Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases

Cardiovascular (e.g. coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis) and metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes and obesity) are closely linked and can have both hereditary and lifestyle causes.

At the MDC we are aiming to understand the molecular and cellular basis of healthy cardiovascular and metabolic functions in both adults and in the developing organisms. At the same time we are working to understand the pathophysiology of these diseases and identify environmental influences, monogenic and complex genetic traits, and epigenetic factors predictive of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

To this end, we employ molecular biological techniques including high-throughput approaches – genomics, proteomics, epigenomics –, stem cell technologies, model organisms and transgenic techniques, alongside epidemiological studies and imaging techniques.

Our studies lay the groundwork for the development of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This includes the identification of biomarkers and drug targets and the advancement of regenerative medicine approaches.