The CECAD Translational Platform is led by Prof. Dr. Oliver Cornely, Dr. Ruth Hanssen, and Prof. Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller, who are experts in clinical trial design, age-associated diseases, intervention and prevention studies in obesity and metabolic diseases and bench-to-bedside studies in aging kidney diseases. The CECAD Research Center located in the heart of the Cologne University Hospital campus, strongly supports the collaboration between CECAD basic researchers and clinicians, making Cologne a leading hub for translational research studies in Europe. The infrastructure and services of CECAD Translational Research Platform RP-B consist of:
The CECAD Institute of Translation (CIT) together with the Clinical Trials Center Cologne (CTCC) provide CECAD researchers with the expertise and tools needed to perform observational cohorts, and interventional clinical trials, including the use of human biosamples and registries.
In the CECAD Clinical Study Design Lab, as part of the CIT, 17 professionals support basic researchers and clinician scientists to co-develop translational concepts into clinical studies by offering comprehensive assistance from project design to publication. The lab provides expertise in drug and medical device development, clinical trial setup, and execution, increasing the likelihood of obtaining funding and regulatory approval. This lab works with clinical and academic sites in 95 countries and engages with industry partners. Contact: StudyDesignLab[at]ucgn.de
The CECAD biobank is supported by the UoC’s central biobank and adheres to national and international standards. New pipelines for mass spectrometry and clinical sample analysis enhance the capability to handle complex biosamples efficiently.
RP-B benefits also from strong partnerships with biotech companies, which play a crucial role in advancing clinical studies, improving patient diagnosis, and treatment. These cooperations ensure that our research efforts are aligned with industry standards and – most importantly – patient needs. Finally, the platform benefits from additional nationally and EU funded projects, raised by the platform leaders. Several awarded patents and pending applications stemming from translational projects demonstrate the success of our translational research.