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Prof. Kristina Kusche-Vihrog introduced herself as the new Director of Physiology

Organ Crosstalk: Finally implementing a truly interdisciplinary approach – Physiology as a central subject in medical training

With her inaugural lecture “Touching cells – On the mechanical properties of living cells”  on 2 July, Prof. Dr. Kristina Kusche-Vihrog officially introduced herself at the university. She was appointed Director of the Institute of Physiology in August last year.

In the lecture, Prof. Kusche-Vihrog explained the basic principles and clinical potential of the examination of nanomechanical properties of living edothelial cells. They not only form an intelligent barrier between blood and somatic cells, but also make an important contribution to the regulation of clotting and blood pressure. They react in a flexible way to changes in blood flow and pressure levels, and release vasoactive agents. In order to be able to fulfil this task, endothelial cells must possess a high level of plasticity and cannot be rigid in form. The changes in their surface that endothelial cells detect are transmitted to the cell interior in the form of biochemical signals. Complex and extremely dynamic processes make this physiologically important constant change between a “soft” and “hard” cell surface possible.

In recent years, biophysical methods have been developed that enable precise measurement of the mechanical properties of living cells and molecules. Changes in the cell surface can be examined by, for example, atomic force microscopy, a method that involves probing the surface of cells or quantifying the force between two interacting cells. The research, led by Prof. Kusche-Vihrog, focuses on investigating the mechanism behind these changes in endothelial nanomechanics. The translational research approach is of great importance in this respect.

Interest in application-focused medical research

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kristina Kusche-Vihrog, born in Waiblingen in Baden-Württemberg in 1972, studied biology in Mainz and in Umeå, Sweden. She obtained her doctorate in Mainz in 2001, was a research assistant in Münster, and also spent time researching at the Universitè de Montréal, Canada, before completing her post-doc in physiology in 2013.

Her research focuses on endothelial dysfunction as a precursor to the development of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, the nanomechanics of cellular surfaces, and the biophysical methods in basic medical research and diagnosis. Prof. Kusche-Vihrog is on the board of the German Hypertension League. In 2018 she received the German Society of Nephrology’s award for research into hypertension.

Her scientific path has taken her from zoological areas of interest, via animal to human physiology. The reason for this is her growing interest in application-focused medical research. She is driven by the desire to understand diseases, discover new approaches to treatment, and do translational work. Why do certain people develop hypertension while others do not? What might be the decisive components?

Her research focuses in particular on the influence of inflammatory processes and the effects of the immune system. She is convinced that a truly interdisciplinary approach and an examination of the complex interplay of organs in their totality – organ crosstalk – are key to ensuring further successful research.

She was delighted to take up the position of Director of the Lübeck Institute of Physiology and sees herself in an excellent and productive working environment. She regards physiology as a subject that is central to medical training and places great emphasis on high teaching standards.

Prof. Kusche-Vihrog has two children, aged eight and eleven.