Clinical Research

Prospective students are invited to support us in a variety of clinical trials which involve the investigate the effects of exercise training in patients with heart failure as well as the possibility to use an Anti-gravity treadmill to train severely adipose patients with diastolic dysfunction.

Students will participate in the medical examinations and initially supervised by our scientific and medical staff. Our examination center includes two stationary and one mobile cardiorespiratory testing systems. We have two echocardiography systems for the standardized assessment of cardiac function. Vascular health can measured using the vascular explorer, UNEX-EF or an Endo-PAT2000 device. We use bioelectric impedance (BIA) to measure body composition.

Epidemiological Research

We use data from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania(SHIP) to explore relationships between invasive and non-invasive biomarkers with cardiovascular phenotypes. SHIP provides several possibilities to define the cardiovascular phenotype. For example, all study participants receive an echocardiography to assess cardiac function. A subgroup even gets a whole body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examination including cardiac MR imaging. Vascular function is assessed with flow-mediated dilation, pulse-wave velocity and carotid ultrasound to assess atherosclerotic plaques and stenosis. A large part of the study population also participates in a symptom-limited cardiorespiratory exercise test. 

Experimental Prevention

We have a variety of methods available to investigate the biology underlying the beneficial efects of exercise. For example, wheel running systems for mice and rats. Small animal echocardiography and small vessel myograph. Molecular phenotyping is possibil by relative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and histology.