Research

Research on Population-Based Medicine

Our research program explores the complex interplay between chronic conditions (such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer), behavioral factors (including physical activity, smoking, diet, alcohol consumption, and sleep), social determinants (such as socioeconomic status and social networks), and mental health (focusing on depression, anxiety, and stress). We emphasize key areas such as the role of digital technologies, intergenerational studies, population health research, and the synthesis and translation of knowledge to inform public health interventions.

Research Topics

Design, implementation, management, and analysis of

Prospective community studies
Population-based intervention studies
Prevention studies

Digital technologies for the assessment of mood and behavioral factors

Development and application of methods for the assessment of health status

Statistical and epidemiological methods for the evaluation of

health outcomes in people with chronic conditions, and
risk factors for the development of chronic conditions

Knowledge synthesis and knowledge translation

Doctoral Training/PhD:

In accordance with the doctoral regulations of the Medical Faculty of Tübingen, doctorates to Dr. med., Dr. med. dent. and Dr. sc. hum. are possible at the Institute.
A PhD program in Experimental Medicine is also offered; further information can be found here:

PhD Program in Experimental Medicine

Research Projects

Project	Description	Link	Status	Contact
Digital Technologies
Generation 60Plus	Gesundes Altern in Stuttgart – eine Pilotstudie zum digitalen, dynamischen Gesundheits-Monitoring (DDGM)	Studienseite	Recruitment complete, Data analysis ongoing	generation60plus-pbm@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Fatigue/Long COVID Study			Recruiting	s.rau@med.uni-tuebingen.de
ERAS	Enhanced Recovery After Colorectal Surgery with Smartphone-Based Patients Physical Activity Tracking	Flyer zur Studie	Recruiting	s.rau@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Smart bewegt	Evaluating the Temporal Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mood Using a Digital Phenotyping Approach. PhD Project Dilshad Afrin	Studienseite	Recruiting	smart-pbm@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Beiwe Studie	Die Anwendung digitaler Technologien zum Monitoring körperlicher Aktivität und Wohlbefinden während der Schwangerschaft bei Frauen mit und ohne Diabetes: Eine Pilotstudie	Flyer zur Studie	Recruitment complete, Data analysis ongoing	s.rau@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Intergenerational Studies
Fit-Life: Gesundheit für Generationen	Intergenerationale Übertragung von chronischen Erkrankungen und Gesundheitsverhalten: eine Pilotstudie	Studienseite	Recruitment complete, Data analysis ongoing	info-pbm@medizin.uni-tuebingen.de
The role of depression in the intergenerational transmission of type 2 diabetes	Using a two-generation sample of adults without T2D and their parents, the main objectives are to identify a) if the combination of parental T2D and parental depression history increases the risk of T2D in their offspring; b) if parental T2D and parental depression. Partner: Rachel Burns (Ottawa), Sonja Deschenes (Dublin), Lifelines. CIHR funded, 2020-2026		Ongoing, cooperation project	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Nutrition
Time-Restricted Eating	Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Time-Restricted Eating, Modifiable Lifestyle Factors, and Cardiometabolic Health. PhD Project Viktoria Feit	pdf Abstract	in progress	viktoria.feit@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Population-Based
EMS-Training	The effect of whole-body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) Training using a digital activity tracker on glycemic control in participants with pre-diabetes: A pilot-study	Studienseite	Recruiting	ems-pbm@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Diabetes and depression comorbidity in Ireland and Internationally	an investigation of longitudinal associations and multilevel predictors of comorbidity in Europe. Funded by Irish Health Research Board 2023-2025		Ongoing study, collaboration with Sonya Deschenes (Dublin)	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Cardiometabolic dysregulation, depression subtypes, and cognitive functioning	longitudinal associations in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. CIHR funded 2020-2023		Collaborator: Sonja Deschenes (Dublin), Eva Graham (Ottawa), et al.	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Zepsom	An intergenerational transmission of parental socio-economic status changes on offspring’s mental and cognitive outcomes: A large-scale, longitudinal community-based study & Genetic and psychosocial predictors of epigenetic age acceleration: clinical significance for stress-related mental disorders. CIHR funded 2020-2024		Collaborator: Xiangfei Meng (Montreal)	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
ACCESS	Canada Developing, Implementing and Evaluating a Model for Youth Mental Health Service Transformation. CIHR funded 2020-2026		Collaborator: Vidya Iyer (Montreal), Ashok Malla (Montreal) et al.	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Early Psychosis in India and Canada	Investigating outcomes and family factors. NIH funded 2019-2023		Collaborator: Vidya Iyer (Montreal), Ashok Malla (Montreal) et al.	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Randomized controlled trials
Efficacy of cognitive behavioural and skills training therapy for adolescents with ADHD	RCT. CIHR funded 2021-2026		Collaborator: Lily Hechtman (Montreal), et al.	norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Publications

Contact Prof. Dr. Norbert Schmitz for more information:

Norbert.schmitz@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Pubmed List of Departmental Publications

Academic Supervision - Doctoral/PhD Projects

Laufende Promotionen

Depression, metabolic factors and the risk of cancer

Lea Marie Bek
Intergenerational Transmission of Ultra-Processed Food

Anne-Kathrin Oppermann
Association of menarcheal and menopausal age with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

Jonas Muenzer
The association between oral health and susceptibility to respiratory tract infections in the German National Cohort (NAKO)

Heike Geiger
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between time-restricted eating, modifiable lifestyle factors, and cardiometabolic health

Viktoria Feit
Depression, metabolic factors and the risk of cancerEvaluating the temporal relationship between physical activity and mood using a digital phenotyping approach

Dilshad Afrin

Promotionen Abgeschlossen

2023

Ultra-processed foods consumption, depression, and the risk of diabetes and its complications in a populationbased sample

Akankasha Sen
2023

Oral health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms in older adults

Luisa Zwick