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Helmholtz Diabetes Center Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM)

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

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

Our Research Groups

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Stefan Lab

Pathophysiology of Prediabetes

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Weigert Lab

Molecular Diabetology

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Preissl Lab

Metabolic Neuroimaging

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Birkenfeld Lab

Translational Diabetology

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Clinical Trials & Cohort Studies

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Ongoing trial

German Study of gestational diabetes (PREG Study)

Gestational diabetes (GDM) defined as any degree of glucose intolerance first diagnosed during pregnancy. It is one of the major pregnancy complications and untreated it leads to fetal overgrowth, macrosomic newborns and related birth complications. The mother has a very high risk for the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. The offspring is at high risk for obesity and impaired glucose tolerance or even diabetes starting already in early childhood. Even if GDM is detected and successfully treated the fetus has been exposed to elevated glucose levels for the first months of pregnancy. A long-term impact on the health of mother and child is likely. To elucidate the impact of treated GDM on mother and child the PREG study has been initiated. The study is a multicenter prospective cohort study conducted in six sites of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), with the lead center being Tübingen.

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Ongoing trial

Dopamine Genetics

So far, the origin of obesity, regardless of an existing positive energy balance, is not fully understood. In addition to environmental factors, the genetic background plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Common genetic polymorphisms, variants in the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) locus have the highest effect size on body weight. Animal and first clinical studies indicate that FTO variants interact with dopamine signaling in the brain, thus contributing to the risk for overweight. In fact, preliminary results indicate that enhancing dopamine signaling with the dopamine agonist bromocriptine, depending on the FTO genotype, either induces weight loss or has a neutral effect on body weight.

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Ongoing study

Intermittent Fasting to Improve Insulin Secretion (IFIS)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications are a challenge for health care systems as the numbers increases constantly. T2D occurs when insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells cannot sufficiently compensate for insulin resistance. To improve insulin secretion is essential in treatment and prevention of diabetes. Up to now, lifestyle intervention or pharmacological trials did not show an improvement of insulin secretion. However, one recent small human trial shows that intermittent fasting is able to improve insulin secretion. The IFIS study will investigate the effectiveness of 4 weeks of intermittent fasting on changes in insulin secretion capacity in people with prediabetes and the people with diabetes.

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Ongoing study

TUEDID study

The goal of the Tübingen Diabetes Mellitus Database TUEDID is a structured collection of data on people affected by diabetes mellitus. In addition, supplementary examinations are carried out which make it possible to answer further questions about the role of diabetes in different organ systems. These data will be compared with those of people without diabetes mellitus. Since this is an open cohort, the number of study participants is not limited.

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Prediabetes Lifestyle Intervention Study Follow Up (PLIS FU)

The prediabetes lifestyle intervention study (PLIS) was a stratified randomized multi-center trial involving eight study sites in Germany. The primary hypothesis was that individuals with prediabetes who have a high risk for a failure to restore normal glucose regulation with conventional lifestyle intervention (LI) will benefit from an intensification of the LI.

Scientists at the IDM

Prof. Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld

Director of Insitute, Medical doctor View profile

Prof. Dr. Andreas Fritsche

Medical doctor, Senior scientist View profile

Prof. Dr. Hubert Preissl

Senior scientist

Prof. Dr. Norbert Stefan

Medical doctor, Senior scientist View profile

Prof. Dr. Dr. Fritz Schick

Medical doctor, Senior scientist View profile

Prof. Dr. Reiner Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg

Medical doctor, Scientist

Prof. Dr. Erwin Schleicher

Senior scientist

Prof. Dr. Ferruh Artunc

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

Prof. Dr. Andreas Peter

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

Prof. Dr. Dorothea Siegel-Axel

Senior scientist

Prof. Dr. Rainer Lehmann

Senior scientist

PD Dr. Felicia Gerst

Senior scientist

Dr. Simon Dreher

Scientist

Dr. Corinna Dannecker

Scientist

Dr. Ralf Veit

Senior scientist

Dr. Franziska Schleger

Senior scientist

Maike Borutta

TA

Lisa Ulmer

TA

Ingrid Rösch

Administrative Assistant

Karin Waneck

TA

Timm Oliver Larbig

Technician

Dr. Dorothea Baumann

Medical doctor

Dr. Anja Moller

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

Dr. Bernhard Bohnert

Medical doctor, Scientist

Dr. Ellen Kern

Medical doctor

Prof. Dr. Nils Heyne

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

Dr. Anja Hieronimus

Medical doctor, Scientist

Dr. Sarah Hudak

Medical doctor, Scientist

Dr. Thomas Mühlbacher

Medical doctor

Anja Dessecker

Nurse

Marjo Bartus-Graf

Diet assistant

Alke Guirguis

TA

Sieglinde Haug

TA

Ann Kathrin Horlacher

TA

Andrea Janessa

TA

Dr. Angela Lehn-Stefan

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

Dorothee Neuscheler

TA

Roman-Georg Werner

TA

Melanie Weisser

TA

Dr. Anja Schork

Medical doctor

Dr. Michaela Keuper

Scientist

Tobias Haueise

PhD student

Alexandra Hopf

Administrative Assistant

Theresa Ester

PhD student

Judith Leonie Nono

MTA

PD Dr. Martina Guthoff

Medical doctor, Senior scientist

David Arturo Juarez Lopez

TA

Sabine Kümmerle

Diet assistant

Jennifer Maurer

PhD student

PD Dr. Miriam Hoene

Senior scientist

Thomas Goj

PhD student

Johannes Krier

PhD student

Eva-Maria Stehle

Medical Assistant

Dr. Julia Hartkopf

Scientist

Dr. Jelena Soldo

Medical doctor, Scientist

Dr. Lasse Relker

Medical doctor

Andreas Vosseler

PhD student

Dr. Katrin Sippel

Scientist

Anja Fischer

PhD student

Dr. Sabine Frank-Podlech

Senior scientist

Lorenzo Semeia

PhD student

Elisabeth Schrempf

Alexandra Eberle

Henrike Peuker

TA

Kerstin Kernn

Dr. Jason Martin

Scientist

Dr. Nermeen Elagroudy

Scientist

Dorina Löffler

PhD student

Recent Publications

2022 Diabetologie und Stoffwechsel https://doi.org/10.1007/s12181-022-00562-4

Schuett K, Aberle J, Bauersachs J, Birkenfeld AL, Frantz S, Ganz M, Jacob S, Kellerer M, Leschke M, Liebetrau C, Marx N, Mueller-Wieland D, Raake P, Schulze PC, Tschoepe D, von Haehling S, Zelniker TA, Forst T

Positionspapier Herzinsuffizienz und Diabetes.

2022 Diabetologie, Die

Schuett K, Forst T, Birkenfeld AL, Zirlik A, Mueller-Wieland D, Marx N

2022 Hormone and Metabolic Research 10.1055/a-1834-9008

Hoffmann C, Gerber PA, Cavelti-Weder C, Licht L, Kotb R, Al Dweik R, Cherfane M, Bornstein SR, Perakakis N

Liver, NAFLD and COVID-19.

Contact

Ingrid Rösch

Administrative Assistant