New Collaborative Research Center (SFB) Led by Prof. Achim Kramer Approved
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is celebrating another major success: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the establishment of two new transregional Collaborative Research Centers (Transregio-SFBs) coordinated by the Charité. One of these centers will be led by Prof. Achim Kramer, Principal Investigator at the Einstein Center for Neurosciences and head of the Chronobiology research group at the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine.
Foundations for Circadian Medicine: SFB/Transregio by Charité and the University of Lübeck
The body’s internal clock governs numerous fundamental processes, from alertness and blood pressure to metabolism, the immune system, and brain function. This circadian rhythm must be regularly synchronized with the actual length of the day, for example through exposure to light. In modern life, however, this synchronization is often disrupted – by shift work or irregular sleep, for example – and can lead to health problems such as sleep disorders, cancer, mental and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.
In the new Collaborative Research Center led by Prof. Achim Kramer, researchers will investigate how disturbances in circadian rhythms contribute to the onset and progression of various diseases, such as inflammations, metabolic disorders, or mental illnesses. The consortium brings together experts in chronobiology, immunology, metabolic medicine, psychology, and medical informatics from Charité and the University of Lübeck.
The goal is to develop new, practical methods for assessing the individual state of the internal clock, thereby simplifying diagnostics. In addition, innovative approaches will be explored to restore disturbed rhythms, for example, through targeted light therapy in intensive care units to reduce confusion. The project also focuses on timing medication and vaccinations to biological rhythms in order to enhance effectiveness and minimize side effects.
Funding and Duration
The Collaborative Research Center is funded by the DFG with approximately 11 million euros and will begin on 1 October 2025 for a period of 3 years and 9 months.
Background:
DFG Collaborative Research Centers
Collaborative Research Centers (SFB) enable the pursuit of innovative, long-term research projects in a scientific network. A Collaborative Research Center/Transregio (TRR) is jointly proposed by two or three universities. Funding is awarded exclusively to projects with outstanding scientific quality and originality at an internationally competitive level.
Source: Press release Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
DFG press release:
https://www.dfg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilungen/2025/pressemitteilung-nr-11