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The Helmholtz Association is pooling its commitment to prevention research with the launch of the Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force. In a strategy paper published in Nature Medicine, the expert committee outlines initial concepts for more effectively integrating prevention into medical practice.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Global Challenges
As Germany's largest scientific organization, the Helmholtz Association encompasses six health research centers with approximately 10,000 employees. Its researchers develop strategies for early disease detection and risk assessment across various conditions, including infectious diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. The newly established task force unites experts from all six Helmholtz Health centers and the German National Cohort (NAKO) to propel prevention research.
“By bringing together top experts across disciplines, we can transform prevention into a powerful tool for better health worldwide,” says Prof. Matthias Tschöp, CEO at Helmholtz Munich, who helped to initiate the task force as former Helmholtz Health Vice President. “Our goal is to move beyond treatment and fundamentally rethink how we predict, prevent, and mitigate disease before it occurs.”
Closing the Gaps in Prevention Research
Despite its critical role in healthcare, prevention research faces significant challenges. A lack of a long-term, comprehensive strategy and insufficient funding have slowed progress. Additionally, the task force has identified key gaps: Health inequalities (i.e., differences in health among population groups due to social, economic, or geographical conditions) and environmental factors are often overlooked, limiting the effectiveness of preventive measures. Many diseases remain undetected in their early, symptom-free stages due to a lack of awareness and research – such as high blood pressure, which requires intervention before symptoms appear. Existing prevention programs are often inadequately monitored, leading to underutilization of valuable health data.
Prevention as a Pillar of Sustainable Healthcare
“Our goal is to make prevention a central pillar of a sustainable healthcare strategy,” says Prof. Eleftheria Zeggini, co-chair of the task force and Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Munich. “To tackle major health challenges – such as aging, multimorbidity, and the impact of climate change on human health – we must strengthen collaboration among researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers.”
Harnessing the power of big data and advanced analytics, the task force will develop new frameworks for prevention strategies. “By integrating advanced technologies such as multi-omics, machine learning, and bioengineering, we aim to uncover personalized health trends and risk factors that enable earlier detection and intervention for common diseases,” explains Prof. Maike Sander, current Vice President of Helmholtz Health and Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center. “Through better data connectivity and sharing, we can transform research into predictive, effective, and lasting health solutions that improve lives.”
The experts are also dedicated to aligning their findings with public health strategies and fostering health-promoting environments. “We are committed to developing evidence-based recommendations that align with public health policies and promote healthier environments and behaviors," adds Prof. Ute Mons, task force co-chair and division head of Primary Cancer Prevention at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). In addition to chronic diseases, the focus of the task force includes infectious disease prevention – through targeted immunization, preventive therapies for at-risk populations, and a One Health approach to reduce zoonotic risks.
Members of the Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force
Chairs: Eleftheria Zeggini and Ute Mons
Helmholtz Munich: Janine Krüger, Erika von Mutius, Eleftheria Zeggini, Anette-Gabriele Ziegler
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ): Anja Braun, Michael Hoffmeister, Ute Mons, Karen Steindorf
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association: Stan Gorski, Markus Landthaler, Young-Ae Lee, Gabriele G. Schiattarella
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE): N. Ahmad Aziz, Monique M.B. Breteler, Sarah Jewell
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI): Birgit Grün, Carlos Guzman, Berit Lange, Fabian Leendertz
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR): Sandra Haman, Nadja Knauthe
German National Cohort (NAKO): Annette Peters (Helmholtz Munich)
About Helmholtz Munich
Helmholtz Munich is a leading biomedical research center. Its mission is to develop breakthrough solutions for better health in a rapidly changing world. Interdisciplinary research teams focus on environmentally triggered diseases, especially the therapy and prevention of diabetes, obesity, allergies, and chronic lung diseases. With the power of artificial intelligence and bioengineering, researchers accelerate the translation to patients. Helmholtz Munich has around 2,500 employees and is headquartered in Munich/Neuherberg. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, with more than 43,000 employees and 18 research centers the largest scientific organization in Germany. More about Helmholtz Munich (Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH): www.helmholtz-munich.de/en
Prof. Eleftheria Zeggini
Email: eleftheria.zeggini@helmholtz-munich.de
Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force, 2025: The Helmholtz Health task force to strengthen prevention research and its translation globally. Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-025-03590-1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03590-1
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