News

11/2024 New research on instrumentes insoles, a newer type of wearable device

In my lab at Saarland University, we have recently conducted several studies on the use of instrumented insoles in healthy people and patients with injuries during recovery. These shoe insoles with sensors are a newer type of wearable device that allows to monitor movement in daily life, similar to smart watches, just measuring different parameters. Our newest research outputs are

08/2024 Podcast for medical students (in German)

Leo and Nils have interviewed me for their podcast “Glans and Gloria”. Topic: What does a space physician do?

05/2024 New papers published

These are our newest papers from Saarland University:

04/2024 Appearance in TV show NANO

3Sat’s science show NANO has shown a documentary on how we use artificial intelligence for live monitoring of gait by smart implants (starts at minute 14):

02/2024 NASA HRP IWS in Galveston, TX, USA

11/2023 Talk at the 43rd SICOT Orthopaedic World Congress in Cairo, Egypt

At the SICOT OWC in Cairo, I gave a talk on our newest smart implant deveopments and a glimps into what is technically feasible. What a great conference and experience!

10/2023 The 38th Annual Orthopaedic Research Meeting of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association

What a great honour to be invited to give two talks at the 38th JOAKISO conference in Tsukuba, Japan. The hospitality of the Japanese colleagues was unprecedented. Thanks a lot, especially Professor Masashi YAMAZAKI, Doctor Yohei YANASIGAWA, and Doctor Tokio KAWAMURA.

09/2023 Parabolic flights

Together with PI Timox Ax of Saarland University and a great international team, I had the honour to participate in the 41st DLR Parabolic Flight campaign with Novespace in Bordeaux, France.

Credit: Novespace

08/2023 Launch of ISS experiment ‘Muscle Stimulation’

We have enrolled the first astronaut. Find details on the NASA experiment website. ESA has published a video on it:

06/2023 Upcoming lectures and talks at conferences

06/2023 Podcast OTC Digital: Surgery to Spaceflight – planning an individual career

Podcast for orthopedic residents:

05/2023 Radio interview on astronauts

In German radio station ‘Deutschlandradio Nova’, I gave a radio interview to discuss astronaut selection issues. Find the show HERE (starts at 5:48 min)!

03/2023 Talk at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane

Thanks to Dr. Markus Laubach for inviting me to give a talk at QUT!

02/2023 Children’s university lecture

In the lecture series of Saarland University for children between 8 and 12 years I gave a lecture about how astronauts stay fit in space:

02/2023 Several new papers published

Among other, we’ve published a review paper on how to monitor fracture healing of the lower leg using gait analysis in the journal Bioengineering [IF 5.046], and an original article on gait analysis via pressure insoles in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology [IF 6.064].

01/2023 Two new research grants approved

The new year started with the successful acquisition of two new research grants. One is DLR (German Aerospace Center) funding for my part of the ISS research project Muscle Stimulation. The other is a DFG (German Research Foundation) Major Research Instrumentation grant for a new 6-degree test stand. Exciting times!

12/2022 OT Digital in Berlin

I gave an invited talk and chaired a session at the OT Digital Conference in Berlin on December 3rd, 2022. The conference was on the digital transformation in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology.

11/2022 Papers published on performance in figure skating in collaboration with Zürich University Hospital

Two papers have appeared in collabration with former World-class figure skater and consultant orthopaedic trauma surgeon Dr. Thomas Rauer:

10/2022 SICOT Kuala Lumpur

The SICOT Orthopaedic World Congress in Kuala Lumpur was one of the best conferences I have ever been to. Met a lot of old and new colleagues and friends :).

09/2022 TV appearance in 3Sat

The German TV channel 3Sat showed an interview with me in a documentary on the Saarland (start at 16:58 min).

