TRA Life and Health

Source: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/research-profile/transdisciplinary-research-areas/tra-3-life-and-health Parent: https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/research-profile

The TRA Life and Health provides a space for deepening our understanding of life across theoretical boundaries - studying everything from the tiniest molecules to the interaction of different organisms within ecosystems. Researchers from the fields of medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics and computer science are together studying - amongst others - organoids to better understand specific diseases or deploying artificial intelligence as a tool for neuroscience.

Research

More about our research profile, topics and TRA projects.

Research1

About us

Find out more about our objectives, members and TRA organization.

About us2

Offers

Find out more about research support and events organized by the TRA Life and Health.

Offers3

Technologies

Find an overview on infrastructure, facilities und technologies used in the TRA Life and Health's research area

Technologies4

News from the TRA

Notifications

Immune cells remember their location5

A new AI-based method reconstructs spatial information about where immune cells were originally located in an organ, even after these cells have been removed from the tissue and analyzed individually. To accomplish this, Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn use the transcriptome, i.e., the entirety of all messenger RNA transcripts produced by genes within a cell at a given time. The work has now been published in the journal Advanced Science and introduces the new MERLIN algorithm.

Mar 02, 2026 5

Mitochondria influence lipid storage in cells6

The powerhouse of the cells – known as mitochondria – appear to be able to influence the number of lipid droplets in the cell. A mechanism that is actually intended for a completely different purpose plays a central role in this. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn and the University of Freiburg. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

Feb 26, 2026 6

New findings on infection with the Epstein-Barr virus7

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight EBV. To do this, they evaluated genome sequencing data, which is actually intended for characterizing the human genome, in a new way. Using the new technique, they were able to estimate the amount of EBV in the blood and find correlations in large health data sets – for example, an increased viral load in people with HIV infections, but also in smokers. There were also indications of new genes that play key roles in EBV immunity. Their findings have now been published in the renowned journal Nature.

Feb 19, 2026 7

Novel precision strategy in cancer treatment receives EIC Pathfinder grant8

A groundbreaking approach that targets the degradation of membrane proteins in cancer cells has received funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder program. The goal: To target previously "undruggable" cancer-related proteins by selectively degrading them and potentially offering a new way to overcome resistance to current cancer therapies.

Feb 09, 2026 8

View all9

Highlights and Announcements

[### Transdisciplinary wins!

Award-winning TRA Life and Health projects

Meet our community!

Get Involved in the TRA

As a member of the TRA, you can access funding opportunities, take part in events and build new networks.

Become a member!

TRA members benefit from regular sponsorship offers and opportunities for networking beyond the boundaries of the specialist field. We look forward to meeting you!

Membership application14

Who are our members and what are their research topics?

Our members are professors and group leaders of the University of Bonn and cooperating Bonn institutions from medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics, computer science and other fields.

Find members15

Meet our Researchers

Inter- and transdisciplinary research actively pursued at the University of Bonn and is promoted across faculty boundaries. The faces of TRA Life and Health are our Hertz Chair, our Argelander professors and the numerous committed scientists, such as the members of our steering committee.

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Tchumatchenko

Neuroscientist Tatjana Tchumatchenko is the new co-speaker for TRA Life and Health.

Doctoral Student

Theresa Eulgem

As an early-stage scientist, I highly value the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of innovative research emerging from transdisciplinary collaborations.

Prof. Dr. Floris de Lange

Floris de Lange is a new TRA professor and an expert in cognitive computational neuroscience.

Prof. Dr. Dirk Baumjohann

Within TRA Life and Health, Dirk Baumjohann combines basic immunological research with clinical translational issues.

Argelander Professorship for Organoids and Chemical Biology

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Elena Reckzeh

Elena Reckzeh combines chemical biology with organoid research to further develop the area of 'Construction' in TRA Life and Health's research profile.

Jun-Prof. Dr. Marie-Christine Simon

Marie-Christine Simon complements the transdisciplinary research of the microbiome-gut-brain axis and personalized nutrition in the TRA Life and Health.

Doctoral Student

Annalena Liesen

"I joined the TRA Life and Health as a scientific staff representative on the steering committee to experience and promote the exchange between different areas of the life sciences."

Argelander Professorship for Organoid Biology

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz

Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz adds a new area of focus to TRA Life and Health's research profile 'Construction & Deconstruction of Life' with her expertise on lung organoids.

Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach

Dominik Bach establishs a new focus at the interface between neuroscience, psychiatry and computer science in TRA Life and Health.

Contact

Meike Brömer

m.broemer@uni-bonn.de

tra3@uni-bonn.de

+49 228 73 54470

TRA manager | Strategic Development and Quality Assurance Unit

TRA Life and Health

Research

About us

Offers

Technologies

News from the TRA

Notifications

Highlights and Announcements

Get Involved in the TRA

Become a member!

Who are our members and what are their research topics?

Meet our Researchers

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Tchumatchenko

Doctoral Student

Theresa Eulgem

Prof. Dr. Floris de Lange

Prof. Dr. Dirk Baumjohann

Argelander Professorship for Organoids and Chemical Biology

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Elena Reckzeh

Jun-Prof. Dr. Marie-Christine Simon

Doctoral Student

Annalena Liesen

Argelander Professorship for Organoid Biology

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz

Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience

Prof. Dr. Dr. Dominik Bach

Contact

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Transdisciplinary Research Areas

University of Excellence

Research Funding

Links