

RESEARCH NETWORKS
The research strength of the Faculty of Medicine is reflected in the successful acquisition of collaborative research projects. In such projects, researchers from the Faculty of Medicine join forces with partners from other faculties of the University of Münster as well as external institutions. Together they focus on specific fields of research and utilize emerging synergies to generate new knowledge.
Cluster of Excellence
Clusters of Excellence are university consortia intended to focus on internationally competitive fields of research and to create excellent training and career opportunities for early career researchers. Thus they form an important part of the strategic and thematic planning of a university. The funding of Clusters of Excellence is part of the Federal and State Governments’ “Excellence Strategy” designed to bolster Germany’s position as a research location in the long term. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is responsible for developing and implementing the Clusters of Excellence funding line.
- Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC 1003 – CiM) – Imaging to Understand Cellular Behaviour in Organisms (11/2012 - 10/2019)
Coordinators: Prof. Dr. Lydia Sorokin (Spokesperson), Prof. Dr. Volker Gerke and Prof. Dr. Michael Schäfers; all Faculty of Medicine
Participating faculties and non-university institutions: Faculties of Medicine, Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine
- Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC 1003 – CiM) – Imaging to Understand Cellular Behaviour in Organisms (11/2012 - 10/2019)
Collaborative Research Centres
Collaborative Research Centers (SFB) are research associations funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) at a university or in an association of several universities (SFB / Transregio, SFB-TRR), in which scientists work across disciplines on a specific research topic. The long-term funding of up to twelve years, the thematic focus and the bundling of interdisciplinary expertise enable innovative, demanding and complex research projects. In this way, SFBs also serve to build institutional focus and structure.
Collaborative Research Centers coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine
- SFB 1450 "inSight - Multiscale imaging of organ-specific inflammation" (2021- 2024)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Michael Schäfers (Medizinische Fakultät)
Participating departments and institutions: Medizinische Fakultät, Fachbereich Chemie und Pharmazie, Mathematik und Informatik, Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Biomedizin (Münster), Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung (Mainz), Universität Hohenheim - SFB 1009 "Breaking Barriers – Immunzellen und pathogene Erreger an Zell-/Matrix-Barrieren" (2012 - 2024)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Johannes Roth (Medizinische Fakultät)
Participating departments and institutions: Medizinische Fakultät, Fachbereich Biologie, Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Biomedizin - (CRC) SFB TR-128 "Initiating/effector versus regulatory mechanisms in Multiple Sclerosis – progress towards tackling the disease" (2012 - 2024)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Heinz Wiendl (Münster/Medizinische Fakultät), Prof. Dr. Frauke Zipp (Co-Spokesperson, Mainz) in Cooperation with Munich
Collaborative Research Centers with Faculty of Medicine participation
- SFB 1459 "Intelligent matter: From responsive to adaptive nanosystems" (2021 - 2024)
Coordination: Prof. Dr. Bart Jan Ravoo (Fachbereich Chemie und Pharmazie)
Participating departments and institutions: Fachbereiche Chemie und Pharmazie, Physik, Medizinische Fakultät - SFB 1002 "Modulatory Units in Heart Failure" (2017 - 2024)
Coordination: Universität Göttingen in Kooperation mit MPI Göttingen und Münster - SFB 1190 "Compartmental Gates and Contact Sites in Cells" (2020 - 2023)
Coordination: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Participating institution: Institute of cell dynamics and imaging - SFB 1123 "Atherosclerosis - Mechanisms and Networks of Novel Therapeutic Targets" (2021 - 2022)
Coordination: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Participating institution: Institut für Experimentelle Pathologie - SFB 944 "Physiology and Dynamics of Cellular Microcompartments " (2011 - 2022)
Coordination: Universität Osnabrück in Kooperation mit Münster
Participating departments and institutions: Institut für Medizinische Physik und Biophysik, Institut für Zelldynamik und Bildgebung, Medizinische Fakultät - SFB 1348 "Dynamic Cellular Interfaces: Formation and Function" (2018 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Christian Klämbt (Fachbereich Biologie)
Participating departments and institutions: Fachbereiche Biologie, Chemie und Pharmazie, Medizinische Fakultät, Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Biomedizin - SFB 858 "Synergistic Effects in Chemistry - From Additivity towards Cooperativity" (2010 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Armido Studer (Fachbereich Chemie und Pharmazie)
Participating departments and institutions: Fachbereiche Chemie und Pharmazie, Biologie, Medizinische Fakultät
- SFB 1450 "inSight - Multiscale imaging of organ-specific inflammation" (2021- 2024)
Research Units
Research Units (FOR) are made up of a team of researchers working together on a research project and are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Clinical Research Units (KFO) focus on the fields of disease-oriented research, patient-oriented research or translational issues.
