Center for Cardiovascular Medicine Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CCM ABCD)

Research

Clinical and experimental research

Center for Cardiovascular Medicine of the Heart Centers Aachen, Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf - CCM ABCD

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Western Europe. Although mortality from coronary heart disease and heart attacks has been halved in the last 25 years, more than 300,000 people in Germany still die from these diseases every year. North Rhine-Westphalia ranks first for ischaemic heart disease, second for cardiac arrhythmias and third for heart failure in a comparison of the federal states in terms of disease and age-standardized hospitalization figures, adjusted for the number of inhabitants (German Heart Report 2022).

The heart centers of the four university hospitals have been working closely together clinically and scientifically for years, not only in the context of further education and training, but also within joint basic science and clinical programs such as the two DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centers TRR 219 and TRR 259. The aim of the CCM ABCD is to jointly develop basic and clinical research activities and to enable clinical excellence in training and patient care across the four locations. All this with the aim of improving patient care and increasing the visibility of cardiovascular research.

Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Marx, Director of the Clinic for Cardiology, Angiology, and Internal Intensive Care Medicine (Med. Clinic I), University Hospital Aachen

Today, research can only be internationally competitive if it is multi-centered. This is precisely why we founded the CCM.
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus MarxDirector of the Clinic for Cardiology, Angiology, and Internal Intensive Care Medicine (Med. Clinic I), University Hospital Aachen More about the network

Prof. Dr. Georg Nickenig, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic II, Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn

In the past, a study publication often consisted of five authors from a single location. Today, it is quite normal for more than 20 authors from different institutions to be involved in a study.
Prof. Dr. Georg NickenigDirector of the Clinic and Polyclinic II, Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn More about the network

Prof. Dr. Farhad Bakhtiary, Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac Surgery, Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn

This is the only way we can take research to a new level and, of course, make it more visible.
Prof. Dr. Farhad BakhtiaryDirector of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Cardiac Surgery, Heart Center of the University Hospital Bonn More about the network

Prof. Dr. Stephan Baldus, Spokesman of the network, Director of Clinic III for Internal Medicine - General and Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Angiology, Pneumology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Cologne

Ultimately, the pooling of our research capacities should enable us to treat heart disease better and give our patients a longer life expectancy and a higher quality of life.
Prof. Dr. Stephan BaldusSpokesman of the network, Director of Clinic III for Internal Medicine - General and Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Angiology, Pneumology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Cologne More about the network

Prof. Dr. Lenard Conradi, Director of the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Cologne

We want to move closer together in the areas of teaching, science and patient care and together become a powerful network of leading university institutions.
Prof. Dr. Lenard ConradiDirector of the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Cologne More about the network

Prof. Dr. Malte Kelm, Director of the Clinic for Cardiology, Pulmonology & Angiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf

With the CCM, we will develop innovative concepts for the education and training of students, doctors, nurses and researchers and set uniformly high standards in the education and promotion of our young medical and scientific talent.
Prof. Dr. Malte KelmDirector of the Clinic for Cardiology, Pulmonology & Angiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf More about the network

Prof. Dr. Artur Lichtenberg, Director of the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf

An important cornerstone of optimized training and development will be the rotation of employees across the four locations.
Prof. Dr. Artur LichtenbergDirector of the Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf More about the network