Project Partner Clinic

German Heart Centre Munich

The German Heart Centre Munich has gone down in history as a paragon for the consolidation of state-of-the-art medical treatment of cardiovascular diseases at one centralised location. Since its foundation in 1972/73 as the first heart centre in Europe, it has served as a model for other institutions numerous times. The new medical concept of treating patients of all ages with all types of cardiovascular disease at one facility has gained acceptance, and has been applied to other areas of medicine. The guiding principle of the hospital is to consolidate at one location the various medical branches required for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders, thus providing optimal patient care through constant close interdisciplinary cooperation.

The cardiology department brings together specialists for treatment of vascular diseases of the heart and the peripheral arterial beds (stent implantation), specialists for disorders of the heart rhythm and heart valves, as well as specialists for treatment of heart failure and hypertension. Scientifically, the center for cardiovascular diseases is one of the most successful clinics in Germany. The main research areas are acute circulatory disorders of the heart (unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction), disorders of the heart rhythm and basic research using molecular biological and genetic methods.

Clinical data, laboratory parameters and genetic material from more than 20,000 patients are available for further molecular processing in the DHM. All of these patients were prospectively followed for an average of five years for the occurrence of other events. For a large number of these patients who had to undergo bypass surgery tissue samples are available for further analysis, for example from unused bypass vessels, and cardiac or adipose tissue.

Prof. Dr. med. Heribert Schunkert
Prof. Dr. med. Heribert Schunkert

Wissenschaftlicher Leiter DigiMed Bayern, Direktor der Klinik für Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen am Deutschen Herzzentrum München

+49 (0) 89 / 1218-4073

Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Center Munich


The Institute of Epidemiology (EPI) works on the interaction between the environment, lifestyle and genetics in the development and progression of various diseases. The focus is on metabolic, respiratory and allergic diseases, but also on cardiovascular diseases and mental health. On the one hand, the goal is to better understand the molecular mechanisms of disease development in the population. On the other hand, the scientific studies serve to break new ground in prevention on a more individual level, and to enable evidence-based health care through improved environmental conditions. The research is based, among other topics, on the unique population-based KORA resources (cohort, heart attack register, aerosol measuring station). Follow-up studies within the cohort enable the investigation of early forms and complications of selected chronic diseases and their distribution in the population. In addition, data and biological samples come from the birth cohorts GINI and LISA. In this large sample of over 18,000 fellow citizens, many of the omics data are already available. DigiMed Bayern is now to pave the way for using these invaluable platforms to transform the digital analysis of complex omics data into a practical clinical application.

Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology
Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU_IBE)


The LMU_IBE is divided in five chairs: Biometry and Bioinformatics, Public Health and Health Service Research, Genetic Epidemiology, Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Epidemiology. Its core competence is the processing and analysis of medical data as well as planning, randomization and evaluation of clinical studies and further medical research activities. The LMU_IBE has a wealth of experience in the processing and analysis of medical data.

Prof. Dr. Annette Peters
Prof. Dr. Annette Peters

Director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany

+49 (0) 89 / 3187-4566

Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMUK)


The LMUK has a leading role in the identification of risk genes and new RNA- or protein-based biomarkers and prognostic markers for stroke. Physicians, clinical scientists and basic research scientists are working to improve prevention, early detection and treatment of stroke and dementia. The main research areas are: genetics, the identification of new molecular target structures, cellular mechanisms, the role of the immune system in stroke, mechanisms of cell death after stroke and new therapeutic approaches derived from it.

Prof. Dr. med. Martin Dichgans
Prof. Dr. med. Martin Dichgans

Direktor Institut für Schlaganfall- und Demenzforschung, Klinikum der Universität München

+49 (0) 89 / 4400-46019

Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich


The Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery works on circulatory disorders in the extremities, expansion of the main artery, narrowing of the carotid artery, shunt and vein surgery as well as acute and chronic diseases of the arteries and veins.
Vascular segments affected by atherosclerosis were obtained and examined intraoperatively in a valuable tissue bank under standardized conditions. The gene activity and protein composition can now be determined from the tissue level and correlated with the individual progression of the patient's disease. The biobank contains of tissue samples from thousands of patients and also delivers information based on long-term follow-up observations.

Prof. Dr. med. Lars Maegdefessel
Prof. Dr. med. Lars Maegdefessel

Leiter der Sektion "Vaskuläre Biologie", Klinik und Poliklinik für Vaskuläre und Endovaskuläre Chirurgie, TUM

+49 (0) 89 / 4140-3490

Department of Sport and Health Sciences,
Technical University of Munich


The Department of Sport and Health Sciences at TUM focuses on linking diagnostics and intervention. This includes the scientific development of diagnostic instruments, as well as the design of targeted interventions and the evaluation of existing procedures. This expertise is highly relevant in the cardiovascular context.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann
Prof. Dr. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann

Lehrstuhl für Sportpsychologie, Fakultät für Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaften, Technische Universität München

+49 (0) 89 / 289-24541