Research Units coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine
- KFO 326 "Male Germ Cells: from Genes to Function" (2017-2023)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jörg Gromoll (Münster) - KFO 342 "Organ Dysfuncion During Systemic Inflammation" (2019 - 2022)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Alexander Zarbock (Münster) - FOR 2107 "Neurobiology of affective disorders: A translational perspective on brain structure and function" (2014 - 2020)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Tilo Kircher (Marburg) and Prof. Dr. Dr. Udo Dannlowski (Münster)
Research Units with Faculty of Medicine participation
- FOR 5146 "FerrOs: Defining the osteohepatic axis in the context of iron homeostasis" (2020-2024)
Spokeperson: Prof. Dr. Martina Rauner (Dresden)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP02 - TMPRSS6-mediated regulation of iron via cleavage of components of the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway in liver and bone - FOR 2879 "ImmunoStroke: From immune cells to stroke recovery" (2019 - 2022)
Spokeperson: Prof. Dr. Christoph Kleinschnitz (Essen)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TPB2; Sub-Project TPC1 - FOR 2327 "VIROCARB: Glycans Controlling Non-Enveloped Virus Infections" (2016 - 2022)
Spokeperson: Prof. Dr. Thilo Stehle (Tübingen)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP04 – The Functional Role of Glycosaminoglycan-Papillomavirus Interactions: Inhibition versus Activation - FOR 2325 "Interactions at the Neurovascular Interface" (2016 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Ralf H. Adams (MPI Münster)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP04 – Physiological and patho-physiological roles of lymphatic endothelial cells in the meningeal layer of the zebrafish brain - FOR 2795 "Synapses under stress: Early events induced by metabolic failure at glutamatergic synapses" (2018 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Christine R. Rose (Düsseldorf)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP5 – Mechanisms of presynaptic dysfuntion under acute metabolic stress - FOR 2722 "Novel molecular determinants for musculoskeletal extracellular matrix homeostasis – a systemic approach" (2018 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Bent Brachvogel (Cologne)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP05 – Matrix mediated fibroblast activation in rheumatoid arthritis - FOR 2690 "PRUSEARCH: Translational Pruritus Research" (2018 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Martin Schmelz (Mannheim)
Deputy Spokesperson: Prof Dr. Dr. Sonja Ständer (Münster)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP02 – Influence of Scratching on Skin Profiles in Chronic Pruritus Patients; Sub-Project TP04 – Pathophysiology of Neuropathic Pain and Itch; Sub-Project TP06 – Central Processing of Inflammatory, Neuropathic and Uremic Pruritus; Sub-Project TP Z – Translational Pruritus Research (PRUSEARCH): Central Information Infrastructure, Bioinformatics and Physical Biomaterial Bank - FOR 2327 "VIROCARB: Glycans Controlling Non-Enveloped Virus Infections" (2016 - 2019)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Thilo Stehle (Tübingen)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP04 – The Functional Role of Glycosaminoglycan-Papillomavirus Interactions: Inhibition versus Activation - FOR 1209 "Centre for Advanced Study in Bioethics" (2010 - 2019)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. T. Gutmann (Münster, Faculty of Law)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP3 – The Consequentialism Debate Reflected by Modern Bioethics
- KFO 326 "Male Germ Cells: from Genes to Function" (2017-2023)
Graduate Schools / Research Schools
Research training programmes or “research schools” enable doctoral researchers to undertake their doctoral studies in a thematically focused field of science while completing a structured research training programme to develop professional skills and to gain key multidisciplinary qualifications.
