Interfaces and Interventions in Complex Chronic Conditions

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Matthias Ebert
• Subject Area: Gastroenterology
• Term: from 2018 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 413262200

Recent progress in medicine has led to improved quality of life and life expectancy. Despite this success several challenges remain, including the translation of knowledge in biology and pathogenesis of disease into clinical care and the care of patients with complex chronic conditions. Two years ago the Medical Faculty Mannheim decided to establish a Clinician Scientist Programme that specifically addresses translational medicine and extends the existing educational and training programmes in the translational research track of the Faculty. The present Translational Physician Scientist (TraPS) Programme includes an individual research project with either a clinical trial project (Track A) or a basic or translational research project (Track B). In addition, an educational and training programme provides basics in clinical trial design and conduct, as well as in the basic concepts and tools of translational research. With the present programme of the DFG we intend to further develop our translational programme to a new Clinician Scientist programme that addresses the specific challenges of science, research and clinical care of patients with complex chronic conditions. Complex chronic conditions present a serious and increasing health care problem, inasmuch as the present traditional single-disease based approach in science, research and medicine hampers the development of new concepts for comprehensive understanding and interdisciplinary care of this increasing patient population. Therefore, the new IICCC programme will also include a research project as outlined above, which, however, will also address the specific challenges of complex chronic conditions, including their interfaces and new interventions in this patient population. In addition, the existing curriculum will contain additional lines of education and training, such as digital health, data integration and the clinical care of these diseases. Within the new IICCC programme the Clinician Scientists will also be affiliated with the existing research consortia and will attend the special training programmes of these consortia. With regard to the clinical training in this 3 year programme, Clinician Scientists will be required to perform mandatory clinical rotations into other departments and disciplines which have interfaces with their own discipline, in order to further foster interdisciplinary care and understanding of these conditions. Each candidate will be supported by 2 mentors and the programme will undergo regular evaluation. With our new programme we aim to provide a sustainable basis for an academic career in translational medicine of complex chronic conditions, which will also lead to improved care of this ever growing patient population. Further programmes to provide support for Advanced Clinician Scientists will be developed.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Hellmut G. Augustin; Professor Dr. Thomas Ganslandt; Professor Dr. Sergij Goerdt; Professor Dr. Hans-Peter Hammes; Professor Dr. Wolf-Karsten Hofmann; Privatdozentin Dr. Eva Neumaier Probst; Professor Dr. Michael Platten; Professor Dr. Christoph Reißfelder; Professor Dr. Christian Schmahl; Professor Dr. Frederik Wenz