UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM AACHEN

Their core work

Universitätsklinikum Aachen (UKA) is one of Germany's major university hospitals, combining clinical care with translational biomedical research. Their H2020 portfolio centers on computational neuroscience (as part of the Human Brain Project), medical imaging (PET/MRI, quantitative MRI), cardiovascular and renal disease mechanisms, and liver disease biomarkers. They bridge the gap between clinical medicine and computational modeling — applying systems biology, omics, and in silico approaches to improve diagnostics and personalized treatment strategies across multiple disease areas.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014–2018), UKA's work was heavily anchored in computational neuroscience through the Human Brain Project (brain simulation, neuroinformatics, neuromorphic computing) and cancer-focused medical imaging (PET/MRI, molecular imaging). From 2019 onward, the focus shifted markedly toward omics-driven disease research — particularly liver disease (NAFLD, NASH), rare diseases, and personalized medicine — alongside a growing investment in digital health infrastructure (EHR systems, healthcare robotics, standardization). The neuroscience thread continued but was no longer the dominant theme, replaced by a broader translational medicine portfolio.

UKA is moving from computational infrastructure projects toward data-driven clinical applications — expect future work in multi-omics diagnostics, digital health platforms, and AI-assisted personalized treatment.

How they like to work

UKA operates primarily as an active consortium partner (33 of 44 projects), but takes the coordinator role selectively — typically for focused clinical or translational projects like CureCKDHeart, CaReSyAn, and THALEA II where their clinical expertise is central. With 567 unique partners across 39 countries, they are a highly connected hub in European biomedical research, comfortable in both large flagship consortia (Human Brain Project) and mid-sized disease-specific networks. Their breadth of partnerships suggests they are sought after for their clinical validation capabilities and patient access.

UKA has collaborated with 567 unique partners across 39 countries, making them one of the more extensively networked university hospitals in H2020. Their reach spans all of Europe with connections extending globally, reflecting participation in large-scale flagship and IMI-style consortia.

What sets them apart

UKA combines a working hospital environment with deep computational and systems biology expertise — a rare combination that allows them to take research from molecular modeling all the way to clinical validation under one roof. Their dual strength in medical imaging hardware (PET/MRI) and omics-based biomarker discovery makes them particularly valuable for projects that need both diagnostic technology development and clinical trial infrastructure. For consortium builders, UKA offers what few partners can: direct access to patient cohorts, imaging facilities, and computational modeling teams simultaneously.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HYPMED
  Largest single grant (EUR 1.97M) — developing hybrid PET/MRI technology for breast cancer diagnosis, showcasing UKA's strength in advanced medical imaging.
• CureCKDHeart
  Coordinated ERC-funded project (EUR 1.5M) on cardiac fibrosis in chronic kidney disease — represents their cardiorenal research leadership.
• Smart4Health
  EUR 1.5M contribution to building citizen-centered electronic health records across EU — signals their growing digital health ambitions.