- GRK 2515 "Chemical Biology of Ion Channels" (Chembion) (2019 - 2024)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wünsch
Participating Institutions: Chemistry und Pharmacy, Medicine - GRK 2220 "Evolutionary Processes in Adaptation and Disease" (EvoPAD) (2017 - 2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Joachim Kurtz
Participating faculties: Biology, Medicine, Philosophy - Human Centered Systems Security – North Rhine Westphalian Experts in Research on Digitalization (NERD NRW) (2017 - 2021)
Coordinator: Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Participating Institutions: MFM, FH MS, RWTH Aachen, FH Aachen, TH Köln, U Paderborn, Ruhr West University - Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience (OCC) (continuous)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Rebekka Lencer
Participating faculties: Medicine, Psychology, Biology - CiM-IMPRS Graduate Program (since 2013)
Cells in Motion (CiM) Graduate School and the International Max Planck Research School – Molecular Biomedicine (IMPRS-MBM) Joint Graduate Program
Participating faculties and institutions: Faculties of Biology, Medicine, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine - Münster Graduate School of Evolution (MGSE) (since 2013)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Gadau
Participating faculties: Biology, Medicine, Geo Sciences, Mathematics, Philosophy
- GRK 2515 "Chemical Biology of Ion Channels" (Chembion) (2019 - 2024)
G-BA Innovationsfonds
Förderlinie „Neue Versorgungsformen“
Unter neuen Versorgungsformen im Sinne des Innovationsfonds versteht man Versorgungsformen, die über die bisherige Regelversorgung der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung hinausgehen. Gefördert werden Modelle, welche die sektorenübergreifende Versorgung weiterentwickeln und Ansätze enthalten, die Trennung der Sektoren zu überwinden, sowie solche, die innersektorale Schnittstellen optimieren.Projekte koordiniert an der Medizinischen Fakultät
Kompass D² - Komplikations-Management und Prävention im Ambulanten und Stationären Sektor – Demenz & Delir (2019 – 2023)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Thomas Duning, Klinik für Neurologie mit Institut für Translationale Neurologie
Konsortialpartner: Universität Bielefeld, St. Josef-Stift Sendenhorst, UKM Marienhospital Steinfurt, Josephs-Hospital Warendorf, Klinikum Rheine, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Johannisstift Münster gGmbH, DAK-Gesundheit, IKK classic, BARMERSALUS - Selbsttonometrie und Datentransfer bei Glaukompatienten zur Verbesserung der Versorgungssituation (2019 -2022)
Sprecherin: Univ.-Prof´in Dr. Nicole Eter, Klinik für Augenheilkunde
Konsortialpartner: Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Informationstechnik FIT, Universität Bielefeld, Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Westfalen-Lippe, BARMER, DAK-Gesundheit, IKK classicProjekte mit Beteiligung der Medizinischen Fakultät
TELnet@NRW - Telemedizinisches, intersektorales Netzwerk als neue digitale Struktur zur messbaren Verbesserung der wohnortnahen Gesundheitsversorgung (2017 – 2020)
Sprecher: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gernot Marx, RWTH Aachen
Konsortialpartner Münster: PD Dr. Christian Juhra, Stabsstelle TelemedizinCARE for CAYA - Präventionsprogramm für junge Patienten nach überstandener Krebserkrankung im Kindes-, Jugend- und jungen Erwachsenenalter (2017 - 2020)
Sprecher: Dr. med. Alexander Stein, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg (UKE)
Konsortialpartner Münster: Univ.-Prof´in Dr. Claudia Rössig, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin -Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie-SANO - Strukturierte ambulante Nachsorge nach Schlaganfall (2018 - 2021)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Armin Grau, Klinikum Ludwigshafen
Kooperationspartner Münster: Prof. Dr. Jens Minnerup, Klinik für Neurologie mit Institut für Translationale NeurologieZSE-DUO - Duale Lotsenstruktur zur Abklärung unklarer Diagnosen in Zentren für Seltene Erkrankungen (2018 - 2021)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Helge Hebestreit, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
