New head of the MHH: Revolutionary approaches in lung research!

New head of the MHH: Revolutionary approaches in lung research!

Professor Dr. Christian Mühlfeld officially took over the management of the Institute for Functional and Applied Anatomy at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) on December 1, 2024. Previously, he had served as interim director of the institute for almost six years. His change in office not only means a new era for the institute, but also brings much-needed planning security for research, teaching and the institute's structure.

Mühlfeld has big plans for the future of lung research. In particular, he would like to broaden the research focus and take biographical approaches to lung health into account. The transgenerational approach plays a central role here, looking at the development of the lungs over the entire lifespan and taking into account the influence of nutrition and exercise. This innovative focus is intended to open up new perspectives for understanding lung diseases.

Research approaches and goals

Mühlfeld is a passionate anatomist whose interest was sparked during his biology studies in Kiel. His switch to medicine enabled him to learn about the structural aspects of the human body and practical work with preparations. This led to a special focus on the lungs, where Mühlfeld particularly emphasized the close connection between structure and function.

He has conducted research at various renowned institutions, including the Justus Liebig University of Gießen and the MHH since 2011. A particularly notable success of his team in 2021 was the detection of human lipofibroblasts in the electron microscope, an advance that closed an important gap in lung research.

As part of his plans to modernize all of the institute's structures, Mühlfeld also plans to renovate the microscope room and renew the prosecture. The reconstruction of the anatomy collection should take into account modern ethical and didactic aspects. He would also like to integrate anatomy more comprehensively into teaching, especially in the later years of study. Mühlfeld was awarded prizes for his teaching activities in 2023, including an honor for the module “Anatomical Basics of Medicine”.

Commitment and collaboration in lung research

Lung research is an interdisciplinary field that is not only carried out at the MHH, but also at institutions such as the Charité is operated. Here, collaboration between basic scientists, clinical researchers and physicians enables a better understanding of lung diseases. The main research topics include infectious diseases of the lungs, lung failure, pulmonary hypertension and obstructive pulmonary diseases such as asthma and COPD.

It plays in this context German Center for Lung Research (DZL) an essential role. As an association of 28 leading university and non-university institutions, the DZL coordinates cutting-edge research in the field of lung and respiratory diseases. The future-oriented research aims to validate findings from basic research in preclinical and clinical studies, whereby the path from laboratory results to medical innovations can take an average of 15 years.

From April 1, 2025, Mühlfeld will also serve as the new dean of studies at the MHH, further cementing his important role in the academic community. With his vision and the planned research approaches, he could make a significant contribution to the further development of lung research in Germany.