Institute of Epidemiology (EPI)

The Institute of Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health is mainly located at Neuherberg. The director of the Institute of Epidemiology simultaneously holds the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. This University Department has its facilities at the Helmholtz Zentrum München in Neuherberg as well. Both institutes function as one academic unit and are headed by:

H.-Erich Wichmann, MD, PhD

Ingolstädter Landstraße 1
D-85764 Neuherberg

Phone:  +49-(0)89-3187-4066
Fax:  +49-(0)89-3187-4499
Email:  wichmann@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Curriculum vitae Prof. Dr. Dr. H.-Erich Wichmann

The institute consists of about 40 scientists and 40 technical assistants. In addition, every year about six students in diploma and PhD programs join the institute. Two thirds of the personnel is financed through external grants, which are provided by state ministries, federal institutions, the European Union and grant giving institutions in the United States of America.

Members of the institute participate actively in national and international committees, and are consultants at boards and to the general public.

Each year, the institute’s work and results are published in about 80 scientific journal articles, and in about 120 reports and abstracts.


Objectives

The institute’s main objective is to examine the role of environmental influences and genetic predisposition on human health by using epidemiological methods.

The institute is organised in five research units:

• Environmental Epidemiology
• Epidemiology of Air Pollution Health Effects
• Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases
• Genetic Epidemiology
• Epidemiology – Biological Samples – Genomics

Detailed descriptions of the objectives can be found on the pages of the units.

The institute runs several cohort studies with adult, school children and new-born study populations, as well as time series analyses, case control studies and family studies.

Another goal is to provide infrastructure for epidemiological research. As a resource for future studies a collection of serum, plasma, DNA and an archive of EBV immortalised B-Lymphocytes is being established.

International co-operation and qualification of our members is highly emphasised in this institute, there are co-operations with about 70 scientific institutes and universities in Germany and abroad. We would like to point to the co-operation with the Harvard School of Public Health (MPH-training of institute members, exchange of scientists) and with the US-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Chapel Hill.