Konsortialpartner Münster: Prof. Dr. Frank Rutsch, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin -Allgemeine Pädiatrie-CARE-FAM-NET - Kinder mit seltenen Erkrankungen, deren Geschwister und Eltern – Children affected by rare disease and their families – network (2018 – 2021)
Sprecherin: Prof´in Dr. Silke Wiegand-Grefe, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf
Konsortialpartner Münster: Prof. Dr. Frank Rutsch und Dr. Martina Monninger, Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin -Allgemeine Pädiatrie-
Förderlinie „Versorgungsforschung“
Versorgungsforschung hat die Aufgabe, wissenschaftliche Grundlagen für Lösungen zur Gestaltung, Organisation und Finanzierbarkeit des Gesundheitswesens zu schaffen. Versorgungsforschung wird hier verstanden als die wissenschaftliche Untersuchung der Versorgung des Einzelnen und der Bevölkerung mit gesundheitsrelevanten Produkten und Dienstleistungen unter Alltagsbedingungen.Projekte koordiniert an der Medizinischen Fakultät
OptAHF - Versorgungsoptimierung bei Kindern und Erwachsenen mit angeborenen Herzfehlern (2018 – 2021)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Dr. Gerhard-Paul Diller, Klinik für Kardiologie III
Konsortialpartner: Nationales Register für angeborene Herzfehler e.V., BARMERBARGRU - Barrieren bei GruppenpsychotherapeutInnen gegenüber der ambulanten Gruppenpsychotherapie zu Lasten der GKV (2018 -2020)
Sprecher: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Gereon Heuft, Klinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie
EinzelprojektGenderVasc - Geschlechtsspezifische reale Versorgungssituation von Patienten mit arteriosklerotischen kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen in Deutschland (2019 – 2022)
Sprecherin: Dr. Eva Freisinger, Klinik für Kardiologie I
Konsortialpartner: AOK-Bundesverband mit dem Wissenschaftlichen Institut der AOK (WIdO)VerSI-MS-PV - Versorgung sicher gestalten – Machbarkeitsstudie zur Eignung verschiedener Datenquellen als Grundlage der Verbesserung der Pharmakovigilanz innovativer Therapien am Beispiel der Multiplen Sklerose (2019 -2022)
Sprecher: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Klaus Berger, Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin
Konsortialpartner: BKK Dachverband e. V., MS Forschungs- und Projektentwicklungs-gGmbH, Zentralinstitut der kassenärztlichen Vereinigung, Paul-Ehrlich-InstitutProjekte mit Beteiligung der Medizinischen Fakultät
QUASCH - Ergebnisse qualitätsgesicherter Schlaganfallversorgung: Hessen im Vergleich zum übrigen Bundesgebiet (2018 – 2020)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Max Geraedts, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Konsortialpartner Münster: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Klaus Berger, Institut für Epidemiologie und SozialmedizinPRO-Kind-Rheuma - Handlungs- und Therapie-Protokolle in der Kinderrheumatologie (2019 – 2022)
Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Klaus Tenbrock, RWTH Aachen
Konsortialpartner Münster: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dirk FöllEmpower-DSD - Entwicklung und Evaluation von interdisziplinären Informations- und Schulungskonzepten für Kinder und Jugendliche mit Varianten der Geschlechtsentwicklung (DSD) und ihren Eltern 2019 – 2022)
Sprecherin: Dr. Uta Neumann, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Konsortialpartner Münster: PD Dr. Julia Rohayem, Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie
Completed projects
Collaborative Research Centres coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine
- CRC-TRR 58 "Fear, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders" (2008 - 2020)
- CRC 492 "Extrazelluläre Matrix: Extracellular Matrix: Biogenesis, Assembly and Cellular Interactions" (2000 - 2011)
- CRC 293 "Mechanism of Inflammation: Interaction of Endothelen, Epithelen and Leukozyts" (1996 - 2008)
- CRC 556 "Heart failure and arrhythmias – from cell to bedside" (2000 - 2003)
- CRC 656 "Molecular Cardiovascular Imaging (MoBil) – From Mouse to Man" (2005 - 2017)
Collaborative Research Centres with Faculty of Medicine participation
- CRC 629 "Molecular cell dynamics: intracellular and cellular migration" (2003 - 2015)
Münster: Faculties of Biology, Medicine - CRC 592 "Molecular cell dynamics: intracellular and cellular migration" (until 2012)
