In the ‘Survival Strategies’ series of talks, Heidelberg University presents its Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) in the life sciences with biological and medical topics. In the current contribution, Constanze Schmidt and Johannes Backs talk about the causes of heart disease. The focus is on congenital factors such as genetic mutations and acquired risks, such as those caused by an unhealthy diet or lack of exercise. The aim of their research is to understand the mechanisms that are activated at the start of a disease - and to stop these mechanisms.
The CRC 1550 ‘Molecular Circuits of Heart Disease’ has been supported by the German Research Foundation since May 2022. Johannes Backs is the spokesperson for the CRC 1550 and Director of the Institute of Experimental Cardiology in Heidelberg, which was founded in 2018. Constanze Schmidt heads a sub-project in the CRC 1550 and a research group for ‘Atrial Arrhythmopathy and Cellular Electrophysiology’ at Heidelberg University Hospital.
The interview is available online on heiONLINE .
