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Leipzig University continues to expand obesity research network

Antje Körner takes over as head of the Metabolism Division at HI-MAG

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Professor Antje Körner started as head of the Metabolism Division at the Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) on 1 July 2023. This followed a joint appointment as Professor of Metabolic Research at Leipzig University’s Faculty of Medicine and the Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Centre for Environmental Health. As part of her new role, she will strengthen clinical and translational obesity research at HI-MAG in Leipzig and contribute important paediatric aspects to the Helmholtz research programme in Munich.

Prof. Dr. Antje Körner
Professor Antje Körner. Photo: Leipzig University, Christian Hüller

The child and adolescent obesity researcher is also co-spokesperson for the Leipzig Center of Metabolism research project, which aims to understand and improve the burden of disease caused by metabolic disorders.

“I am delighted that our integrative research approach to childhood obesity has achieved this status. The excellent perspective offered by the interface between the University and Helmholtz Munich allows us to bring together clinical research, mechanistic principles and innovative new therapeutic approaches. This will ultimately enable us to identify the children most at risk and close the treatment gap for children with obesity,” says Antje Körner of her new role at HI-MAG.

Her scientific achievements include the identification of early childhood as a critical vulnerable window for the manifestation of childhood obesity, new evidence that insulin-based and age-adjusted reference values allow a much more accurate prediction of developing metabolic disorders than standard guideline-proposed methods, and most recently the discovery of a new monogenic form of obesity that was previously undetectable with standard diagnostics. She also coordinates the Leipzig-Dresden site SaxoChiLD of the new German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ).

HI-MAG press release of 27 July 2023

 

  • Obesity research in Leipzig

    Researching the mechanisms and treatment of obesity has been a focus of university research in Leipzig for many years. There is a diverse research landscape dedicated to the prevention and treatment of the disease. Obesity research in Leipzig encompasses a wide range of topics, including genetic associations, metabolic disorders, mechanisms of fat accumulation, the role of the brain in eating, and therapeutic interventions for losing and maintaining weight.

    The Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) is a joint institution of Helmholtz Munich with Leipzig University’s Faculty of Medicine and Leipzig University Hospital. The institute investigates the molecular basis of morbid obesity in order to enable precise therapies for obesity and its secondary diseases by means of a clinical and translational research approach.