Freiburg in cooperation with Münster and Jerusalem - CRC-TRR 3 "Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsies" (2003 - 2012)
Bonn in cooperation with Berlin, Freiburg and Münster - CRC-TRR 34 "Pathophysiology of Staphylococci in the post-genomic era" (2010 - 2018)
Coordinators: Greifswald in cooperation with Tübingen, Würzburg and Münster
Research Units
- FOR 1063 "Causation, Laws, Dispositions, and Explanation at the intersection of Science and Metaphysics" (2009 - 2016)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. A Hüttemann (Köln)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project P7 – Causes of Disease: Causality and Pathogenesis in Medicine - FOR 1336 "From monocytes to brain macrophages – conditions influencing the fate of myeloid cells in the brain" (2011 - 2015)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. J. Priller (Berlin) and Prof. Dr. M. Prinz (Freiburg)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project A3 – Role of transcription factor PU.1 in differentiation and function of peripheral macrophages - FOR 1041 "Germ cell potential" (2008 - 2015)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. J. Gromoll (Münster) - FOR 926 "Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Endocannabinoid System" (2013 - 2015)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Zimmer (Bonn) and Prof. Dr. Beat Lutz (Mainz)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project SP10 – Role of the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) in neuroinflammation - FOR 1086: K2P-Channels - From Molecules to Physiology and Pathophysiology
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Daut (Marburg)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP2 – Modulation, function and neuroprotective potential of TASK and TRESK channels in the central nervous system
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP5 – Genetic variation in cardiac K2P channel genes and arrhythmia - FOR 655 "Prioritizing in Medicine: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis in Consideration of the Public Health Insurance System" (2007 - 2014)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. A. Diederich (Bremen)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project C03 – Prioritizing marginally effective treatments? An ethical analysis - KFO 201 "Polycystic Kidney Disease - from Model Organisms to Novel Therapies" (2008 - 2014)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Gerd Walz (Freiburg)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project 8 – NPHP-related polycystic kidney disease in man and mice - FOR 751 "The science of social stress (SOSS): Understanding the interaction of mind, brain and culture in the response and adaptation to stress" (2006 - 2013)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Th. Elbert (Konstanz)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine and Konstanz: Sub-Project A02 – Social Stress Effects on Emotional Perception an Associative Learning - FOR 2289 "Calcium homeostasis in neuroinflammation and -degeneration: New targets for therapy of multiple sclerosis?" (2015 - 2018)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Ricarda Diem (Heidelberg)
Münster/Faculty of Medicine: Sub-Project TP8 – Endothelial calcium signals in the control of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration
Graduate Schools / Research Schools
- GRK 1409 "Molecular interactions of pathogens with biotic and abiotic surfaces" (2006 - 2016)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. M. Alexander Schmidt (Faculty of Medicine)
Participating faculties: Medicine, Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy - IGRK 1549 "Molecular and Cellular Glyco-Sciences (MCGS). Understanding Structure/Function Relationships of Carbohydrate/Protein-Interactions" (2009 - 2014)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Bruno Moerschbacher (Faculty of Biology)
Participating faculties and institutions: Faculties of Biology, Medicine, Chemistry and Pharmacy, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, University of Hyderabad (India) - Cell Dynamics and Disease (CEDAD) Research School (2008 - 2013)
Participating faculties and institutions: Faculties of Biology, Medicine, and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine