Engineering transformative healthcare

The health of society poses a wide range of challenges to science that we address from a holistic perspective in our key research priority “Engineering transformative healthcare”. Why do we become ill, and how can we prevent or diagnose illness at an early stage and slow its progression as a result? Innovations in imaging and other diagnostic tools have an important role to play, not to forget the possibilities AI offers us to stay one step ahead of illnesses. At the same time, it is important to develop technologies that facilitate prevention, recovery or life-long support, across the entire globe. Finally, we strive to develop revolutionary treatment approaches to gain a grip on illnesses that are currently considered scourges of humanity, from cancer to cardiovascular illness or autoimmune diseases to new viruses. That apart, we also focus on diseases that may be rare but are all the more difficult to treat.