IDM

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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Brain illustration depicting addiction with clouds of junk food floating in a clear sky

Eating too many sweets or fatty foods alters the brain's hunger regulation after just a few days.

Ozempic and Wegovy semaglutide pens with pink tape measure

The October 3, 2025, issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt discussed whether GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have proven to be extremely effective in weight loss, are associated with increased muscle loss - and whether complementary therapies are therefore…

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The ARD documentary “Hirschhausen und die Abnehm-Spritze” by Kristin Siebert was awarded 2nd place at the 2025 Journalism Award.

In the program, which was broadcast on ARD on April 8, 2024, Prof. Andreas Birkenfeld, Head of the Institute for…

The X-ray of the human brain closeup image

If the brain no longer responds properly to insulin (insulin resistance), this can lead to overweight, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) in Potsdam and Tübingen have discovered small…

A new European research initiative, CarePath, has launched with the goal of helping people with long-term health conditions manage their treatment more effectively and comfortably. By offering personalized tools and support, the project aims to…

Researchers from the IDM attended the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), held from June 20 to 23 in Chicago, Illinois. As one of the two world’s largest diabetes conferences it brought together more than 11,000…

This year, the German Diabetes Association (DDG) has awarded the prestigious Hellmut Mehnert Project Grant to our colleague Leontine Sandforth. Named after the renowned diabetologist, the grant is awarded annually for the best-rated project proposal…

The Copenhagen Declaration developed by the Global Diabetes Forum outlines a new vision for combating the global type 2 diabetes epidemic. More than 50 experts from industrialized and emerging countries are calling for far-reaching changes in…

Diabetes Sugar AI Generated Picture from AdobeStock

Weltweit leben mehr als 800 Millionen Menschen mit Diabetes. Eine internationale Erklärung fordert nun tiefgreifende Veränderungen, um das Leben der Betroffenen maßgeblich zu verbessern.

Analytics intelligence concept. Group of business people discuss current financial and economic on laptop for investment at the meeting.

The third cohort of the High Potentials Program (HPP) at Helmholtz Munich launched their structured training journey this April. This competitive two-year program supports early-career postdoctoral researchers in developing the skills and experience…

The number of obese persons has grown significantly in recent decades, which presents significant difficulties for those who are impacted, healthcare systems, and those who provide treatment. The hormone insulin plays a key role in the development of…

Study shows: The brain plays a central role in the development of obesity.

The number of obese persons has grown significantly in recent decades, which presents significant difficulties for those who are impacted, healthcare systems, and those who…

Immer mehr Menschen haben erhöhte Blutzuckerwerte, Prädiabetes, eine Vorstufe des Typ-2-Diabetes. Was Prädiabetes ist, wie viele Menschen weltweit davon betroffen sind und wie man dem Typ-2-Diabetes vorbeugen kann, erklären DZD-Forschende des…

Senior woman checking blood sugar level at home

In an article in ‘Nature Metabolism’, Andreas L. Birkenfeld and Vasilis Ntziachristos discuss advances in non-invasive glucose monitoring for people with diabetes. Optical measurements through the skin are difficult because they often only show…

The current Terra X documentary "Unser Leben – Wie es beginnt" hosted by Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, offers a fascinating insight into the current state of knowledge in prenatal, infant, and early childhood research. A central theme of the documentary is the…

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We congratulate Johanna Boeck on being awarded the DZD NEXT Medical Doctoral Thesis Stipend. As a doctoral candidate in human medicine at the IDM in Tübingen, she will conduct research under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Reiner Jumpertz-von…

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common complications of type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes may already be at increased risk of these complications. DZD board member Andreas Birkenfeld, together with diabetes specialists Paul Franks…

Through treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and combination therapies, persons with type 2 diabetes or obesity can significantly reduce their weight. But does the significant weight loss have a negative effect on…

Abstract blurred people socializing during coffee break at business conference.

The annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) took place this year in Madrid from September 9 to 13, 2024. This year’s scientific program included over 1200 talks and presentations on the latest findings in diabetes…

The DZD NEXT Young Talent Program supports our young scientists within the DZD on their way to scientific independence. Young group leaders can apply with a scientific project every year. The grants are used to finance a postdoc for two years who…

Obesity overweight diabetes fitness abdomen adult background

Obese but metabolically healthy people have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death compared to metabolically unhealthy people with obesity. Unexpectedly, their risk is only slightly higher compared to lean, metabolically…

Congratulations to Kerstin Kansy, a doctoral candidate in human medicine at the IDM in Tübingen, on being selected as the recipient of the DZD NEXT Medical Doctoral Thesis Stipend. As a medical doctoral candidate in human medicine at the IDM in…

