Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) AdiposityDiseases
The IFB team researches and treats obesity (adiposity) and its secondary diseases in children, adolescents, and adults.
Structure
The IFB AdiposityDiseases is a joint centre of the Medical Faculty of the University Leipzig, the University Hospital Leipzig and the University of Dresden. It is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The IFB cooperates with many hospitals and institutes of the University Hospital and the University.
It is a centre that combines the research and treatment of a socially relevant disease. In Leipzig the focus is on obesity (adiposity) and its associated diseases such as type II diabetes, arteriosclerosis, fat tissue disorders, and fatty liver. Because of the tight interconnectedness of basic and patient-focused research, new prevention and treatment options will develop over the coming years that are more effective than the current ones. The IFB benefits from regional and federal cooperations with medical and research institutions.
Organization
The IFB AdiposityDiseases is independent from any clinics and institutes and holds an own administration and organisation structure. An elected board of directors leads business operations. The board of directors consists of the managing director and the scientific director.
Unique multiplicity of adiposity research in Germany
The IFB AdiposityDiseases is the only centre in Germany that investigates and treats obesity to the extend represented in Leipzig. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting the IFB for five years and the support will be granted for a further five years (2015-2020). The IFB AdiposityDiseases is relying on the medical and scientific expertise in the field of metabolic diseases that has been established for years.
Presently about 140 staff members work at the IFB.
Research fields
The IFB AdiposityDiseases concentrates its scientific studies in the six research fields: hormones, genetics, childhood obesity, bariatric surgery, neuroimaging and psychosocial aspects of obesity. The IFB-scientists also benefit from cooperating within and across the research fields.
Dr. med. Susann Blüher is a paediatrician and has a subspecialisation in pediatric endocrinology. She has been leading a junior research group (JRG) Preventive Medicine within the IFB since 2010.
The main goal of this JRG is to establish and to evaluate innovative strategies for prevention of childhood and adolescent obesity as well as therapy concepts for childhood obesity and associated sequalae. Prevention measures are particularly important since many children and adolescents are overweight. About 80 percent remain too heavy as adults. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is already high in children and adolescents, and especially in youths the prevalence rates are still rising. Significant metabolic and cardiovascular and associated diseases can frequently be found already in these young age groups.
Therefore, prevention should start as early as possible. Additionally the transmission from adolescence to adulthood is a critical period for the development of obesity. Therefore, youths are a special target group for interventions.
