Within the Department for Internal Medicine III (Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, acting director Prof. Dr. Derk Frank), we pursue a broad research with the overarching goal of precision medicine for cardiovascular diseases. This ranges from clinical research on complex coronary interventions, minimal invasive therapy of valvular diseases, peripheral artery disease, individualized therapy of arrhythmia, heart failure and cardiomyopathies to translational and molecular research with a focus on new therapeutic approaches for heart failure and cardiomyopathies as well as strategies to specifically inhibit inflammation in vascular diseases. Clinical, translational and basic science research activities are closely associated with the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) (Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck partner site) where we are embedded together with the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery and the Dept. of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology in the Kiel cluster focusing on structural heart diseases.
In this context, we apply multi-omics approaches to identify novel mechanisms involved in cardiovascular diseases genes with the aim of defining new diagnostic and therapeutic targets (AG Frank, AG Müller, AG Martini). We further study the role of the microbiome in the development of heart failure in order to identify novel biomarkers and potentially novel therapeutic targets (AG Spehlmann). Within the DZHK professorship for Translational Cardiology (AG Müller) we investigate novel mechanisms involved in metabolic alterations in failing hearts, develop therapeutic approaches for heart failure and establish anti-inflammatory approaches for vascular diseases such as pulmonary hypertension and genetic aortic diseases. In addition, several projects focus on the analysis of biomarkers in structural heart diseases (AG Frank). All translational and basic science research activities are carried out in our new laboratory for “Molecular Cardiology” located in the new “Quincke Forschungszentrum” of the Kiel University. This experimental research laboratory allows us to use state of the art techniques of molecular and cell biology including iPSC cardiomycyte and AAV core labs. The laboratory is staffed with an interdisciplinary team of physicians and scientists, PhD-, MD- and master students as well as experienced technical assistants.
Our clinical research unit (AG Lutz), which is also part of the DZHK, is supported by an experienced team of study nurses, coordinating several clinical studies (Phase I-IV), including DZHK studies, IITs ("Investigator-initiated Trials") and studies in cooperation with industry. Another important clinical branch is interventional cardiology with a focus on minimally invasive heart valve therapy (AGFrank) in cooperation with the Department for Cardiac and Vascular Surgery (Prof. Cremer/ Prof. Lutter). Finally, the increasing impact of cardiovascular diseases in cancer patients resulted in a novel research unit on Cardio-Oncology.