Glucose and insulin molecules in the blood

Current medical guidelines recommend that people in a preliminary stage of type 2 diabetes lose at least 7 percent of their body weight in order to prevent manifest diabetes. In an article in “Nature Reviews Endocrinology,” diabetes experts Prof.…

Clinical scientists from the IDM in Tübingen raised awareness about the importance of diabetes prevention and the early detection of prediabetes in the city center on June 28, 2024. Numerous people took part in the free education and testing campaign…

We are delighted to congratulate Vitoria Minelli-Faiao, a doctoral student at the IDM in Tübingen, on her selection as a recipient of the German Diabetes Association (DDG) Doctoral Scholarship. Her research will take place under the supervision of…

IDM scientists attended the 84th meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, from June 21-24. The world's largest diabetes meeting brought together more than 11,000 leading…

Congratulations to Leontine Sandforth, Clinician Scientist at the IDM and the Department of Diabetology, Endocrinology and Nephrology at the University Hospital of Tübingen, who has been accepted as a Clinician Scientist in the Medical Innovation…

Businessmen shaking hands to seal a deal with his partner. Business and entrepreneurship award ceremony theme.

"Over the last few years, it has been shown that the brain is an insulin-sensitive organ, but also that a whole range of people do not respond to insulin in the brain," says Apl. Professor Dr. rer. nat. Stephanie Kullmann, Deputy Head of the…

A lot of people figures and comment clouds above their heads.

In a letter published in Cell Metabolism entitled “Exploratory physiological experiments are not clinical trials”, the authors criticize the current, strict ICMJE guidelines for exploratory physiological studies, which have recently been adopted by…

Speaker Giving a Talk at Business Meeting.

Professor Stephen O'Rahilly, Director of the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit at the University of Cambridge, will give a lecture on "GDF15: The Sickness Hormone". The talk will take place on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 14:00 CEST, in the large lecture hall…

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The clinical study center manages all clinical studies of the IDM according to the regulations of the German pharmaceutical law (Arzneimittelgesetz-AMG) and Medical Associations Professional Code of Conduct (Berufsordnung, BO).

Female physician listening to her patient during consultation

Our scientific focus is on beta cell function and failure: the role and molecular mechanisms of fat overload and FFA signaling.

Other research topics include cross-organ conversations: interactions of islet cells with liver - adipose tissue - brain.

We are the laboratory analytical core facility of the German Health Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and are active at the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM).

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Profilbild Andreas BIrkenfeld_freigestellt

Prof. Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld

Director

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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

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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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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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With the Tübingen Risk Cluster Tool of the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) of Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen, you can find out which risk group (Tübingen Risk Cluster) you belong to. The basis for the calculation is our published data in (Nature Medicine 27, 49-57, 2021).

Woman using glucometer on blue background, top view

Grieger, J.A. ; Takele, W.W. ; Vesco, K.K. ; Redman, L.M. ; Hannah, W. ; Bonham, M.P. ; Chen, M. ; Chivers, S.C. ; Fawcett, A.J. ; Habibi, N. ; Liu, K. ; Mekonnen, E.G. ; Pathirana, M. ; Quinteros, A. ; Taylor, R. ; Ukke, G.G. ; Zhou, S.J. ; ADA/EASD PMDI (Stefan, N.)

Participant characteristics in the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to optimize gestational weight gain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zhao, S. ; Semeia, L. ; Veit, R. ; Moser, J. ; Preissl, H. ; Kullmann, S.

Structural and functional brain changes in children and adolescents with obesity.

Kullmann, S. ; Singh, A. ; Sehgal, R. ; Eichelmann, F. ; Sandforth, L. ; Wilms, B. ; Jähnert, M. ; Peter, A. ; Meyhöfer, S. ; Walther, D. ; Preissl, H. ; Häring, H.-U. ; Schulze, M.B. ; Heni, M. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Schürmann, A. ; Ouni, M.

Circulating epigenetic signatures classifying brain insulin resistance in humans.

Gehmeyr, M. ; Rojas López, M.B. ; Nitkunanantharajah, S. ; Preissl, H. ; Vosseler, A. ; Jumpertz von Schwartzenberg, R. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Katsouli, N. ; Fasoula, N. ; Karlas, A. ; Kallmayer, M. ; Ziegler, A.-G. ; Jüstel, D. ; Ntziachristos, V.

Enhanced maximum intensity projection (eMIP) for improving the fidelity of optoacoustic images.

