News
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“Das Gehirn der Zukunft”: Artificial Intelligence and Neurorobotics
Over the last years, digitization has penetrated all areas of our lives and does not stop at the human brain. The new possibilities entail visions of major developments in economy, research and, of course, brain research. At the same time, there are extensive discussions as to whether all possible developments can be supported from an ethical point of view.The event series “Das Gehirn der Zukunft” sheds light on these aspects. It is organized by Hertie Foundation together with the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung and local partners.In cooperation with the HIH, there will be overview talks and a panel discussion focusing on artificial intelligence and neurorobotics on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
More information (in German only)
Video (in German only)
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“I want to do a unique job for those who have a rare disease”
The last day of February always marks Rare Disease Day, which brings the worries, hardships and hopes of people suffering from a so-called rare disease into focus. A disease is considered rare if it affects at most one in every two thousand people. In Germany, there are about three million patients suffering from such a disease. “The patients have to cope with many burdens,” says Dr. Rebecca Schüle, “It is often a long way until there is a diagnosis, and there are hardly any therapies or medications for the majority of rare diseases—it is a constant hope and research.” The 43-year-old physician heads a research group at the HIH and leads together with Prof. Ludger Schöls, the head of the Center for Rare Diseases, the Special Outpatient Clinic for Spastic Spinal Paralysis. This is a rare neuropathic disorder that leads to spasticity and paralysis of the legs. In an interview with the Hertie Foundation, Schüle now reports on her work (in German only).
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Minister auf Science Theresia Bauer visited the HIH
On February 6, 2019, the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Science Theresia Bauer visited the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research on the occasion of recently published findings on the early course of Alzheimer's in the blood. At the HIH, the Minister was informed about details of the study and the chances of its application. “The novel blood test is an excellent tool to explore new Alzheimer's therapies in clinical trials. It is thus a first step towards a fundamental paradigm shift: from a symptom-based treatment to an early detection, personalized therapy, and prevention,” said the Minister. “Since the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research was founded at the University and the University Hospital Tübingen in 2001, it remains the only institute in Germany that combines basic neuroscience and patient care across the entire spectrum of clinical neurology. Researchers and patients benefit equally from this strategic orientation.”
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February 11 marks the International Epilepsy Day
Around half a million people suffer from epilepsy in Germany. The International Epilepsy Day on February 11 draws attention to this disease which causes different types of seizures. Johanna Krüger, PhD candidate in the Department Neurology and Epileptology at the HIH, tries to identify the underlying mechanisms of the disease. Her extraordinary motivation: She received the diagnosis herself in 2010. On the occasion of International Epilepsy Day she now recounts her personal story in a video. After the diagnosis, her doctors advised her to quit school as university seemed impossible anyway. Johanna Krüger proved the opposite and studied biology to gain a better understanding of epilepsy for future treatment methods. “I want to make sure no one will be diagnosed and feel like their life turned upside down”, says Krüger.
Click here to watch the video “My Epilepsy Story”.
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HIH welcomes fellows of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
Fellows of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes received fascinating insights into brain research at the HIH during a special “Open House Presentation”. The agenda comprehended presentations, lab visits and individual talks. The approximately 80 fellows had the opportunity to visit up to four laboratories in the institute where they were able to learn about topics such as molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases or personalized therapy of hereditary epilepsy. The HIH encourages the training and career development of highly talented young scientists. "We are pleased that the Open House Presentation was such a success and that so many fellows accepted our invitation", says Prof. Dr. Martin Giese, organizer of the event and personal tutor of the Studienstiftung.
