Epidemiology

Epidemiology conducts research on health and disease at the population level – infection epidemiology is concerned with contagious diseases. Their tools and methods are systematic queries, clinical examinations and laboratory diagnostic documentation for both healthy and afflicted individuals, as well as statistical analysis of the compiled data. Causes and risk factors for infections can thus be identified. Infectious diseases epidemiology contributes to the development of preventive measures, early detection and therapy for diseases. Moreover, it examines the efficacy of such measures. Thus epidemiology ties in with scientific findings in basic research as well as medicine, and examines these processes at the population level.

Leader

Team

Dr. Berit Lange

Scientist

Portrait of Berit Lange, research associate.

+49 531 6181-3110

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Curriculum Vitae

After studying medicine in Germany, Spain, Chile and Peru and graduating in 2009, Berit Lange worked as a medical doctor in internal medicine and infectious diseases at the University of Freiburg. In 2013 she graduated with a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and returned to the University of Freiburg after a postdoc period in the infection epidemiology of LSHTM to continue her clinical specialization under Prof. Winfried Kern. Since 2016, she has been responsible for the core module and the epidemiology course of a newly established Master's Course (Global Urban Health) at the University of Freiburg. Since 2017 till 2019, she was leading a research group on Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Global Health with several doctoral students and scientific staff.

Since May 2019, she has been responsible for the Clinical Epidemiology within the Department of Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research. In particular, Berit focuses on reducing the burden of TB and other poverty-related infectious diseases in vulnerable populations and vulnerable health systems.

Current Position
4/2019     Lead Clinical Epidemiology at Department for Epidemiology Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

Previous Positions
01/2014 – 03/2019
Medical resident and head of the research group „Global Health & Infectious Disease Epidemiology“ in Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases as clinical research fellow Division of Infectious Diseases, Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg;  

01/2014 – 03/2019
Tutor at the Distance Learning Course Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

01/2016 – 03/2019
Convener and lecturer for Epidemiology in a newly established Master programme “Global Urban Health”, University of Freiburg

08/2012 – 12/2013
MSc Epidemiology & Research assistant Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine  

07/2009 – 07/2012
Assistant Physician and clinical research fellow Division of Infectious Diseases, Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training
2012 – 2013  
MSc Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

2009
MD thesis on IGRAs in Tuberculosis diagnostics

2001-2009
Academic studies of medicine at the University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty; medical doctorate 2009, studies abroad in Santiago de Chile, Madrid and Lima.

Other Scientific Roles  
2017 – ongoing
Steering committee member for Epidemiology at TBNet, (Tuberculosis Network European Trialsgroup)

2016 - 2017
Member Guideline group on Hepatitis Diagnostics World Health Organization

 

Selected Publications

1.    Lange B, Cohn J, Roberts T, Camp J, Chauffour J, Gummadi N, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of serological diagnosis of hepatitis C and B using dried blood spot samples (DBS): two systematic reviews and meta-analyses. BMC infectious diseases. 2017;17(1):700. (IF: 3,0)

2.    Lange B, Roberts T, Cohn J, Greenman J, Camp J, Ishizaki A, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of detection and quantification of HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA using dried blood spot (DBS) samples–a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC infectious diseases. 2017;17(1):693

3.    Lange B, Khan P, Kalmambetova G, Al-Darraji H, Alland D, Antonenka U, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert® MTB/RIF cycle threshold level to predict smear positivity: a meta-analysis. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease. 2017;21(5):493-502

4.    Joost I, Bothe W, Pausch C, Kaasch A, Lange B, Peyerl-Hoffmann G, et al. Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection in patients with ventricular assist devices-management and outcome in a prospective bicenter cohort. Journal of Infection. 2018

5.    Kodama C*, Lange B*, Olaru ID, Khan P, Lipman M, Seddon JA, et al. Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission from patients with drug-resistant compared to drug-susceptible TB: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Respiratory Journal. 2017;50(4):1701044

6.    Blauenfeldt T, Wagner D, Aabye M, Heyckendorf J, Lange B, Lange C, et al. Thermostability of IFN-gamma and IP-10 release assays for latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A TBnet study. Tuberculosis (Edinb). 2016;98:7-12

