2026
How can medical device approval be achieved in a complex regulatory environment?
This central question was addressed as part of the EKFZ Academy workshop “Medical Devices – Quality and Regulatory Overview”, led by Dr. Sabine Hauck.
Else Kröner Professorship for Translational Ophthalmology
Dr. Christian van Oterendorp will assume the Else Kröner Professorship for Translational Ophthalmology on May 1, 2026, at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Göttingen.
“Science goes City”
On April 19, 2026, science came directly to interested visitors. Under the motto “Science goes City”, Göttingen’s city center turned into a huge hands-on experience zone for joining in, trying things out, and marveling.
From 12 to 6 PM, over 60 activities, diverse experiments, and fascinating insights into current research were presented. Whether strolling through the pedestrian zone or visiting your favorite shops: exciting stations are waiting to be discovered everywhere.
Science Festival 2026 at the new Community Center
January 28–29, 2026 at the Community Center of the XLAB Foundation, Göttingen
This year’s Science Festival took place at the new XLAB Foundation community center. To mark the opening of the center, outstanding scientists were invited to share insights into their research—ranging from contemporary European history and super-resolution microscopy to hearing research, astrophysics, and RNA viruses. Speakers also included Prof. Tobias Moser, Director of the Institute for Auditory Neuroscience. He showed how astonishingly precise hearing is organized physically and biologically, and where it typically “breaks down.” Hair cells convert the tiniest mechanical vibrations into electrical signals, and the downstream synapses act as high-performance transmitters with extremely precise timing. This mechanism also reveals targets for therapies, ranging from molecular repair and gene therapy to improved cochlear implants. A particularly forward-looking approach is the “optical cochlear implant” with optogenetic stimulation, which promises more precise activation of the auditory nerve than traditional electrical stimulation.
Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
Genetically Modified Common Marmosets as a Model for Human Deafness
Why are some people unable to hear from birth—even though their inner ear appears to be intact? One possible cause lies in the so-called OTOF gene. It plays a central role in transmitting sound signals from the hair cells to the auditory nerve. If this function is missing, acoustic information does not reach the brain. Researchers from the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, together with University Medical Center Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, have now generated common marmosets in which this gene was specifically knocked out for the first time. The animals are healthy and develop normally, but are deaf from birth. This provides the first primate model that realistically represents key forms of human deafness (Nature Communications).
Copyright: DPZ/Katharina Diederich
Patient Action Day at UMG on age-related macular degeneration
Text becomes distorted and crooked, letters disappear, faces are no longer recognized, and even the best glasses no longer help. According to the Professional Association of Ophthalmologists in Germany (BVA), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects more than seven million people in Germany and, at 50%, is the most common cause of severe visual impairment, which can also lead to blindness.
1st Patient Action Day on age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Lecture Hall 552 and East Hall, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075 Göttingen
How new therapies save our hearing
Around 16 million people in Germany no longer hear well—and the trend is rising. The good news: hearing technology is becoming ever more sophisticated. A new implant uses light signals to achieve what was previously impossible.
German Society for Biomedical Engineering (DGBMT) TECH TALK series: Neurotechnologies for the future of medicine
The DGBMT TECH TALK series “Applications of neurotechnology: From nerve monitoring to nerve stimulation” provides a concise overview of clinical applications, technical solutions, and current innovation dynamics in neurotechnology and neuroprosthetics.
Applications of neurotechnology from a clinical perspective: From nerve monitoring to nerve stimulation
The focus is on benefits for patients and guideline-based therapy that is intended to replace existing approaches. All information should be supported by case numbers. The topic area is introduced and placed in the context of the regulatory and economic framework conditions in Germany.
Speakers
Prof. Dr. med. Steffen Rosahl, Neurosurgery, Helios Klinikum Erfurt
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stieglitz, IMTEK, University of Freiburg
Neurotech in Germany: How to combine innovation and responsibility?
Thomas Stieglitz is contributing to the VDI Initiative “Zukunft Deutschland 2050” in the field of Neurotech and AI as part of “Zukunft Medizintechnik 2050” and shares his thoughts on this topic jointly with others in this campaign.
Scientific Advice by PEI and CHMP
What is scientific advice, how is it done and what is expected from the applicant?
These relevant questions were addressed during last week’s EKFZ Academy workshop. Dr. Jens Reinhardt, a regulatory scientist at Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) and member of the Scientific Advice Working Party of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), presented the advice possibilities given by the upper regulatory agencies in Germany and the Scientific Advice Working Party at EMA.
From Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
In November and December, the EKFZ Academy hosted two workshops dealing with the regulations and guidelines for the safe, effective, and high-quality manufacture and testing of medicinal products.
Dr. Sabine Hauck addressed the GMP standards for the manufacture of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) and guided the audience through the requirements for GMP documentation. Based on her broad expertise in the life science industry, she also provided valuable insights into the interaction with contract manufacturers and highlighted the interface to GCP.
Young scientist researches restoration of vision
Dr. Patrick Jendritza from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA, has been awarded a “Junior Fellow Position” at the Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Optogenetic Therapies (EKFZ-OT) at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). Since January 1, 2026, the young scientist has been heading the “Visual Circuits” research group, which focuses on the development of light-controlled brain-computer interfaces for restoring vision. The research group, based at the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (DPZ), is being funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture with a total of around 480,000 euros for an initial period of three years and three months.
