2nd Long COVID Symposium of the German Centres for Health Research (DZG)
2nd DZG Munich Day
2nd Long COVID Symposium of the German Centers for Health Research (DZG)
9 May 2025, 9:00 to 17:00, Frankfurt am Main, Senckenberg Museum
The event brings together leading experts to discuss the latest findings on Long COVID. This interdisciplinary symposium will focus on advancing research and improving care for those affected by the condition while fostering collaboration across scientific disciplines.
Guests: Members of the Ärzte- und Ärztinnenverband Long COVID (Link)
Welcome to the Long COVID Symposium of DZG
Long COVID is a complex challenge that affects multiple organ systems and requires an interdisciplinary research approach. The German Centers for Health Research (DZG) bring together expertise in a broad spectrum of diseases - including cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, as well as neurological, metabolic, infectious, oncological, pediatric, and mental health conditions.
For those affected by Long COVID, research is not just about understanding the disease but about finding solutions to improve their lives. This includes people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating post-infectious disease that is in urgent need of more research and better clinical care.
Many patients are still waiting for effective treatments and improved care. That is why this symposium brings together leading researchers and clinicians from all DZG centers to present their latest findings, discuss challenges and explore innovative solutions. By fostering collaboration across disciplines, we aim to accelerate progress and translate research into real benefits for patients.
We invite you to explore the program, share ideas with your peers, and engage in discussions that will drive the future of Long COVID research.
Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler & Prof. Werner Seeger
Scientific Organization:
Prof. Stefanie Dimmeler (DZHK Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung)
Prof. Werner Seeger (DZL Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung)
Organizing Team:
Christine Vollgraf & Sarah Mempel, contact: christine.vollgraf@dzhk.de
Preliminary program
Friday, 9 May 2025, 09:00–17:00
Opening
09:00-09:05
Opening, Stefanie Dimmeler (Frankfurt a.M.), Werner Seeger (Gießen)
09:05-09:15
Welcoming address, Veronika von Messling (Berlin, BMBF)
Session 1: Cardiovascular Disease / DZHK
Chair: tbd
09:15-09:30
Myoflame-19 -RCT to improve cardiac symptoms and exercise tolerance by targeting endothelial dysfunction, Valentina Puntmann (Frankfurt a.M.)
09:30-09:45
Thrombo-inflammation in COVID-19, Konstantin Stark (München)
09:45-10:00
Heart Failure and Myocarditis in the Context of Long COVID and Post-Vaccination: Risks, Mechanisms, and Clinical Insights, Carsten Tschöpe (Berlin)
Session 2: Metabolic Disease / DZD, DKTK
Chair: tbd
10:00-10:15
Persistent symptoms in post-COVID-19 two years after infection: EPILOC study results, Alexandra Nieters (Freiburg)
10:15-10:30
Diabetes and postinfectious syndromes, Stefan Bornstein (Dresden)
10:30-11:00
Coffe break
Session 3: Neurological and Immunological Aspects of Long COVID / DZNE
Chair: Anna Aschenbrenner, Marc Beyer (both Bonn)
11:00-11:15
Clinical Insights into Neurological Post-COVID Syndrome: Findings from the NEUROCOV Project, Omid Shirvani (Bonn)
11:15-11:30
Towards Precision Medicine: Single-Cell Omics and Biomarker Development in NEUROCOV, Marc Beyer (Bonn)
11:30-11:45
Immune Dysregulation in Long COVID and ME/CFS: Insights from single-cell RNA-sequencing Studies, Anna Aschenbrenner (Bonn)
Session 4: Mental Health and Sleep Disorders / DZPG
Chair: Martin Walter (Jena)
11:45-12:00
Ability to work after COVID-19: a machine learning model based on clinical parameters, Tarek Jebrini (München)
12:00-12:15
SLEEP-NEURO-PATH: Contribution of sleep-related biomarkers to the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, Claudia Schilling (Mannheim)
12:15-12:30
FEDORA: Post-COVID soon no longer a blind spot?, Martin Walter (Jena)
12:30-13:30
Lunch break
Session 5: Pulmonary Complications of Long COVID / DZL
Chairs: Susanne Herold, Rembert Koczulla
13:30-13:40
Deep Clinical Phenotyping, Natascha Sommer (Gießen)
13:40-13:50
Mass spectrometry-based profiling of autoantibodies post-viral infections, Herbert Schiller (München)
13:50-14:00
Diagnostic, Jens Vogel-Claussen (Hannover)
14:00-14:10
COVIDOM+, Jan Heyckendorf (Kiel)
Session 6: Immunology and Infection Research in Long COVID / DZIF
Chair: Hans-Georg Kräusslich
14:15-14:30
Challenges in the conduct of clinical trials on Post COVID Syndrome, Maria Vehreschild (Frankfurt am Main)
14:30-14:45
Immunological aspects of long COVID depending on initial infection severity before vaccination, Christine Falk (Hannover)
14:45-15:00
tbd, Clara Lehman (Köln)
15:00-15:20
Coffee break
Session 7: Pediatric and Adolescent Health in Long COVID / DZKJ
Chair: Klaus-Michael Debatin
15:20-15:35
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome is linked to viral reactivation, Tilmann Kallinich (Berlin)
15:35-15:50
Health and Well-being of Children and Adolescents During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer (Hamburg)
15:50-16:05
Long COVID in Pediatrics: What's New?, Nicole Töpfner (Dresden)
Short break / stage setup for panel discussion
Panel Discussion
16:15-17:00
The Future of Long COVID Research: What Do Patients Need?
tbd
Senckenberg Museum, Festsaal im Jügelhaus
Location and directions
The 2nd Long COVID Symposium will take place at the Senckenberg Museum (Festsaal im Jügelhaus), located in the heart of Frankfurt am Main. The museum is renowned for its world-class natural history exhibitions and provides an inspiring setting for scientific exchange.
Address:
Senckenberg Museum, Festsaal im Jügelhaus
Senckenberganlage 25
60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
https://museumfrankfurt.senckenberg.de
How to get there:
- By public transport: The Senckenberg Museum is easily accessible via Frankfurt's public transport network. Take the U-Bahn (line U4) to the station "Bockenheimer Warte." From there, it’s a 5-minute walk to the museum.
- By car: If you are arriving by car, parking is available at nearby parking garages, such as "Palmengarten" or "Bockenheimer Warte."
- From Frankfurt Airport: The museum is approximately 20 minutes away by taxi or accessible via the S-Bahn (lines S8 or S9) to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, followed by the U4 to "Bockenheimer Warte."
Accommodation:
Participants are requested to arrange their accommodation independently. Frankfurt offers a wide range of hotels and guesthouses suitable for all budgets. Due to high demand, early booking is recommended.
Participation is open to all interested researchers, with priority given to members of the German Centers for Health Research.
Attendance is free of charge.
Please note: The confirmation you receive is preliminary. You will receive a final confirmation after the registration period has ended.
