metabolic resaerch, paediatrics, childhood obesity

Head of Childhood Obesity & Metabolic Research Group

+49 341 97 22943 antje.koerner@helmholtz-munich.de

Leipzig

"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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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.

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.

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!

Since 2026

Leipzig University

Since 2023

Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of Helmholtz Munich at Leipzig University and the University of Leipzig Medical Center

Since 2021

2010-2023

Leipzig University, Medical Faculty

Since 2008

University of Leipzig Medical Center, Children's Hospital

2008

Leipzig University

2006

2003

Leipzig University

2025 - Leipzig Science Award (Leipziger Wissenschaftspreis)
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)

Lazarescu O, Ziv-Agam M, Haim Y, Hekselman I, Jubran J, Shneyour A, Muallem H, Zemer A, Rosengarten-Levin M, Kitsberg D, Levin L, Liberty IF, Yoel U, Dukhno O, Adam M, Braune J, Müller C, Raulien N, Gericke M, Körner A, Murphy R, Blüher M, Habib N, Rudich A, Yeger-Lotem E.

Human subcutaneous and visceral adipocyte atlases uncover classical and nonclassical adipocytes and depot-specific patterns Unique subpopulations of adipocytes with complex predicted functions

Tomar A, Gomez-Velazquez M, Gerlini R, Comas-Armangué G, Makharadze L, Kolbe T, Boersma A, Dahlhoff M, Burgstaller JP, Lassi M, Darr J, Toppari J, Virtanen H, Kühnapfel A, Scholz M, Landgraf K, Kiess W, Vogel M, Gailus-Durner V, Fuchs H, Marschall S, Hrabě de Angelis M, Kotaja N, Körner A, Teperino R

Epigenetic inheritance of diet-induced and sperm-borne mitochondrial RNAs. Landmark study on paternal contribution to offspring metabolic risk via epigenetics

Körner A, Stein R, Landgraf K.

Beyond genetic screening-functionality-based precision medicine in monogenic obesity.

Manco M, Helgason T, Körner A, Nowicka P, O'Malley G, Baker JL.

Time for a new framework that treats obesity in children as an adiposity-based chronic disease EASO Statement on the clinical and scientific need to address childhood obesity

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

Kempf E, Landgraf K, Stein R, Hanschkow M, Hilbert A, Abou Jamra R, Boczki P, Herberth G, Kühnapfel A, Tseng YH, Stäubert C, Schöneberg T, Kühnen P, Rayner NW, Zeggini E, Kiess W, Blüher M, Körner A

Aberrant expression of agouti signaling protein (ASIP) as a cause of monogenic severe childhood obesity Identification and characterization of a new monogenic obesity trait

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

Hoang AC, Sasi-Szabó L, Pál T, Szabó T, Diedrich V, Herwig A, Landgraf K, Körner A,
Röszer T

Mitochondrial RNA stimulates beige adipocyte development in young mice.

Kempf E, Vogel M, Vogel T, Kratzsch J, Landgraf K, Kühnapfel A, Gausche R, Gräfe D, Sergeyev E, Pfäffle R, Kiess W, Stanik J, Körner A

Dynamic alterations in linear growth and endocrine parameters in children with obesity and height reference values.

Landgraf K, Klöting N, Gericke M, Maixner N, Guiu-Jurado E, Scholz M, Witte AV, Beyer F, Schwartze JT, Lacher M, Villringer A, Kovacs P, Rudich A, Blüher M, Kiess W, Körner A

The Obesity-Susceptibility Gene TMEM18 Promotes Adipogenesis through Activation of PPARG Functional evidence on obesity gene TMEM18 driving healthy adipogenesis in humans

Voigtmann F, Wolf P, Landgraf K, Stein R, Kratzsch J, Schmitz S, Jamra RA, Blüher M, Meiler J, Beck-Sickinger AG, Kiess W, Körner A

Identification of a novel leptin receptor (LEPR) variant and proof of functional relevance directing treatment decisions in patients with morbid obesity.

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

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 Landmark study showing that obesity manifests in early childhood in >50,000 children

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.

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

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. > 500 citations

Revollo JR, Körner A*, Mills KF, Satoh A, Wang T, Garten A, Dasgupta B, Sasaki Y, Wolberger C, Townsend RR, Milbrandt J, Kiess W, Imai S

Nampt/PBEF/Visfatin regulates insulin secretion in beta cells as a systemic NAD biosynthetic enzyme. Functional evidence for Nampt being important for insulin secretion. >700 citations

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