Archive of the Faculty of Medicine in Bochum
Here you can find older news and press releases from the Faculty of Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum.
For more recent press releases, please take a look at our news.
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Center for Rare Diseases Welcomes New Director
Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Steinfeld is the new Medical Director of the Center for Rare Diseases (CeSER) at the University Children’s Hospital Bochum, succeeding Prof. Corinna Grasemann.
Award-Winning Research on Mental Health
Medical student Charlotte Milewczyk from the LWL University Hospital Hamm has earned second place in the prestigious Young Science Best Medical Paper Award for her research on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her findings reveal how closely depression, anxiety, and eating disorders are interconnected—offering new insights that could shape future treatment approaches for young patients.
Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum Launches Dementia Treatment with New Alzheimer’s Drug
For the first time, the Neurology Clinic at Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum is offering patients therapy with the new Alzheimer’s medications. Clinic director Prof. Dr. Dr. Corinna Seliger-Behme emphasizes: ‘We are very pleased to now be able to offer affected patients a treatment option – while carefully evaluating each case due to potential side effects.”
Emotions play a role in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases
Why do people with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases often experience abdominal pain even during symptom-free phases? A research team at Ruhr University Bochum, led by Dr. Hanna Öhlmann from the Center for Medical Psychology and Translational Neuroscience, shows that inflammation alone is not the whole story. Instead, the emotional processing of pain plays a key role. The researchers found that in affected individuals, the link between learned fear and pain perception is altered—a finding that could open up new approaches for personalized therapies.
New Hope for Pompe Disease: TRACK-PD Research Project Launches in Bochum
At BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, the TRACK-PD project is investigating how treatment effects in Pompe disease can be measured more precisely and improved on an individual basis. By using state-of-the-art MRI technology, biomarker analyses, and wearable devices, the research team aims to gain deeper insights into disease progression and develop personalized treatment strategies. This represents an important step toward sustainably improving the quality of life and future prospects of those affected.
SALUS Project – Template for Psychiatric Advance Directive Published
A research team at Ruhr University Bochum, working together with people with lived experience, relatives, and experts, has developed Germany’s first psychiatric advance directive template of its kind. The freely accessible document enables people with mental health conditions to specify in advance which treatments they want—or do not want—during times of crisis. An important step toward greater self-determination and reduced coercion in psychiatric care.
Bad Oeynhausen: Ruhr University Bochum Honors Two Research Projects
At the Medical Faculty’s FORUM conference, early-career scientists presented their latest projects with great success. Two outstanding research initiatives closely linked to Ruhr University Bochum and the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW received special recognition. The award-winning studies provide new insights into the genetic causes of cardiomyopathies and the molecular mechanisms underlying right heart failure, highlighting RUB’s key role as a hub for innovative, interdisciplinary cardiovascular research.
Insights into the Logistics of the Cell’s Waste Disposal System
Cutting-edge research from Ruhr University Bochum provides new insights into the development of neurodegenerative diseases: An international team led by Prof. Dr. Konstanze F. Winklhofer has uncovered a key mechanism of the cell’s waste disposal system. The study focuses on the protein optineurin, whose malfunction is linked to disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Published in Advanced Science, the findings highlight how fundamental biochemical research at Ruhr University Bochum may open up new avenues for future therapeutic approaches.