Prof. Dr. Halbritter has served as the new Medical Director of the Department of Nephrology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg since April 2026. With his expertise, he is enhancing care for patients with kidney disease: The goal is to prevent kidney failure through early diagnosis and the implementation of strategies to slow disease progression. For cases where kidney failure has already occurred, the focus is on organ replacement.

Not only actual chronological age, but also individual aging at the molecular level is a key factor in the development of cancer. This was discovered by scientists at the DKFZ and the Saarland Cancer Registry. If the so-called “epigenetic clocks” indicate accelerated biological aging, the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis increases. This finding could help identify at-risk groups and make early detection screenings more targeted

A novel biomimetic tissue substitute combines precisely tunable mechanical properties with biological functionality and is now ready for applications in medical technology. The material was developed in the »PolyKARD« project by Fraunhofer IAP and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute. From 20.-24.04, 2026, the material will be presented together with further developments at the Hannover Messe, Fraunhofer joint booth.

Estrogen does more than regulate reproduction — it helps brain cells handle stress. When levels decline after menopause, this ability is reduced, and these hormonal changes are believed to contribute to the increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in women. MPI-IE researcher María José Pérez Jiménez has received the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund to investigate why — and whether these cellular responses can be restored.​

How can you charge electric cars without plugging them into the power grid for hours on end? How can industrial robots be “refueled” during operation? And how does wireless energy transfer improve medical technology? These questions have occupied Prof. Nejila Parspour, Director of the Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion (IEW) at the University of Stuttgart, for more than twenty years.