What Happens Before, During, and After Sepsis

How does blood poisoning (sepsis) develop, why do some people become particularly severely ill, and what are the long-term consequences of an acute illness? The Graute-Oppermann Research Training Group “PhaSe” at the Department of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen is dedicated to addressing these questions. Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum are also participating in the program. The Drs. Graute and Graute Oppermann Foundation is funding the program with 150,000 euros over three years. 

The new Graduate College was initiated by Essen-based scientists Prof. Dr. Thorsten Brenner and Prof. Dr. Mirko Trilling: “We examine the various phases of sepsis within an overarching research framework and combine basic research with clinical research and translational approaches,” says Thorsten Brenner.

The acronym “PhaSe” stands for “Cross-Phase Sepsis Research: Predisposing Factors, Acute Phase of the Disease, Long-Term Consequences.” The research teams are primarily interested in factors that influence the risk of sepsis, the processes occurring during the acute phase of the disease, and long-term consequences. “In the long term, the results should also benefit those affected and the healthcare system,” emphasizes Brenner.

Sepsis from Many Perspectives
In the future, 17 doctoral candidates will conduct research in seven subject areas within the research group. The project leaders come from various departments within the Medical Department at the University of Duisburg-Essen, and all major research areas at Essen University Hospital are included: cardiovascular diseases, immunology and infectious diseases, oncology, translational neuroscience and behavioral sciences, and transplantation. In addition, Prof. Dr. Nina Babel and Prof. Dr. Michael Adamzik, researchers from Ruhr University Bochum who have been studying the diagnosis and treatment of immune system disorders -including sepsis- for many years, are also involved. This further strengthens the cross-campus collaboration between the medical departments of the University of Duisburg-Essen and Ruhr University Bochum within the University Alliance Ruhr. The close networking and pooling of scientific and clinical expertise create valuable synergies that provide new impetus for interdisciplinary research and the further development of innovative therapeutic approaches.

About the Graute-Oppermann Research Training Group 
The Drs. Graute and Graute Oppermann Foundation has been supporting interdisciplinary clinical research at the UDE Department of Medicine since 2018. The Graduate College supports young medical researchers and allows doctoral candidates to take a leave of absence from their regular studies to work on interdisciplinary research projects. This enables them to focus more intensively on their projects.