Our research group focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of motility disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A key focus is on modern functional diagnostics (HRM, including long-term monitoring, EndoFLIP, pH-impedance, and breath tests) as well as their integration into clinical decision-making processes and interventional therapies (third-space functional procedures, POEM). The goal is to develop translational approaches to improve the diagnosis and individualized treatment of neurogastroenterological disorders.

Category:
Clinical

Contact:
Dr. Christian Torres Reyes
Katholisches Klinikum Bochum

E-Mail: christian.torresreyes@klinikum-bochum.de
Website: Gastroenterologische Hochschulambulanz Bochum

The working group focuses on psychosomatic and somatopsychic interactions that can contribute to the development of symptoms and diseases. A primary focus is on gastrointestinal disorders, taking into account the gut-brain axis.

Category:
Clinical

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Stengel
Klinikum Stuttgart

E-Mail: andreas.stengel@klinikum-stuttgart.de
Website: http://www.klinikum-stuttgart.de/psychosomatik

As part of our clinical practice, the clinic offers neurogastroenterological diagnostics and treatment on an outpatient basis.

Category:
Clinical

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Miriam Stengel
SRH Kliniken Sigmaringen

E-Mail: miriam.stengel@srh.de
Website: https://www.kliniken-sigmaringen.de/kliniken-fachbereiche/fachabteilungen/medizinische-klinik/

The Gastroenterology Day Hospital Unit at Israelitisches Krankenhaus Hamburg provides specialised diagnostic assessment of patients with chronic, severe abdominal symptoms of unclear origin.
Patients are eligible for assessment only if standard gastroenterological and internal medicine investigations—including blood tests, upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, and abdominal imaging (e.g. ultrasound, CT or MRI)—have already been completed and the results are available for review.

A personal consultation is required before admission. Appointments can be arranged through the hospital's admissions office. Due to the high demand for these specialised services, waiting times are unfortunately long.

Category:
Clinical

Contact:
Gastroenterologische Tagesklinik
Israelitisches Krankenhaus Hamburg

Scheduling an Appointment at the Central Admissions Office:
Phone: 040-51125-6030
E-Mail: aufnahme@ik-h.de
Website: https://www.ik-h.de/

Our current research focuses on deciphering the molecular signals and intercellular communication that regulate cellular homeostasis and the development of the ENS during postnatal life. To this end, we work with murine reporter models as well as human patient and cadaveric samples to investigate the influence of morphogens such as Wnt, R-Spondin, Dkk, or matrix molecules on the proliferative capacity and neuronal differentiation of ENS precursor cells. In addition, we analyze the expression patterns of differentiation and functional markers in patient samples to improve our understanding of the pathomechanistic basis of enteric neuropathies such as Hirschsprung’s disease or motility disorders caused by gastroschisis.

Categories:
Basic, Translational

Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Peter Neckel (Workgroup Leader, Head of the Prosectory)
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

E-Mail: peter.neckel@uni-tuebingen.de
Website: https://klinische-anatomie.de/zellanalytik/ag-neckel/

Our research group focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of motility disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A key focus is on modern functional diagnostics (HRM, including long-term monitoring, EndoFLIP, pH-impedance, and breath tests) as well as their integration into clinical decision-making processes and interventional therapies (third-space functional procedures, POEM). The goal is to develop translational approaches to improve the diagnosis and individualized treatment of neurogastroenterological disorders.

Category:
Basic

Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Stefanie Kürten
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn

E-Mail: stefanie.kuerten@uni-bonn.de; rchunder@uni-bonn.de
Website: www.anatomie.uni-bonn.de/de/forschung/ag-kuerten/ag-kuerten

Our research group at the Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology is developing new optogenetic approaches to control gastric motility as part of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Center for Optogenetic Therapies. Through direct light-based stimulation of smooth muscle cells, contractions can already be triggered in transgenic mouse models, thereby inducing motility and gastric transit, regardless of the condition of the innervating nerves and pacemaker cells. The goal is to further develop these new therapeutic strategies for gastroparesis and bring them to the clinical setting in the future.

Category:
Basic

Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Tobias Brügmann
Universitätsmedizin Göttingen

E-Mail: tobias.bruegmann@med.uni-goettingen.de
Website:  herzzentrum.umg.eu/forschung/arbeitsgruppen/vegetative-optogenetik/

After ten years in Prof. Schemann’s research group at the Technical University of Munich, I recently established my own research group in Hungary. I would very much welcome collaborations with German research groups. Our research focuses on the physiological and pathological functions of the enteric nervous system (ENS) as well as on diseases associated with disturbances in gut-brain interaction. In our experimental studies, we investigate the role of the ENS and its interactions in common conditions such as functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, and acute ischemic stroke.

The long-term goal of our research is to translate our findings into direct benefits for patients, for example through new diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies. I have close ties to the gastroenterology department and can also arrange for the collection of human samples.

