Strokes are one of the main causes of long-term physical and cognitive impairment. A DFG project at the University of Augsburg is researching cellular level processes in the brain following an ischemic stroke, in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted. These processes are poorly understood and could be the key to new therapies.

Obesity increases the risk of numerous secondary diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and mental illness. Prof. Dr. Kerstin Stemmer explains the role of genetics in weight loss and the effect of GLP-1 weight loss medication. She is researching the extent to which fat cells can communicate directly with the pancreas in order to stimulate insulin production.

Studying bacterial communities, known as microbiomes, is a complex task, which often leads to bias. This can affect the accuracy and validity of scientific and clinical knowledge. Researchers at the chair for environmental medicine at the Faculty of Medicine have now developed a standardised procedure to address this problem.