09/2022 Conference talks

Now that the Covid situation is better, on-site conferences are back. My recent talks are:

07/2022: Press release and media attention for robotic implants

Saarland University has published a press release on our recent successes in developing a robotic implant to improve bone fracture healing. Articles appeared, among others, in BILD-Zeitung, Heise, Doccheck, IdW, EurekAlert and Medical Xpress

06/2022: Review paper published on joint cartilage in long-duration spaceflight

The first paper from our ESA project in Antarctica was published in the journal Biomedicines [IF 4.757]. Find details HERE.

04/2022: Review paper on active implants accepted in Acta Biomaterialia

We’ve had a review paper accepted in Acta Biomaterialia [IF 10.633] that deals with concepts and clinical aspects of active implants for bone fracture treatment.

04/2022: Saarland TV (SR) showed our work

Find the 5 min. TV portrait titled “Fit on the ISS” HERE. In addition, I gave THIS live interview on Matthias Maurer’s return from space in an evening TV show. There was also another radio interview on space medicine (starting at minute 25:15).

03/2022: Radio interview

German radio channel Deutschlandfunk Nova has aired THIS interview with me on what 340 days of weightlessness do to the human body.

02/2022: ZDF-Mittagsmagazin

A portrait on me was shown in the German ZDF lunch show ‘ZDF-Mittagsmagazin’ (starts at 42:12 min.).

01/2022: More TV appearances and talks

German TV show NANO showed our lab. (starts at 2:15 min.). I gave this talk at an ISS live event with German astronaut Matthias Maurer at Saarland University (starts at minute 43).

12/2021: Recent media attention

Because of the spaceflight of German astronaut Matthias Maurer, the German media has contacted me for several interviews: Süddeutsche Zeitung, ZDF Heute, GEO, Stern, Spiegel, die Zeit, Welt, BILD-Zeitung, N-TV, Forschung & Lehre. This is another radio interview in German: “Ab ins All: Weltraumflug als Lottogewinn”, Deutschlandfunk Nova on 25.11.2021 (starts at 25:45 min).

11/2021: New research project with ESA in Antarctica

The European Space Agency has informed us on our success in proposing a research project to study muscle and cartilage physiology in over-winterers at Concordia Station in Antarctica. I am the PI of an international and interdisciplinary team of scientsts from Italy (Triest University), the UK (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Germany (TU Darmstadt and Saarland University). We look forward to this exciting adventure!

10/2021: Launch party of astronaut Matthias Maurer

I was invited to present our research at the launch party of German astronaut Matthias Maurer in Oberthal. Details HERE and HERE.

10/2021: Radio interview

German radio station “Deutschlandfunk Nova” broadcasted a live interview with me on the spaceflight of 90-year old William Shatner, a.k.a. Captain James T Kirk of Star Trek (at 1:25 min. into the program).

09/2021: Physicsworld review on The Spacefarer’s Handbook

A review on our recent Spacefarer’s Handbook was published by physicsworld.

08/2021: Media articles on our latest paper

The website Market Research Telecast has published an article on our latest AI paper. There is also an article in German on the FOCUS website.

07/2021: Machine learning manuscript published by GeroScience

The journal GeroScience [IF 7.713] has published our newest paper that deals with the prediction of individual age-related performance decline trajectories by machine learning.

06/2021: Invited talk at the Finnish Satellite Workshop 2021

I feel honoured to be invited to give a talk at the Finnish Satellite Workshop 2021 in Helsinki, Finland. Title of the talk and link to the abstract: “Health issues in connection to spaceflight“.

05/2021: Book review and interview by ‘Popular Science’

Thanks a lot to the ‘Popular Science’-team for publishing this wonderful book review and an interview with my brother an me!

04/2021: Several interviews and news mentions

My start as a professor triggered several outreach items, including (all in German) a news article of the Saarland state chancellery

03/2021: Interview published on the first week as a professor

The German Society of Female Surgeons (Die Chirurginnen e.V.) has published an interview with me and asked me about my career, the first week as a professor, and career advice for young surgeons. Find the interview (in German) HERE.

03/2021: Professor at Saarland University

I have changed jobs and am now the full Professor (W3) for Innovative Implant Development at Saarland University in Germany. The Werner-Siemens-Foundation is funding this chair that was created to conduct interdisciplinary research on smart implants for the treatment of bone fractures. THIS is the new department website.

