Helmholtz Diabetes Center

Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases

The primary research goal of the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) is the individualized prediction of diabetes risk and diabetes prevention and its personalized therapy.

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The primary research goal of the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) is the individualized prediction of diabetes risk and diabetes prevention and its personalized therapy.

Follow us on LinkedIn

The primary research goal of the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) is the individualized prediction of diabetes risk and diabetes prevention and its personalized therapy.

Our News

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EASD 2026 - Award Anette-Gabriele Ziegler

Awards & Grants, IDO, IDM, IDF,

Triple Recognition for Diabetes Research at Helmholtz Munich

Three scientists from Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) were honored with prestigious awards at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) from September 28 to October 2, 2026, in…

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IDM,

Andreas Birkenfeld Featured as Expert in ZDF Documentary on Weight-Loss Injections

Weight-loss medications are transforming the treatment of obesity while also attracting considerable public attention. In a recent episode of ZDF’s documentary series 37°, Prof. Dr. Andreas L. Birkenfeld from IDM Tübingen provides a scientific and…

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IDM,

Leontine Sandforth Receives Funding Through the DZD Young Talent Program

Leontine Sandforth from the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) in Tübingen has been selected for funding through the DZD Young Talent Program for the 2027–2028 funding period. The program supports promising early-career…

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IDM,

Rethinking Diabetes Prevention

Type 2 diabetes usually develops over many years, yet preventive measures often begin only once blood glucose levels are already elevated. An international panel of experts led by University Hospital Tübingen and the German Center for Diabetes…

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IDM,

When fat distribution reaches the brain: New insights into the link between metabolism and memory

Researchers from IDM show that unhealthy fat distribution is associated with declining hippocampal insulin sensitivity – with particularly strong effects observed in women.

 

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IDM,

Could Prediabetes Remission Also Help Protect Against Cancer?

Prediabetes is traditionally viewed as a precursor to type 2 diabetes. In a recent commentary published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology, Prof. Dr. Andreas L. Birkenfeld of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and University Hospital…

Our Research Groups

Male Patient Having Consultation With Doctor In Office

Fritsche Lab

Prevention

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Computatinal Health Stage

Stefan Lab

Pathophysiology of Prediabetes

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Weigert Lab

Molecular Diabetology

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Preissl Lab

Metabolic Neuroimaging

Activity in cell culture

Birkenfeld Lab

Translational Diabetology

Sancar Lab

M²A Lab

Our Core Facilities

Clinical Trials & Cohort Studies

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Ongoing trial

SEMABRAIN

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Ongoing trial

Acute Exercise Study (acEx)

Glucose and insulin molecules in the blood

Ongoing trial

INCLU Study

Senior woman checking blood sugar level at home

Ongoing trial

OPTOMICS-Studie

Diabetes concept with insulin, syringe, vials, pills, and stethoscope.

Ongoing trial

German Study of gestational diabetes (PREG Study)

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Ongoing trial

LIFETIME-Study

Logo IFIS Studie

Ongoing study

Intermittent Fasting to Improve Insulin Secretion (IFIS)

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Ongoing study

TUEDID study

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Prediabetes Lifestyle Intervention Study Follow Up (PLIS FU)

Principal Investigators at the IDM

Scientists at Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases

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Prof. Andreas Birkenfeld

Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) Helmholtz Munich at the University Hospital Tübingen

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Prof. Dr. Hubert Preissl

Administrative Director

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Prof. Dr. Andreas Fritsche

Deputy Director

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Prof. Dr. Norbert Stefan

Head of Section, IDM

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Stephanie Kullmann DDG
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Kullmann

Deputy Head of Section

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Prof. Dr. Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg

Group Leader, Physician Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Cora Weigert

Head of Section, Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Andreas Peter

Group Leader, Physician Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Dr. Fritz Schick

Group Leader, Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Jürgen Machann

Senior Scientist

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Dr. Julia Sbierski-Kind

Group Leader, Physician Scientist

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Dr. Estela Lorza Gil

Group Leader, Scientist

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14.04.2024_Felicia Gerst
PD Dr. Felicia Gerst

Group Leader, Scientist

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Dr. Gencer Sancar

Group Leader, Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Rainer Lehmann

Group Leader, Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Ferruh Artunc

Group Leader, Physician Scientist

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Prof. Dr. Dorothea Siegel-Axel

Scientist

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Tübingen Risk Cluster Tool

Publications

PLOS Complex Syst. 2, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcsy.0000056 (2025)

Semeia, L. ; Zaylaa, A. ; Metaxas, D. ; Nourhashemi, M. ; Mahmoudzadeh, M. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Sippel, K. ; Mediano, P.A.M. ; Preissl, H. ; Wallois, F. ; Frohlich

Neural complexity in preterm infants is predicted by developmental variables.
Diabetol. Stoffwechs. 20, S193-S210 (2025)

Gallwitz, B. ; Aberle, J. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Kellerer, M. ; Klein, H.H. ; Landgraf, R. ; Müller-Wieland, D. ; Müssig, K. ; Nauck, M.A. ; Siegel, E. ; Szendrödi, J. ; Wiesner, T.