Departments
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Neurology and Stroke
The Department of Neurology and Stroke has the main focuses in neurovascular medicine (vessel diseases of the brain, cerebral stroke), neuro-oncology (brain tumors, brain metastases), neuro-immunology (e.g., multiple sclerosis) and neuro-intensive medicine. ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
The Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases treats in-patients on a ward of about 20 beds and in several out-patient clinics. The clinical focus lies on neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, the ataxias, spastic paraplegias, and dementias. ...more information
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Neurology and Epileptology
The Department of Neurology and Epileptology has a focus on epilepsy and other paroxysmal neurological disorders. In these diseases, the excitability of nerve cells temporarily changes either due to genetic or acquired defects. ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
The Department of Cognitive Neurology provides consultant and outpatient neuropsychological care. Another clinical focus is the treatment of chronic dizziness in the interdisciplinary dizziness center “Südwestdeutsches Schwindelzentrum” operated in conjunction ..more information
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Cellular Neurology
The focus of the Department of Cellular Neurology lies on cellular and molecular mechanisms in the aging brain and age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Special emphasis is placed on Alzheimer's disease, the most common and severe form of senile dementia. ...more information
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Independent Research Groups
The independent research group at the HIH focuses on the physiology of learning and memory ...more information
Research groups
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Neurology and Stroke
Brain Networks and Plasticity
The human brain possesses the remarkable capacity of reorganization, which is the basis for adapting to constantly changing environmental conditions. This plasticity is of paramount importance ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Neuropsychology of Action
The Research Group "Neuropsychology of Action" is dedicated to investigations of human action control. We study clinical impairments of action control and their neural substrates in patients with brain damage ...more information
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Cellular Neurology
Experimental Neuroimmunology
An immune response is part of most neurological diseases, and the development of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been linked to immune related genes and most recently also to epigenetic modifications. ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Genetics of Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's syndrome (PS) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's dementia. The vast majority of patients are ill with no apparent cause. ...more information
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Cellular Neurology
Section for Dementia Research
The Section for Dementia Research of the Department of Cellular Neurology and the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy is headed by Prof. Dr. Christoph Laske. The section consists ...more information
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Neurology and Epileptology
Clinical Genetics of Paroxysmal Neurological Diseases
Paroxysmal neurological disorders include a broad spectrum of clinical entities such as migraine, episodic ataxia or myotonia. The research group is focussed on the clinical genetics ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Neuro-Vestibular Diagnostics
The complaint of dizziness is highly prevalent but remains often an enigma to the physician in daily practice. Serious diseases potentially accompanied by dizziness like stroke, multiple sclerosis ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Oculomotor Laboratory
Playing video-games is a widely distributed leisure activity in our society. In order to estimate the consequences of video-game play, we study the details of eye movements and pupil light responses ... more information
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Cellular Neurology
Experimental Neuropathology
Cerebral proteopathy is a unifying term for cerebral neurodegenerative diseases in which aggregated proteins are abnormally deposited in the brain. The hallmark proteopathy is Alzheimer's disease (AD) ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Functional Neurogenomics
Neurodegenerative disorders are associated in a proportion of cases with genetic risk and gene mutations. However, the vast majority of cases of Parkinson’s disease are sporadic and the disease is altogether heterogeneous in symptoms and pathology. ...more information
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Independent Research Group
Molecular Brain Development
The mammalian neocortex is a highly complex and spatially heterogeneous structure, which has expanded significantly in mammalian evolution. Neocortical network function is at the heart of cognitive function ...more info
Research groups
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Clinical Parkinson's Disease Research
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequent neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease and affects about 1 to 2 % of individuals over the age of 65. The number is steadily increasing due to demographic changes in Western countries. ...more information
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Cellular Neurology
Molecular Imaging
The Molecular Imaging group focuses on the visualization of Alzheimer's disease (AD) related changes in the brain of mouse models using in vivo multiphoton microscopy. A solid knowledge of the dynamics of amyloid lesions and ...more information
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Neurology and Stroke
Molecular Neurooncology
Three to five of 100.000 people are annually diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM), the most malignant brain tumor in adults. Despite aggressive multimodal treatment including surgical resection and ...more information
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Cellular Neurology
Fluid Disease Biomarkers
Processes related to Alzheimer ́s disease (AD) and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases start many years before the onset of the first clinical symptoms. At the moment of the first clinical complaints, the disease has already caused ...more information
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Neurology and Stroke
