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Prof. Dr. med. Antje Körner

Head of Research Group Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Research at HI-MAG

"We aim to better understand what drives the development of obesity and related comorbidities in children and to apply these insights from integrated experimental, clinical-epidemiological, and genetic studies for more precise risk prediction and the identification of actionable targets for sustained prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. It is our ambition to overcome the research and treatment gap for children with obesity."

Prof. Dr. med. Antje Körner

Head of Research Group Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Research at HI-MAG

"We aim to better understand what drives the development of obesity and related comorbidities in children and to apply these insights from integrated experimental, clinical-epidemiological, and genetic studies for more precise risk prediction and the identification of actionable targets for sustained prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. It is our ambition to overcome the research and treatment gap for children with obesity."

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Academic Journey

Antje joined Helmholtz Munich in 2023 as the Head of the Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Research Group at HI-MAG in Leipzig and was appointed as Professor of Metabolic Research at the Medical Faculty of the Leipzig University.

Her research focuses on the origin and mechanisms of childhood obesity with special emphasis on development of early metabolic comorbidities and adipose tissue function, employing a translational approach that combines experimental, clinical, and genetic studies.

She started research in medical school in Leipzig, and continued at the Diabetes Research Institute Düsseldorf and the National Institutes of Health Bethesda. After residency and subspecialization in pediatrics at the University Childrens Hospital in Leipzig, and still working consultant in pediatric endocrinology for >15 years, she has been heading the Pediatric Research Unit since 2008 and was appointed Professor of Pediatric Research (2010, tenured 2016) at Leipzig University. She has established unique pediatric cohorts and is head of LIFE Child.

She coordinates the Leipzig-Dresden partner site for the future German Center of Child and Youth Health (DZKJ). She is in board of directors of research networks (e.g. CRC Obesity Mechanisms).

Her research focuses on the origin, mechanisms and consequences of childhood obesity following a holistic translational approach integrating experimental science, epidemiologic, genetic and clinical approaches. Her scientific achievements include the identification of early childhood as critical window for sustained obesity, rethinking diagnostic criteria for prediction of future dysglycemia in children and identification of a new monogenic obesity trait. It is her ambition to overcome the treatment gap in pediatric obesity through risk-profiling and  understanding of mechanisms.

Research

Antje is a pediatrician scientist working in the field of childhood obesity. She and her team study the origins and mechanisms of childhood obesity and metabolic deterioration with the aim to develop successful and timely treatment and prevention therapies. 

Guiding research questions are:

  • What drives obesity and metabolic comorbidities in children?
  • What are the underlying mechanisms ?
  • How can we employ insights from the mechanistic understanding of the interaction of genetic predisposition, environmental context and biological mechanisms to identify actionable targets for prevention and treatment of childhood obesity?
  • How can we precisely detect the patients at highest risk and when is the “point of no return”?
  • Overcome the treatment gap!

Important Career Steps

2023-present

Professor of Metabolic Research

Head of Head of Childhood Obesity and Metabolic Research at Helmholtz Institute of Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) at Helmholtz Munich and Leipzig University

2016-2023

Professor of Pediatrics Research/Pediatrics

Leipzig University, Medical Faculty

2008-present

Head of the Pediatric Research Unit

University Children's Hospital Leipzig

2008-present

Coordinator of the LIFE Child Obesity Subcohort

Leipzig

2024-present

PI of LIFE Child

2008

Habilitation in Pediatrics

Leipzig University

2003

Medical Doctor at Leipzig University

Honors and Awards

  • 2024 - EASO Novo Nordisk Foundation Obesity Prize for Excellence

  • 2022 - Elliot-Joslin-Award for diabetes prevention of the German Diabetes Society (DDG)

  • 2020 - Research Award, Europ. Soc. of Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE)

  • 2019 - Hans-Christian-Hagedorn-Project Funding by German Diabetes Society (DDG)

  • 2016 - International Journal of Obesity Outstanding New Faculty Award

  • 2013 - Ferdinand Bertram-Award of the German Diabetes Society (DDG)

  • 2008 - Obesity Research Award of German Society for the Study of Obesity (DAG)

  • 2008 - Adalbert-Czerny-Award of the German Society of Pediatrics (DGKJ)

  • 2007-2009 - Fellow of the “Fast Track“ excellence program, Robert-Bosch Foundation

  • 2007-2010 - Else Kröner Memorial Scholarship

  • 2007 - Young Investigator Award, Europ. Soc. of Pediatric Endocrinology (ESPE)

  • 2004 - Jürgen-Bierich-Award, Working group on Pediatric Endocrinology (APE)

