From Molecules to Systems
© Colourbox

TRA Life and Health

Logo_UBo_TRA_ohne Uni_web.png
© .

The TRA Life and Health provides a space for deepening our understanding of life across theoretical boundaries - studying everything from the tiniest molecules to the interaction of different organisms within ecosystems. Researchers from the fields of medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics and computer science are together studying - amongst others - organoids to better understand specific diseases or deploying artificial intelligence as a tool for neuroscience.

Research 

More about our research profile, topics and TRA projects.

About us

Find out more about our objectives,  members and TRA organization.

Offers

Find out more about research support and events organized by the TRA Life and Health.

 Technologies

Find an overview on infrastructure, facilities und technologies used in the TRA Life and Health's research area

News from the TRA

Notifications

© Collage: Vanessa Hüsch/UKB
Smart Monitoring for People with Epilepsy
The PearNet project is developing special wearables—body-worn electronic devices—that give epilepsy patients advance warning of seizures and monitor and record them when they happen. The brainchild of researchers from the University Hospital Bonn and University of Bonn, it has now secured some €2.7 million in funding over three years via the GO-Bio next program run by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The money will go toward making further preparations for spinning off the project so that its set of wearables can be launched on the biotechnology market.
May 19, 2026
© Image: University Hospital Bonn (UKB) / Aljoscha Haupt
Depression dampens anticipation, not enjoyment
The loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities, which is experienced in everyday life and can be very distressing, is a core symptom of major depression. However, it has remained unclear exactly how anhedonia, also known as a pleasure deficit, manifests itself. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, and the University Hospital Tübingen have found that people with depression do not perceive food as less rewarding when they actually consume it. The differences compared to people without depression emerge during anticipation: how much they want something before they receive it. This reduced desire is also linked to the clinical severity of anhedonia. The study’s findings have now been published in the journal “Cell Reports Medicine.”
May 12, 2026
© Molecular Cardiology (UKB) / Juan Muñoz Manco
Driver of inflammation after mild head injury
Mild brain injuries, such as those often sustained in accidents, sports or violence can lead to persistent memory problems and an increased risk of dementia. However, there are currently no therapies available to treat these consequences. A research team led by the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn has now discovered that the protein ASC – a component of cellular emergency buttons – causes long-lasting inflammation in the brains of mice for up to 21 days after injury. By elucidating the inflammatory mechanisms underlying traumatic brain injury, the research team hopes to identify starting points for future therapeutic strategies. The work published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation lays the foundation for future clinical studies.
May 07, 2026
© Image: Chad Myers, University of Minnesota
Understanding How Genes Interact
How do our genes determine our appearance and our susceptibility to disease? This question is central to biomedical research, and today we can sequence thousands of human genomes to identify these genes. However, genes work in complex networks. In a major transdisciplinary collaboration, an international team of geneticists and bioinformaticians set out to create a so-called genetic interaction (GI) map of a human cell. With significant contributions from the Canadian Donnelly Centre, the University of Minnesota, the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada, the University Hospital Bonn, and the University of Bonn, a first draft has now been published in the journal Cell. This draft currently covers about 2.5 percent of all possible gene pairs. 
Apr 30, 2026

Highlights and Announcements

Get Involved in the TRA

As a member of the TRA, you can access funding opportunities, take part in events and build new networks. 

© Volker Lannert/Uni Bonn

Become a member!

TRA members benefit from regular sponsorship offers and opportunities for networking beyond the boundaries of the specialist field. We look forward to meeting you!

Who are our members and what are their research topics?

Our members are professors and group leaders of the University of Bonn and cooperating Bonn institutions from medicine, life sciences, pharmacy, nutrition research, mathematics, computer science and other fields.

Meet our Researchers

Inter- and transdisciplinary research actively pursued at the University of Bonn and is promoted across faculty boundaries. The faces of TRA Life and Health are our Hertz Chair, our Argelander professors and the numerous committed scientists, such as the members of our steering committee.  

Contact

Avatar Brömer

Meike Brömer

+49 228 73 54470

TRA manager | Strategic Development and Quality Assurance Unit
© Jürgen Hofmann

Read more...

Transdisciplinary Research Areas

Spaces for innovation in research and teaching - these are the six transdisciplinary research areas at the University of Bonn. 

Learn more

University of Excellence

Since summer 2019, we have been one of eleven German Universities of Excellence. Read more about our research profile and our future concept.

Learn more 

Research Funding

Research and Innovation Services at the University of Bonn will support you in all matters relating to your externally funded project.

Learn more