Interdisciplinary Section of Neuro-Oncology
The projects of the lab are focusing on the biology of brain tumors, especially with targeted individualized therapies, molecular mechanisms in the development of resistance and cell based therapy approaches ...more information
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Neurology and Epileptology
Translational Imaging
The focus of our research group is the structural and functional imaging of neurological diseases with a particular focus on epileptology. We use multi-modal imaging techniques to improve the understanding of disease development ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Dystonia
Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder, and mutations in a growing number of genes have been identified as causes for hereditary forms in many cases. The aim of the group, which brings together clinical experience ...more information
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Neurology and Stroke
Neurophonetics and Translational Neurorehabilitation
The work group Neurophonetics and Translational Neurorehabilitation is based on a cooperation between the University of Tübingen and a neurological rehabilitation clinic (Fachkliniken Hohenurach). ...more information
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Neurology and Stroke
Stroke and Neuroprotection
The research focus of our Stroke and Neuroprotection Laboratory is to find new and to optimize existing neuroprotective strategies ...more information
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Neurology and Epileptology
Experimental Epileptology
Our research group is interested to unravel the mechanisms of well defined, mainly genetic, neurological, paroxysmal diseases, to understand correlations with clinical symptoms and to find new treatment options. ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Active Perception Lab
Humans are tremendously reliant on the sense of vision to interact with their environment. Such interaction often involves the generation of motor outputs ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Mitochondrial Biology of Parkinson’s Disease
Neurodegenerative disorders are associated in a proportion of cases with genetic risk and gene mutations. However, the vast majority …more info
Research groups
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Neurology and Epileptology
Migraines and Primary Headache Disorders
Our group aims at unraveling the molecular pathophysiology of migraine and other primary headache disorders. ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Section for Clinical Neurogenetics
Neurogenetic diseases like cerebellar ataxia, hereditary spastic paraplegia and leukodystrophy are rare disorders. ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Systems Neurodegeneration
Our research focuses on the investigation of the genetic basis, systems neuroscience and paradigmatic therapy approaches in ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Sensorimotor Lab
The lab addresses a variety of topics that, at first glance, may look disparate. Yet, there is a common denominator ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Genomic of Rare Movement Disorders
Our group specializes in rare diseases. A disease is called rare, when it affects no more than 5 of 100,000 people. However, in the grand-scheme of things, rare diseases are not quite so rare ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Section for Computational Sensomotorics
The Section for Computational Sensomotorics investigates theoretical principles in the perception and control of motor actions. Research is organized around three main topics ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Genetics and Epigenetics of Neurodegeneration
The recent advances in high-throughput genomic technologies have provided an unprecedented amount of genotype, expression and epigenetic data for many human disorders. ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Section for Neuropsychology
The Section for Neuropsychology focuses on the investigation of spatial cognition and object recognition in humans. The current issues of our work comprise the action control and sensorimotor coordination ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Functional Neurogenetics
Age-related neurodegenerative diseases are a severe and increasingly worrisome burden for our aging population. Most of the chronic neurodegenerative diseases ...more information
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Independent Research Groups
Learning and Memory
All organisms continuously have to adapt their behavior according to changes in the environment in order to survive. This is particularly important when learning to predict threatening or dangerous situations. ...more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Systems Neurophysiology Lab
The overarching goal of our work is to understand the operating principles of the neocortex, a unique brain structure, which mainly evolved in mammals. There is clear evidence that the neocortex, in the broadest sense, endows the subject with cognitive capabilities. ...more information
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Neurodegenerative Diseases
Deep Brain Stimulation
The working group aims to uncover mechanisms of action of deep brain stimulation therapy and to translate the pathophysiological insights into future developments. …more information
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Cognitive Neurology
Motor Control Modeling
The research group „Multi-Level Modeling in Motor Control and Rehabilitation Robotics“ focuses on the generation and control of active biological movements. We develop ...more information
FAZ "Das Zittern hat eine Geschichte" (17.05.2017)
Press article by Prof. Dr. Thomas Gasser (in German)
FAZ "Warum wir Alzheimer immer noch nicht heilen können" (01.02.2017)
Press article by Prof. Dr. Mathias Jucker (in German)
17:00 h Prof. Philipp Berens, Tübingen
Machine Learning - eine Einführung und Erklärungen für Einsteiger
Location: Room B-04-221 (CRONA)
17:00 h Prof. Josef Zentner, Freiburg
Epilepsiechirurgie – was hat sich in den letzten 25 Jahren verändert?
Location: Lecture Hall Childrens' Hospital
17:00 h Dr. S Mukherjee, Bonn
Artifical Intelligence and medicine: where do we stand and where are we going
Location: Room B-04-221 (CRONA)
An exemplary connection between research and clinical care
The German Council of Science and Humanities recognizes the performance and academic excellence of theHertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research. The recommendation of the council is an excellent basis for the further development of the HIH.
Press release by the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat)