Sandforth, A. ; Arreola, E.V. ; Hanson, R.L. ; Wewer Albrechtsen, N.J. ; Holst, J.J. ; Ahrends, R. ; Coman, C. ; Gerst, F. ; Lorza-Gil, E. ; Cheng, Y. ; Sandforth, L. ; Katzenstein, S. ; Ganslmeier, M. ; Seissler, J. ; Hauner, H. ; Perakakis, N. ; Wagner, R. ; Machann, J. ; Schick, F. ; Peter, A. ; Lehmann, R. ; Weigert, C. ; Maurer, J. ; Preissl, H. ; Heni, M. ; Szendrödi, J. ; Kopf, S. ; Solimena, M. ; Schwarz, P. ; Blüher, M. ; Häring, H.-U. ; Hrabě de Angelis, M. ; Schürmann, A. ; Kabisch, S. ; Mai, K. ; Pfeiffer, A.F.H. ; Bornstein, S. ; Stumvoll, M. ; Roden, M. ; Stefan, N. ; Fritsche, A. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Jumpertz von Schwartzenberg, R.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes through prediabetes remission without weight loss.

Krier, J. ; Spähn, D. ; Lopez, D.A.J. ; Nono, J.L. ; Seigner, J. ; Ussar, S. ; Lukowski, R. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Sancar, G.

PDE4D and PDE3B orchestrate distinct cAMP microdomains in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Mantovani, A. ; Morandin, R. ; Fiorio, V. ; Lando, M.G. ; Stefan, N. ; Tilg, H. ; Byrne, C.D. ; Targher, G.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists improve MASH and liver fibrosis: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Seigner, J. ; Krier, J. ; Spähn, D. ; Sandforth, L. ; Nono, J.L. ; Lukowski, R. ; Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Sancar, G.

p21-activated kinases (PAKs) regulate FGF1/PDE4D antilipolytic pathway and insulin resistance in adipocytes.

Stefan, N. ; Roden, M.

Diabetes und metabolische-Dysfunktion-assoziierte steatotische Lebererkrankung.

Birkenfeld, A.L. ; Bergman, M. ; Stefan, N.

Tirzepatide for obesity treatment and diabetes prevention.

On This Page

Obesity in the brain

Obesity therapy: Is concomitant administration of anabolic agents and related compounds warranted during GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment?

“Hirschhausen und die Abnehm-Spritze” wins 2nd place at the 2025 Journalism Award

Biomarkers for Brain Insulin Resistance Discovered in the Blood

CarePath: Helmholtz Munich Joins EU Project to Support People With Chronic Conditions

IDM Researchers participate in the 85th ADA Scientific Sessions

Leontine Sandforth receives Hellmut Mehnert Project Grant from the DDG

Copenhagen Declaration: A New Start in Diabetes Prevention

Diabetes: Umdenken in Prävention, Versorgung und Forschung gefordert

Yurong Cheng from IDM selected for Helmholtz Munich’s High Potentials Program

Tübingen Study: The Brain Plays a Central Role in the Development of Obesity

Obesity Starts in the Brain

Prädiabetes-Remission senkt Risiko für Typ-2-Diabetes

A Future Without Needles: Optical Glucose Monitoring for Diabetes

DZD scientist Preißl in „Unser Leben – Wie es beginnt“

DZD NEXT Medical Doctoral Thesis Stipend is awarded to Johanna Boeck from the IDM in Tübingen

Precision Prevention for People at Increased Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Weight Loss due to Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: Effects on Muscle Health

EASD Annual Meeting 2024: “Best Abstract” awardee from the IDM

Julia Sbierski-Kind is part of the DZD NEXT Young Talent Program 2025/26

Metabolically Healthy Obesity: Fat Distribution Key to Assessing the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

DZD NEXT Medical Doctoral Thesis Stipend is awarded to Kerstin Kansy from the IDM in Tübingen

Prediabetes Remission for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

Great Interest in Free Diabetes Prevention Campaign in Tübingen

DDG Doctoral Scholarship goes to Vitoria Minelli-Faiao from the IDM in Tübingen

IDM researchers participate in the 84th ADA Scientific Sessions

Leontine Sandforth, clinical scientist at the IDM, was accepted into the DFG funded "Medical Innovation through Interdisciplinarity Clinician Scientist" program

Cycle and age influence insulin action and cognitive abilities in women

Exploratory physiological experiments are not clinical trials

Talk by Prof. Stephen O'Rahilly "GDF15: The Sickness Hormone" on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 14:00 CEST.

Prevention

Pathophysiology of Prediabetes

Molecular Diabetology

Metabolic Neuroimaging

Translational Diabetology

M²A Lab

SEMABRAIN

Acute Exercise Study (acEx)

INCLU Study

OPTOMICS-Studie

German Study of gestational diabetes (PREG Study)

LIFETIME-Study

Intermittent Fasting to Improve Insulin Secretion (IFIS)

TUEDID study

Prediabetes Lifestyle Intervention Study Follow Up (PLIS FU)