10 years Helios University Hospital Wuppertal

On 8 July 2013, the Helios Clinic in Wuppertal was named a university hospital. Now the long-standing partnership with the renowned Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) is celebrating its tenth anniversary. "For a decade, we have proudly utilised the synergies between medical research, teaching and patient care as an academic hospital," explains Prof Dr Petra Thürmann, Deputy Medical Director at Helios University Hospital Wuppertal (HUKW) and Vice President at Witten/Herdecke University.

The long-standing cooperation between Helios University Hospital Wuppertal and Witten/Herdecke University has created an outstanding platform for medical research and innovation. This collaboration attracts students, doctors and researchers from all over the world who benefit from the opportunity to learn and work in a state-of-the-art medical environment.

Driving medical progress together

"Our partnership has proven to be groundbreaking, as it allows us to combine medical excellence and excellent academic training," explains Thürmann. The close cooperation between Helios University Hospital Wuppertal and Witten/Herdecke University creates a fertile environment for innovation and enables medical progress to be driven forward. "We can look back on many great research projects," adds the scientist, "especially in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic." An international research team, with the participation of HUKW pathologist PD Dr Maximilian Ackermann, revealed key mechanisms of long-Covid scarring and new progression biomarkers. The research group led by PD Dr Nadine Abanador-Kamper, cardiologist at the Elberfeld campus, focused on the question of whether changes in the heart muscle can be found in long-lasting symptoms after a COVID-19 infection.

Prof. Serge C. Thal, MD, Director of the Department of Anaesthesiology, Chief Physician of the Emergency Centre and Chair of Anaesthesiology, led the HelCoVac study. In this study, he is looking at the tolerability and antibody concentration of various coronavirus vaccines, particularly in relation to the timing and sequence.

Creating promising prospects for junior researchers

However, many HUKW scientists have also conducted innovative research independently of coronavirus over the past ten years and will continue to do so: Prof. Friedrich von Rundstedt, MD, Clinic Director of Urology at HUKW and Chair of Urology at UW/H, is currently working on the MOVE study to develop and evaluate app-based instruction videos to promote independent mobilisation in patients following surgical procedures. Prof. Vesna Bjelic-Radisic, Head of the Breast Centre and the Department of Senology at HUKW, is Principal Investigator (PI) for the European Organisation of Research and Treament in Cancer (EORTC) and is currently coordinating four international studies. The EORTC is one of the leading organisations in Europe that promotes international research in the field of cancer.

Prof. Dr Melchior Seyfarth, HUKW site spokesperson in the UW/H's Health faculty leadership, emphasises that the partnership also has promising prospects for young researchers. As part of the cooperation, they receive access to extensive research funding programmes. Budding scientists can benefit from various opportunities to receive financial support for their projects. In addition to the option of accessing university research funding, there is also the opportunity to apply for internal Helios research funding. In addition, young researchers have the opportunity to apply for a "research-free" phase of one year. This allows them to concentrate fully on their research activities and further develop their ideas.

Realisation of diverse and creative research projects

The option of combining specialist training with the acquisition of a PhD title in the PhD degree programme is also particularly attractive. This enables young researchers to deepen their medical training and at the same time gain an outstanding scientific qualification. Prof Dr Christian Prinz, Director of the Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Diabetology at HUKW and Chair at UW/H, affirms: "High-quality medical training forms the foundation for this combination by providing future professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills and critical thinking to work at the cutting edge of science."

"'A hangover for science' sticks in my mind as a particularly charming memory," smiles Thürmann. "Our current Head Physician at the paediatric clinic, Prof. Kai Hensel, who has since worked at the renowned University of Cambridge, developed the concept for the study published in 2019, in which the well-known saying 'beer on wine, let it be - wine on beer, I advise you' was rigorously scientifically investigated." Thürmann appreciates the complex study design and the resulting high-ranking publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "This entertaining study is an example of the diverse and often creative research projects that we realise."

Putting theoretical knowledge into practice

HUKW and UW/H also benefit from the partnership in practical training. One example of this is WUPSTA - the Wuppertal training ward: this urology ward offers an inspiring environment in which dedicated nursing trainees and PJ'ler (doctors in their practical year) work side by side. Here they have the unique opportunity to put their theoretical knowledge into practice and gain valuable experience.

HUKW not only acts as an attractive employer for talented professionals, but also offers Wuppertal residents and patients from the entire Bergisch region a unique opportunity, emphasises Seyfarth: "The close link between the clinic and research enables first-class medical care at the cutting edge of science. Advanced treatment methods and access to clinical studies are of great benefit to patients.

Advancing the future of medical care together

"Another milestone is the integration of HUKW into the Medical Informatics Initiative. This initiative, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is being pursued by all university hospitals and aims to advance digitalisation in the health care system and promote the use of medical informatics and data analysis to improve patient care," explains Thürmann.

"We are proud to be driving the future of medical care together with Witten/Herdecke University," says Dr Holger Raphael, Managing Director of the HUKW Clinic. "The close connection between clinical practice, teaching and research enables us to find innovative solutions to complex medical challenges." Prof Patrick Haage, Medical Director, adds: "This anniversary is a milestone for us and a reason to celebrate!"