News

The first year of the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria has been a successful one for FAU: the first professors have already started their research into artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine in the newly established department, and Prof. Dr. Björn Eskofier has been appointed the head of the department. FAU ran an internal competition to place the 54 professorships allocated to the University via the HTA where planned research projects were most likely to make the best contribution to meeting the objectives of the HTA.

Researchers at FAU, the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and other institutions in Paris, Hamburg and Basel, have succeeded in setting a new record in X-ray microscopy. With improved diffractive lenses and more precise sample positioning, they were able to achieve spatial resolution in the single-digit nanometre scale.

We are looking for funny, absurd and unforgettable anecdotes from your time as a doctoral candidate for the next issue of the FAU research magazine friedrich. Get in touch with us using the form below, anonymously if you prefer.

Many older people suffer from isolation or loneliness. Several studies have proven that good social contacts and relationships make a decisive contribution to improving health, health behaviour and increased activity. In a new research project, FAU researchers will investigate how to promote social participation and thus also health and well-being in old age. The project is being funded with over 395,000 euros.

Prof. Dr. Ing. Siegfried Russwurm will assume his position as president of the BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie – Federation of German Industries) in January 2021. Russwurm has had close links with FAU for several years.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved three new Collaborative Research Centres/Transregios (CRC/TRR) at FAU. The topics are quantum cooperation, research into metastases formation and new catalysts.

Covid-19 does not only spread via the respiratory tract, it can also affect other organs. Often, the gastrointestinal tract is affected. A team led by Prof. Dr. Christoph Becker and a team from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin have discovered that there is a particularly high density of coronavirus docking sites in the gut epithelium.

Researchers from Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and LMU Klinikum Munich investigated the distribution of aerosols while musicians played the trumpet, flute and clarinet. The results indicate that the distance either side of players in an orchestra could be reduced to below what is currently recommended.

Prof. Dr. Christian Bogdan und Prof. Dr. Klaus Überla are members of the Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute. In their position as members of the STIKO, the two researchers from Erlangen are involved in drawing up a Covid-19 vaccination strategy for Germany. It may even be finalised this year.

This year, six FAU researchers are among the most highly cited researchers in their field. The Highly Cited Researchers List names almost 6200 of the most influential researchers across the globe in 21 different disciplines.