Logo Fepro-ulm

FePro-Ulm

Interdisciplinary junior research centre for fertility protection

 

Reproductive medicine is a relatively young but constantly growing field of medicine that affects not only individuals but our entire society. Fertility protection is particularly important for oncological patients before cytotoxic therapies, for endometriosis, for transgender people and for healthy young women who want to postpone their family planning to a later stage of life ("social freezing").

The Junior Research Centre for Fertility Protection (FePro-Ulm) is one of five new BMBF-funded interdisciplinary centres for reproductive health that were selected in a competitive process involving an international panel of experts. It is harmoniously embedded in the successfully established research and clinical structures of Ulm University Hospital.

    Overall coordination

    The overall coordination is carried out by Prof. Dr Katharina Hancke and PD Dr Dr Karin Bundschu via the UniFee Fertility Centre of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Medical Director: Prof. Dr Wolfgang Janni) at Ulm University Hospital, which has been successful for many years and is constantly growing.

     

    Profilbild von Prof. Dr. Katharina Hancke

    Prof. Dr. Katharina Hancke

    Stv. Klinikdirektorin | Leiterin UniFee

    Kontakt Details
    Profilbild von PD Dr. Dr. Karin Bundschu

    PD Dr. Dr. Karin Bundschu

    Fachärztin | Leiterin Forschungslabor Fertilitätsmedizin

    Kontakt

    Our interdisciplinary concept

    In a unique, interdisciplinary framework, we will take a close look at this important and exciting research topic in women, men, children and transgender people from molecular, pathophysiological, (epi-)genetic,
    ethical and psychosomatic aspects.

    This will be achieved through close cooperation between the individual project managers from the following departments:

    Project managers

    Illustration with portrait pictures of the FePro-Ulm project management

    Five sub-projects

    In five sub-projects (work project, WP 1-5 for short), the topic of fertility protection is analysed from different perspectives.

    Illustration of the overall project management FePro-Ulm

    AP 1 One working group will focus on fertility preservation in women and prepubertal girls. Investigations into various fertility restrictions and molecular biological examinations of cryopreserved ovarian tissue should lead to improvements in the methods and range of fertility protection.

    Fertility protection for women and girls

    AP 2 Another working group is focussing on fertility preservation in men. One of the research focuses here is on the significance of tumour- and therapy-associated changes in DNA integrity and DNA methylation for fertility in male patients as well as the determination of the diagnostic value of cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumour cells (CTCs). The focus is on oncological diseases that typically manifest in adolescence and young adulthood, in particular haematological neoplasms such as lymphomas, germ cell tumours and sarcomas.

    Fertility protection in men

    AP 3 The ethical sub-project is an accompanying research project on ethical, legal, social and cultural issues in connection with fertility protection for different social groups. As part of the project, a special focus is placed on the monitoring and normative evaluation of modern fertility protection technologies.

    Ethical aspects of fertility protection

    AP 4 A further sub-project will focus on the psychosomatic aspects of the various groups of people affected, looking at children, women, men and transgender people and examining the changes in relation to partnership, family situation and sexuality. The aim is to identify the individual needs of these patients and their partners/families and subsequently develop preventative and helpful interventions.

    Psychosomatic aspects of fertility protection

    AP 5 In addition to the scientific background, the important topic of fertility protection is to be publicised by involving referring physicians and patient representatives from various areas. The aim is to make the available services accessible to as many affected people in our healthcare structure as possible in good time.

    Networking, prevention and public relations work for fertility protection
    FePro-Ulm project structure

     

     

    FePro-Ulm organisation chart

    Training and support programmes

    We also attach particular importance to the personal, substantive and methodological training and development of all our employees. All scientists are involved in an interdisciplinary and well-structured mentoring and training programme (CS/MS Scientist Programme) to promote their research progress, personal development, networking and career development. As tandem partners, medical/clinician scientists learn scientific and clinical content from each other and thus work on and advance research topics together in a translational manner.

    Further information on the training and support programmes:

    This new junior research centre is also ideally supported by the extensive oncological expertise and networking at Ulm University Hospital within the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU), the National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT), the Centre for Personalised Medicine (ZPM), the Centre for Rare Diseases (ZSE) and the German Centre for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ).

    Latest news

    • Press release - Promoting reproductive health research

    Promoting reproductive health research | Ulm University Hospital