02/2021: New papers accepted

We just had papers accepted in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A [IF 5.236], the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease [IF 5.178], and Sensors [3.275], and we look forward to seeing them published soon!

02/2021: Lightning talk at the NASA Human Research Program IWS Conference

We presented our newest results from the AGBRESA bed rest study at an online NASA conference.

01/2021: Bed rest paper published in Experimental Cell Research

Our second paper from the AGBRESA bed rest study was published, titled “Sixty days of head-down tilt bed rest with or without artificial gravity do not affect the neuromuscular secretome“. Find it HERE.

12/2020: Introductory talk on Space Physiology

My amazing colleague Julia Attias and I gave talks on Space Physiology and Countermeasures in a Space Physiology mini symposium in the Virtual Environmental Ergonomics Series of Brock University, Canada, on December 17th. Thanks to Tadej Debevec (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia) and Chris Tyler (University of Roehampton, UK) for having us!

11/2020: Several news mentions

I was recently interviewed for articles on laundy in spaceflight in the New Scientist and The Telegraph. The space magazine Tähdet ja avaruus from Finland published an interview with me on human centrifugation (in Finnish):

10/2020: Paper published in GeroScience

The official Journal of the American Aging Association, GeroScience [IF 6.444], has published our newest paper on physical performance declines throughout the aging process. Find it HERE.

10/2020: Talk at the World Space Week Space Health Symposium

On Monday, October 5th, I gave a talk at the World Space Week Space Health Symposium online with the title “Musculoskeletal research in bedrest studies”. I also chaired a session the same day. Many thanks to Dr Rowena Christiansen of University of Melbourne, Australia, for her great work in organizing the event! This is the event flyer:

09/2020: Session chair at CURAC 2020

I had the honour to chair a session at the 2020 German Society for Computer- and Robot-Assisted Surgery (CURAC) meeting. It was great to be back at the first real-life conference since March. CURAC is an amazing mix of computer scientists, engineers and surgeons.

08/2020: “The Spacefarer’s Handbook – Science and Life Beyond Earth” is here!

Our new book was published and is now available. We are ready to give book presentations and talks, and we hope everyone enjoys the read!

08/2020: No motor unit remodeling in bedrest with or without artificial gravity

Our first paper of the AGBRESA bedrest study was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. It deals with the motor unit number and size, which were both not affected by bedrest or human centrifugation.

06/2020: New paper published on performance of the oldest-old athletes

We have published a new research paper on performance declines in track and field athletes 80 years and older in the journal ‘Rejuvenation Research‘.

05/2020: Our new book “The Spacefarer’s Handbook – Science and Life Beyond Earth” will soon be published

This is the link to the Springer book website.

03/2020: Results presented at the German National Space Research Symposium in Bonn

At the German National Space Research Symposium of the German Aerospace Center DLR’s “Research in the Space Environment” (Forschung unter Weltraumbedingungen) program helt in Bonn, we presented our latest bedrest research results.

01/2020: NASA HRP Investigators Workshop in Galveston near Houston

We have presented our first preliminary results from the AGBRESA bedrest study at a NASA conference.

11/2019: ISS proposal selected by ESA

ESA has given our proposal for an ISS experiment with the title “Neuromuscular electrical stimulation to enhance the exercise benefits for muscle functions during spaceflight” a favourable review. It is now in the definition phase for implementation. It includes pre-, in- and postflight experiments in astronauts flying to the ISS and is a collaboration with scientists from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

10/2019: Field study at UCI World Master Track Cycling Championships in Manchester, UK

We just completed a field study at the World Championships in indoor track cycling for master athletes in the Manchester velodrome. Team photo:

10/2019: Inaugural lecture at RWTH Aachen University

On October 18th, 2019, I gave my inaugural lecture as a formal step to celebrate the habilitation (postdoctoral thesis and license to teach at a university) in RWTH Aachen University Hospital. Topic: “Medical Challenges in Spaceflight”.

