Bringing Science to the Public: Successful Start of CECAD Event Series at the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung

It was a great pleasure for us to welcome so many interested attendees to our lecture “Understanding Obesity: From Brain Control to Cure?”.

Following opening remarks by Prof. Carien Niessen, Vice Rector of Research at the University of Cologne and former spokesperson for the CECAD Cluster of Excellence, Prof. Jens Brüning from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research provided fascinating insights into the current state of research on the neurobiological causes of obesity and diabetes. This was followed by a presentation by Prof. Blüher from the University of Leipzig on clinical obesity research.

The presentations, which lasted about an hour, were followed by a lively discussion with the audience. This continued during the subsequent get-together with the speakers in the beautiful setting of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation’s foyer, accompanied by perfect spring weather. 

This event marked the kickoff of the CECAD (Cologne Excellence Cluster on Aging and Aging-Associated Diseases) event series on the topic “Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Society – Future Tasks and Perspectives for (Bio-)Medical Research” in cooperation with the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. The next event will take place on September 9, 2026.