7.    Sester M, van Leth F, Bruchfeld J, Bumbacea D, Cirillo DM, Dilektasli AG, et al. Risk assessment of tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients. A TBNET study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2014;190(10):1168-76

8.    Hoefsloot W, van Ingen J, Andrejak C, Angeby K, Bauriaud R, Bemer P, et al. The geographic diversity of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from pulmonary samples: an NTM-NET collaborative study. Eur Respir J. 2013;42(6):1604-13

9.    Lange B, Vavra M, Kern WV, Wagner D. Indeterminate results of a tuberculosis-specific interferon-gamma release assay in immunocompromised patients. Eur Respir J. 2010;35(5):1179-82

10.    Lange B, Vavra M, Kern W, Wagner D. Development of tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients with a positive tuberculosis-specific IGRA. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. 2012;16(4):492-5

Internship

Internship enquiries to the Department of Epidemiology are requested to be addressed directly to Dr. Stefanie Castell.

Video

  • SORMAS - the future of epidemic surveillance

    Epidemiologists and IT experts from Germany and Nigeria have jointly developed an innovative app to help fight epidemics like ebola or cholera - the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS). This video explains why a tool like SORMAS is urgently needed and introduces the unique approach that makes SORMAS so powerful.

  • Fighting epidemics in Nigeria with SORMAS-App

    German scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) in Braunschweig and Nigerian researchers are applying the new mobile information system for the first time to combat a monkeypox outbreak in Nigeria. The monkeypox epidemic has spread since September 2017 and, by now, afflicts 128 patients in 14 federal states in Nigeria. The name of the system, SORMAS, stands for "Surveillance, Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System".

  • MuSPAD - the nationwide antibody study of the HZI on the spreading of SARS-CoV-2 infections

    How many people in Germany have already been infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and how is the pandemic developing? These and other questions are being investigated by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research with the MuSPAD project (Multilocal and Serial cross-sectional Prevalence Study on Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Germany). In different regional samples, blood is taken from selected volunteers and tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
    In the video, HZI scientists explain the study design, as well as the procedure & objectives of the project.

  • How is the HZI contributing to the management of the coronavirus pandemic?

    Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig has focused its research activities on the novel coronavirus. Representative for the diverse research projects at HZI, three scientists present their contributions to coping with the pandemic. Prof Michael Meyer-Hermann is developing mathematical models for the course of the pandemic. Prof Melanie Brinkmann has investigated transmission pathways in a large coronavirus outbreak and shown that the pathogen can be spread via aerosols. Prof Gérard Krause is leading an antibody study to monitor the development of the pandemic and is developing digital tools such as the SORMAS system to support the public health service in pandemic response.

Audio Podcast

  • Staphylococcus aureus – ein Leben in der Nase2000 zufällig ausgewählte Braunschweiger Bürger haben in diesem Juni Post vom HZI erhalten – mit der Bitte, an einer Studie über die Verbreitung von Staphylococcus aureus teilzunehmen. Varianten des Bakteriums sind unter dem Kürzel MRSA als Krankenhauskeime zu trauriger Berühmtheit gelangt. Unsere Wissenschaftler wollen nun erforschen, wie viele Gesunde – außerhalb von Krankenhäusern – mit diesem Keim Leben. Und sie suchen nach Risikofaktoren, die Staphylococcus aureus die Besiedlung des Menschen erleichtern. Begleiten Sie Frank Pessler und Jaishri Mehraj ein Stück in die Welt der Epidemiologie...
  • Proben und Fragebögen für die Infektionsforschung - Die Nationale Kohorte Diabetes mellitus, Krebs, Arterienverkalkung und diverse Infektionen sind Volkskrankheiten, über die wir viel zu wenig wissen. Mit der Nationalen Kohorte wollen Wissenschaftler diesen Krankheiten auf den Grund gehen und neue Strategien gegen sie entwickeln. Frank Pessler und Manas Akmatov nehmen die Infektionen ins Visier. Lassen Sie sich erklären, wie ihnen 225.000 Menschen dabei helfen sollen…
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