Therapie des Typ-2-Diabetes.
Diabetol. Stoffwechs. 20, S313-S318 (2025)

Marx-Schütt, K. ; Forst, T. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Zirlik, A. ; Müller-Wieland, D. ; Marx, N.

Diabetes mellitus und Herz.
Diabetol. Stoffwechs. 20, S306-S312 (2025)

Parhofer, K.G. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Krone, W. ; Lehrke, M. ; Marx, N. ; Merkel, M. ; Marx-Schütt, K. ; Zirlik, A. ; Müller-Wieland, D.

Lipidtherapie bei Patienten mit Diabetes mellitus.
Lancet Diabet. Endocrinol. 13, 543-545 (2025)

Narayan, K.M.V. ; Global Diabetes Forum (2024) (Birkenfeld, A.L.)

Copenhagen Declaration: A transformative vision for global diabetes.
Lancet Diabet. Endocrinol. 14, 100-102 (2025)

Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Perreault, L. ; Schmidt, M.I. ; Schwarz, P.E.H. ; Zoungas, S. ; Gong, Q. ; Chan, J.C.N. ; Mohan, V. ; Tuomilehto, J. ; Bergman, M.

Defining prediabetes remission as a distinct prevention endpoint.
Lancet Diabet. Endocrinol. 14, 137-148 (2025)

Vazquez Arreola, E. ; Gong, Q. ; Hanson, R.L. ; Wang, J. ; Sandforth, L. ; He, S. ; Sandforth, A. ; Qian, X. ; Giacca, M. ; Bornstein, S.R. ; Fritsche, A. ; Stefan, N. ; Preissl, H. ; Gregg, E.W. ; Marx, N. ; Jumpertz von Schwartzenberg, R. ; Li, G. ; Birkenfeld, A.L.

Prediabetes remission and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality: Post-hoc analyses from the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcome study and the DaQing Diabetes Prevention Outcome study.
Diabetologia, DOI: 10.1007/s00125-025-06632-y (2025)

Wang, Y. ; Ram, J. ; Bianchi, C. ; Fiorentino, T.V. ; Kim, S.S. ; Kim, J. ; Ryang, S. ; Del Prato, S. ; Sesti, G. ; Sandforth, L. ; Preissl, H. ; Jumpertz von Schwartzenberg, R. ; Stefan, N. ; Fritsche, A. ; Ha, J. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Bergman, M.

Superiority of 1 h plasma glucose vs fasting plasma glucose, 2 h plasma glucose and HbA1c for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care 49, 257-265 (2025)

Mann, J.F.E. ; Marx, N. ; Deanfield, J.E. ; Emerson, S.S. ; Inzucchi, S.E. ; McGuire, D.K. ; Mulvagh, S.L. ; Pop-Busui, R. ; Poulter, N.R. ; Engelmann, M.D.M. ; Hovingh, G.K. ; Belmar, N. ; Idorn, T. ; Jeppesen, O.K. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Amod, A. ; Mankovsky, B. ; Desouza, C. ; Gorgojo-Martinez, J.J. ; Arechavaleta, R. ; Tu, S.T. ; Buse, J.B.

Impact of oral semaglutide on kidney outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes: Results from the SOUL randomized trial.
BMC Med. 23:678 (2025)

Sehgal, R. ; Haacke, N. ; Maguolo, A. ; Solari, F.A. ; Jähnert, M. ; Gottmann, P. ; Nilsson, E. ; Vaag, A. ; Fischer-Posovszky, P. ; Werberger, A. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Fritsche, A. ; Häring, H.-U. ; Sickmann, A. ; Vogel, H. ; Ling, C. ; Ouni, M. ; Schürmann, A.

Adipose tissue-derived microRNAs as epigenetic modulators of type 2 diabetes.

Networks and Affiliations

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German Center for Diabetes Research

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Technical University of Munich

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diabinfo

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Helmholtz Munich
Research School for diabetes
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Research school for diabetes

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Logo Universitätsklinikum Tübingen

Universitätsklinikum Tübingen

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Universität Tübingen

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Südwestdeutsches Diabeteszentrum

Südwestdeutsches Diabeteszentrum

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Contact

Ingrid Rösch

Project Assistant

Alexandra Mühlrath

Administrative Assistant

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