Gold Star Awards Luxury Background
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Selected Publications

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2023 Lancet Reg Health Eur

Hammel MC, Stein R, Kratzsch J, Vogel M, Eckert AJ, Triatin RD, Colombo M, Meigen C, Bager R, Stanik J, Spielau U, Stoltze A, Wirkner K, Tönjes A, Snieder H, Holl RW, Stumvoll M, Blüher M, Kiess W, Körner A

Fasting indices of glucose-insulin-metabolism across life span and prediction of glycemic deterioration in children from new references

Evidence for superiority of age specific insulin-based cut-offs for prediction of metabolic failure

2022 Nat Metab

Yang CH, Fagnocchi L, Apostle S, Wegert V, Casaní-Galdón S, Landgraf K, Panzeri I, Dror E, Heyne S, Wörpel T, Chandler DP, Lu D, Yang T, Gibbons E, Guerreiro R, Bras J, Thomasen M, Grunnet LG, Vaag AA, Gillberg L, Grundberg E, Conesa A, Körner A, PERMUTE & Pospisilik A

Independent phenotypic plasticity axes define distinct obesity sub-types

Translation of molecular determinants for obesity-overgrowth subtypes from mice to human

2019 N Engl J Med

Körner A, Kiess W, Vogel M

Persistence of Obesity from Early Childhood Onward

Letter with original data how endogenous and life-style factors interact on childhood obesity risk

2018 N Engl J Med

Geserick M, Vogel M, Gausche R, Lipek T, Spielau U, Keller E, Pfäffle R, Kiess W, Körner A

Acceleration of BMI in early childhood and risk of sustained obesity

Major study showing that obesity manifests in early childhood in >50,000 children, > 450 citations

2016 Cell

Dalgaard K, Landgraf K, Heyne S, Lempradl A, Longinotto J, Gossens K, Ruf M, Orthofer M, Strogantsev R, Selvaraj M, Lu TT, Casas E, Teperino R, Surani MA, Zvetkova I, Rimmington D, Tung YC, Lam B, Larder R, Yeo GS, O'Rahilly S, Vavouri T, Whitelaw E, Penninger JM, Jenuwein T, Cheung CL, Ferguson-Smith AC, Coll AP, Körner A, Pospisilik JA

Trim28 Haploinsufficiency Triggers Bi-stable Epigenetic Obesity

First evidence on obesity polyphenism in children triggered by epigenetic mechanisms. >125 citations

2015 Diabetes

Landgraf K, Rockstroh D, Wagner IV, Weise S, Tauscher R, Schwartze JT, Löffler D, Bühligen U, Wojan M, Till H, Kratzsch J, Kiess W, Blüher M, Körner A

Evidence of early alterations in adipose tissue biology and function and its association with obesity-related inflammation and insulin resistance in children

First study providing evidence of adipose tissue dysfunction developing already in childhood. >125 citations

2009 Nat Genet

Meyre D, Delplanque J, Chevre JC, Lecoeur C, Lobbens S, Gallina S, Durand E, Vatin V, Degraeve F, Proenca C, Gaget S, Körner A, Kovacs P, Kiess W, Tichet J, Marre M, Hartikainen AL, Horber F, Potoczna N, Herberg S, Levy-Marchal C, Pattou F, Heude B, Tauber M, McCarthy MI, Blakemore Al, Montpetit A, Polychronakos C, Weill J, Coin LJ, Asher J, Elliott P, Jarvelin MR, Visvikis-Siest S, Balkau B, Sladek R, Balding D, Walley A, Dina C, Froguel P

Genome-wide association study for early-onset and morbid adult obesity identifies three new risk loci in European populations.

> 490 citations

2007 Nat Genet.

Dina C, Meyre D, Gallina S, Durand E, Körner A, Jacobson P, Carlsson LM, Kiess W, Vatin V, Lecoeur C, Delplanque J, Vaillant E, Pattou F, Ruiz J, Weill J, Levy-Marchal C, Horber F, Potoczna N, Hercberg S, Le Stunff C, Bougnères P, Kovacs P, Marre M, Balkau B, Cauchi S, Chèvre JC, Froguel P

Variation in FTO contributes to childhood obesity and severe adult obesity.

One of the two papers that initially found FTO as the strongest genetic candidate for obesity. >1,500 citations

Networks and Affiliations

Logo Med. Fak. Uni Leipzig

Leipzig University

Logo des Universitätsklinikum Leipzig

Universitätsklinikum Leipzig

Medical Faculty of Leipzig University

LIFE Child

DZKJ (founding phase)

CRC 1052

German Diabetes Association (Deutsche Diabetes Gesellschaft DDG)