06/2019: Poster presented at the EFORT conference 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal

05/2019: Physics Department Colloquium in Helsinki

In the Physics Department Colloquium of the University of Helsinki, Finland, I gave an invited talk on Space Medicine. Details HERE.

05/2019: Interview in the PM Magazine and in “Der Stern”

An interview on Space Medicine was published in the German popular science magazine PM and in the journal “Der Stern”.

04/2019: Interview published in Austrian Medical Journal

Find an interview titled “Expert for extraterrestrail matters” in the Austrian Medical Journal.

02/2019: Orthopaedic Surgeon and Manchester

I passed the exam to be an Orthopaedic Surgeon and started a new position as a research fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University on a DFG (German Research Foundation) grant!

01/2019: Our bedrest-study team

The AGBRESA bedrest study is about to start, so we took a team-pic of our research-group including colleagues from Manchester Metropolitan University, Schulthess-Klinik Zürich and the University of Amsterdam. The photo was taken inside the Short Arm Human Centrifuge at DLR in Cologne.

11/2018: Our book as a cake

During a book presentation in Würzburg, Germany, Springer came up with a great surprise: the handbook for future astronauts as a chocolate cake:

10/2018: Artificial Gravity Bed Rest Study 2019

The NASA/ESA/DLR collaborative bed rest study got a “mission patch”! Find out more about the study HERE. I will be involved as a Co-I with experiments on neuromuscular interaction and wound healing.

10/2018: Space Medicine article published 

The German journal for medical students published an article I wrote on Space Medicine and how to become a space physician.

9/2018: Field study at the World Master Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain

More than 8100 athletes between 35 and 102 years of age participated in the World Master Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain. I was there for experiments in biomechanics and thermoregulation, funded by the START program of the Medical Faculty of RWTH Aachen University.

Infrared camera analysis of a running athlete

8/2018: Paper published showing differences in performance declines with age for athletics disciplines

Our new paper appeared in the journal Frontiers in Physiology. Rates of decline in sports-performance with age differ between disciplines and genders.

7/2018: German Research Foundation fellowship grant received

The German Research Foundation “DFG” granted me a 2-year research fellowship to perform musculoskeletal experiments in a 60-day bedrest study in cooperation with ESA and NASA. (Project description here)

6/2018: “Medical challenges on space missions”

Deutsches Ärzteblatt, the German journal for medical doctors, published my article on medical challenges on space missions. Read it HERE!

5/2018: HealthTV talkshow

German HealthTV invited me to discuss health topics in their new talkshow “Besprechstunde”. We filmed the first two episodes in “Unkelbach” pub in Cologne.

Talkshow “Besprechstunde” in a Cologne pub with Ursel Schievenbusch, Manfred Spitzer and Ingo Froböse

01/2018: Book tour

Urs and I are on tour with our new book. Find tour dates, photos and media reports on our book-website www.raumfahrerhandbuch.de/lesungen-termine/!

12/2017: DLR Human Physiology Workshop

I participated in the Human Physiology Workshop at German Aerospace Center (DLR) and presented a new study related to musculoskeletal ageing.
Find the abstracts HERE.

11/2017: Paper published in PLOS ONE

See our new paper on microcirculation in thoracolumbar fractures HERE!

11/2017: Interview in der Mainpost

11/2017: Book published

Our “Handbook for future Astronauts” is now officially published! Check for example the Springer website or Amazon. An interview of us was printed by the newspaper Mainpost on November 11, 2017.

The dates of our “tour” of book presentations can be found HERE.

10/2017: German Congress of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery

Find the abstract of the talk I gave at DKOU 2017 in Berlin HERE.

08/2017: Research stay at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston

I just spent a week in Houston for research – impressive! Had the honour to give a WISE lecture with the title: “Space Medicine – What We Might Have to Deal with on the Way to Mars.” and met a ton of interesting people. Here are some photos:

Columbus Module, ISS
Trying to fly the Space Shuttle
The ISS with gravity