

2025 Diabetes Obes Metab

Dong Q, Xi Y, Brandmaier S, Fuchs M, Huemer MT, Waldenberger M, Niu J, [...], Gieger C, Thorand B, Peters A, Rospleszcz S, Grallert H.

Subphenotypes of adult-onset diabetes: Data-driven clustering in the population-based KORA cohort

2024 Diabetologia

Sharma S, Dong Q, Haid M, Adam J, [...], Adamski J, Pearson ER, Grallert H.

Role of human plasma metabolites in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes from the IMI-DIRECT study.

2024 Diabetes Metab Res Rev

Ziegler D, Thorand B, Strom A, [...], Gieger C, Heier M, Meisinger C, Roden M, Peters A, Grallert H.

Association of transketolase polymorphisms with diabetic polyneuropathy in the general population: The KORA F4 study.

2024 Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis

Sharma S, Subrahmanyam YV, Ranjani H, Sidra S, Parmar D, Vadivel S, Kannan S, Grallert H, [...], Jerzy A, Panchagnula V, Gokulakrishnan K.

Interaction between TCF7L2 polymorphism and dietary fat intake on high density lipoprotein cholesterol

2024 Nature

Suzuki K, Hatzikotoulas K, Southam L, [...], Grallert H, Cheng CY, Ghanbari M, [...], Voight BF, Morris AP, Zeggini E.

Genetic drivers of heterogeneity in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology

2023 Nature

Lagou V, Jiang L, Ulrich A, […], Gieger C, Grallert H, Meisinger C, […], Kaakinen MA, Jones B, Prokopenko I; Meta-Analysis of Glucose and Insulin-Related Traits Consortium (MAGIC).

GWAS of random glucose in 476,326 individuals provide insights into diabetes pathophysiology, complications and treatment stratification

2023 Sci Rep

Duschek E, Forer L, Schönherr S, Gieger C, Peters A, Kronenberg F, Grallert H, Lamina C.

A polygenic and family risk score are both independently associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in a population-based study

2023 Metabolites

Dong Q, Sidra S, Gieger C, Wang-Sattler R, Rathmann W, Prehn C, Adamski J, Koenig W, Peters A, Grallert H, Sharma S.

Metabolic Signatures Elucidate the Effect of Body Mass Index on Type 2 Diabetes

2022 Nature

Yengo L, Vedantam S, Marouli E, Sidorenko J, [...], Gao Z, Gieger C, Grallert H, Peters A et al.

A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height

2021 Nat Commun

Zaghlool SB, Sharma S, Molnar M, Matías-García PR, Elhadad MA, Waldenberger M, Peters A, Rathmann W, Graumann J, Gieger C, Grallert H, Suhre K.