Unit Global Health

The Unit Global Health (UGH) focuses on collaborative research to solve pressing global health problems by bringing together scientists from Helmholtz Munich and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A major area of research in the UGH is lung health, its determinants and the role of infections with respiratory pathogens. In collaboration with the Computational Health Center at Helmholtz Munich, the UGH is pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in several key areas of global health research, such as biomarker research, the development of digital health applications and population-based health prediction tools.

Women with baby visiting the TB Sequel Clinic in Gambia

As part of the research projects in the Global Health Unit, we aim to investigate the pathways and drivers of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in low- and middle-income countries to understand similarities and differences compared to patient populations in high-income countries, which are much better studied until now.

We are searching for biomarkers to predict the development of respiratory diseases and infections and to monitor the treatment of patients with these conditions. Through collaborations with various international tuberculosis and lung health research networks, the UGH has access to globally representative biospecimens from clinically well-characterised patients.

A dashboard with interactive maps showcasing the geographic distribution of population health data and predicting potential disease outbreaks.

Our general aim is to analyse complex health data using innovative artificial intelligence (AI) methods for biomarker discovery and disease prediction on both individual and population level. While biomarker discovery using AI tools and the development of digital tools are paving the way for a more individualized health care approach, the analysis and integration of large population-based datasets will enable the detection of major health threats and the prediction of long-term health on population level.

Many pills scattered on a blue uniform background in the form of a silhouette lugs man 3d illustration

Tuberculosis (TB) causes over one million deaths per year. Professor Michael Hoelscher, specialist in tropical medicine at LMU and head of the UGH (Helmholtz Munich) is developing a drug that could play a crucial role in the fight against…

A view of Copenhagen’s historic Nyhavn harbor

The 2025 annual TB Sequel meeting was held on 17 November 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark, prior to The Union World Conference on Lung Health. Held as a hybrid event and organized by the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at LMU…

Syringe and vaccine bottle with the flag of the EU

The European Commission has launched the European Vaccines Hub (EVH) for Pandemic Readiness, a new initiative aiming to accelerate the development of vaccines for future public health emergencies. Helmholtz Munich contributes its virology and global…

From 6 to 8 May 2025, the UNITE4TB Consortium convened in London for its Annual Meeting. Held across three venues — the Wellcome Collection, the Royal College of Physicians, and UCL’s MRC Clinical Trials Unit, the program spanned three focused days:…

Secondary tuberculosis in lungs and close-up view of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, 3D illustration

A comprehensive review article examines the long-term consequences of tuberculosis and the need for improved strategies in dealing with the disease.

Two projects from UGH are researching the late effects of tuberculosis and how to help those affected.

3-Day Annual Meeting & Joint Symposium in Uppsala, Sweden

The 2024 UNITE4TB Annual Consortium Meeting and Joint Symposium with our partner ERA4TB took place on 15-17 May in Sweden, kindly hosted by Consortium Partner Uppsala University.

Accumulation of tuberculosis bacteria - 3d illustration

Significant milestone in our efforts to combat Tuberculosis through groundbreaking research and development: On behalf of the UNITE4TB research consortium, our Partner, the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at LMU University…

Portrait Michael Hoelscher, Unit Global Health (UGH)

Prof. Dr. med. Michael Hoelscher

Unit Head

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PD Dr. med. Andrea Rachow

Deputy Unit Head

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Ms. Marlene Hannes

Ph.D. Student

Ms. Tamara Haanraads

Ph.D. Student

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Noemi Castelletti

Guest Researcher

Dr. Kathrin Held

Guest Researcher

Bauer B, Ahmed MIM, Baranov O, Bakuli A, Lin L, Kisinda A, Chachage M, Ntinginya NE, Khosa C, Hoelscher M, Rassool M, Charalambous S, Sutherland JS, Held K, Rachow A, Geldmacher C; TB sequel consortium

Host response biomarkers of tuberculosis recurrence and treatment failure

Heinrich N, Ndjeka N, Khosa C, Howell P, Kranzer K, Vambe D, Wasserman S, Hoelscher M

endTB-Q results in the face of rising bedaquiline resistance

Meghji J, Auld SC, Bisson GP, Khosa C, Masekela R, Navuluri N, Rachow A

Post-tuberculosis lung disease: towards prevention, diagnosis, and care

Olbrich L, Verghese VP, Franckling-Smith Z, Sabi I, Ntinginya NE, Mfinanga A, Banze D, Viegas S, Khosa C, Semphere R, Nliwasa M, McHugh TD, Larsson L, Razid A, Song R, Corbett EL, Nabeta P, Trollip A, Graham SM, Hoelscher M, Geldmacher C, Zar HJ, Michael JS, Heinrich N; RaPaed-TB consortium

Diagnostic accuracy of a three-gene Mycobacterium tuberculosis host response cartridge using fingerstick blood for childhood tuberculosis: a multicentre prospective study in low-income and middle-income countries

Merkt S, Ali S, Gudina EK, Adissu W, Gize A, Muenchhoff M, Graf A, Krebs S, Elsbernd K, Kisch R, Betizazu SS, Fantahun B, Bekele D, Rubio-Acero R, Gashaw M, Girma E, Yilma D, Zeynudin A, Paunovic I, Hoelscher M, Blum H, Hasenauer J, Kroidl A, Wieser A

Long-term monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and variants in Ethiopia provides prediction for immunity and cross-immunity

Glover NA, Ivanova O, Sathar F, Riess F, Shambhu RR, Mekota AM, Zurba L, Menezes C, Alexandra van Blydenstein S, Kalla I, Hoelscher M, Saathoff E, Charalambous S, Rachow A

Lung outcomes and related risk factors in patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a hospitalised single-centre cohort from Johannesburg, South Africa