Categories:
Basic, affiliated with clinical

Contact:
Dr. Anita Annaházi
Universität Szeged (Ungarn)

E-Mail: annahazi.anita@med.u-szeged.hu
Website: https://cellbio.szte.hu/index.php/en/

Our research group investigates the mechanisms underlying gastrointestinal complications following surgical trauma, with a particular focus on the enteric nervous system (ENS). A central focus is on the interactions between the ENS and the intestinal immune system. In addition, we are investigating the role of these neuroimmunological mechanisms in chronic inflammation and colorectal cancer. The goal is to better understand the neural regulation of intestinal inflammatory processes and to identify new therapeutic approaches.

Categories:
Basic and translational research, with clinical relevance using patient samples

Contact:
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Wehner
Universitätsklinikum Bonn

E-Mail: Sven.Wehner@ukbonn.de

We are investigating how the interaction between the nervous system and the immune system regulates homeostasis at epithelial barriers.

Category:
Basic

Contact:
Dr. Christoph Klose
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

E-Mail: christoph.klose@charite.de
Website: https://charite-mikrobiologie.de/klose-laboratory/

Our research group is investigating how metabolites produced by gut bacteria influence gut function and the activity of nerve cells along the gut-brain axis. Our aim is to establish a mechanistic basis for the role of the microbiome in gut (patho)physiology and thereby contribute to the development of microbiome-modifying therapies for conditions characterised by gut symptoms and behavioural changes. The laboratory’s current focus is on preclinical studies relating to autism.

Categories:
Basic, Translational

Contact:
Friederike Uhlig
University College Cork

E-Mail: fuhlig@ucc.ie
Website: https://research.ucc.ie/en/persons/friederike-uhlig/

We are investigating the mechanisms underlying nerve-glia-tumour interactions in the gastrointestinal tract, with a focus on pancreatic cancer.

Categories:
Basic, Translational

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Dr. Ihsan Ekin Demir
Klinikum der Technischen Universität München

E-Mail: ekin.demir@tum.de
Website: https://chirurgie.mri.tum.de/de/ag-demir

Our research group focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying behaviour and motivation. Our aim is to use models and detailed measurements (big data) across various data categories – such as functional imaging, behavioural tasks and physiological signals from the stomach – to predict future behaviour in everyday situations.

Categories:
Basic, Translational

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Nils Kroemer
University of Bonn & Tübingen

E-Mail: nkroemer@uni-bonn.de
Website: https://neuromadlab.com/de/, https://www.ukbonn.de/psychiatrie-und-psychotherapie/forschung/sektionen/sektion-fuer-medizinische-psychologie/

The intestinal epithelium is surrounded by the intestinal niche. This niche comprises a multitude of mucosal cells as well as signalling molecules that closely regulate epithelial functions. Enteric neurons are an essential component of this niche. The research group’s focus is on investigating the functional significance of neuronal signalling within the intestinal niche. The aim is to investigate neuro-epithelial interaction in homeostasis and regeneration using in vivo and in vitro models. Particular emphasis is placed on investigating the role of neuronal signalling in the intestinal stem cell niche.

Category:
Basic

Contact:
PD Dr. Moritz Middelhoff
Klinikum der Technischen Universität München

E-Mail: moritz.middelhoff@mri.tum.de
Website: https://med2.mri.tum.de/de/Forschung%20%26%20Lehre/grundlagenforschung-und-translationale-forschung/ag-middelhoff

The research group investigates how the central nervous system controls the movement patterns of the stomach and intestines, and what role the functional coupling of local networks of nerve, immune, pacemaker and muscle cells in the gut plays in this process. A wide range of methods is employed, ranging from studies on human and animal cells and tissues in organ culture to investigations involving critically ill patients. A particular methodological focus is on measuring the function of isolated smooth muscle tissue from all sections of the gastrointestinal tract, including relevant blood vessels. To this end, in addition to the force generated by the muscles, the pressure generated within the hollow organ is measured, as are the accompanying electrical activity and changes in intracellular calcium concentration.

Categories:
Basic, Translational

Contact:
Prof. Dr. med. Robert Patejdl
HMU Health and Medical University Erfurt

E-Mail: robert.patejdl@hmu-erfurt.de
Website: https://www.health-and-medical-university-erfurt.de/forschung-institute-labs/forschungsinstitute/img-institut-fuer-medizinische-grundlagenforschung/

The Neurogastroenterology Research Group at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, led by Gemma Mazzuoli-Weber, investigates the neural control of gastrointestinal function in healthy and diseased animals. The team combines basic research into the mechanisms of the enteric nervous system with clinically oriented studies in order to better understand and treat disorders of gastrointestinal motility. By combining basic research with translational approaches, the group aims to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in veterinary and comparative medicine.

Category:
Basic

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Gemma Mazzuoli-Weber
Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover

E-Mail: gemma.mazzuoli-weber@tiho-hannover.de
Website: https://www.tiho-hannover.de/en/clinics-institutes/institutes/institute-of-physiology-and-cell-biology