Department of Experimental Surgery

The Department of Experimental Surgery at the Center for Clinical Research of the Ruhr University Bochum School of Medicine is the research division of the Department of Surgery at Knappschaft Kliniken Universitätsklinikum Bochum GmbH.

As an interdisciplinary research institution, we combine clinically relevant questions with cell and molecular biology, biomaterials research, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Our focus is on developing human-based experimental model systems and New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to replicate biological and pathophysiological processes in a manner that is as relevant to humans as possible and to open up new avenues for translational research.

In doing so, we also contribute to the 3R principle: Replace, Reduce, and Refine. As a member of the 3R NRW Competence Network, we aim to establish high-performance human-based models and contribute to the reduction, refinement, and replacement of animal testing procedures.

We view our methodological expertise as a research platform for the RUB’s research focus on molecular medicine. It enables the integration of molecular mechanisms with innovative model development and clinical questions, as well as collaboration across disciplinary and institutional boundaries.

Close collaboration with clinical disciplines, including those in the field of transplant medicine, creates important interfaces for translation between the laboratory and patient care.

Our goal is to bring together basic molecular research, human-based model development, and clinical translation, thereby laying the groundwork for increasingly precise and patient-centered medicine.