Climate, Cohorts and PIA
Our Research
One focal point of the team is applied digital epidemiology. Here we focus on the further development and establishment of our free and open source (FOSS) eResearch system PIA ("Prospective Monitoring and Management App") as a digital management tool for long-term epidemiological studies. As a generic system, PIA offers the possibility to conduct cohort studies or surveys including biosample management digitally. PIA has been developed at the HZI since 2017 under the leadership of Dr. Stefanie Castell as Product Owner and was used for the first time in 2019 as part of an additional project of the NAKO for population-based research of transient infections. Since then, further projects from the field of infection research have been continuously integrated.
The team also includes the Hanover Study Center.
Overview Projects
Integrated DZIF Infection Cohort within German National Cohort (ZIFCO)
The ZIFCO study is an L3 project (additional project) integrated into the German National Cohort (NAKO) with the aim of investigating risk factors for susceptibility to transient infectious diseases. In the future, the consequences of these infections will also be researched. The long-term infrastructure of the NAKO provides an ideal basis for this. ZIFCO complements this with a specially developed digital application for translational infection research. ZIFCO not only relies on regular digital self-reports from participants, but also supplements these in the case of acute respiratory infections with self-collected nasal swabs. These are analyzed for various viruses using multiplex PCR at Hannover Medical School. As an L3 project of the NAKO, ZIFCO thus offers the opportunity to expand the extensive standard program of the largest German cohort study to include epidemiological research on acute respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital infections. This enhances the examination of participants at the study center (approximately every 5 years) through the digital support of the participants by PIA in everyday life.
Funded by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), the Helmholtz Association and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)
Partners: German National Cohort (NAKO), Institute of Virology at Hannover Medical School, Hannover Unified Biobank, Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI)
Paving the way towards individualized vaccination (i.Vacc) - Exploring multi-omics Big Data in the general population based on a digital mHealth cohort (i.Vacc)
The i.Vacc project uses data and biosamples from the intensified infection cohort (ZIFCO), in particular living immune cells (PBMC) and plasma. These are used to create multi-omics profiles that include levels of genetics, proteomics and immune profiling. The focus is on the prediction of susceptibility to infection and immunological response to infection or vaccination. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the project also includes parameters of the immune response to a SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination as an outcome. The overall project objective is to generate hypotheses for more stratified, i.e. individualized, vaccination recommendations as a conceptual basis. The methodological focus is on statistical analyses in the area of big data. In i.Vacc, highly complex molecular datasets are combined with longitudinal cohort data collected repetitively via PIA in ZIFCO and epidemiological-clinical baseline data from the German National Cohort (NAKO).
Funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the German Volkswagen Foundation
Partners: Hannover Unified Biobank (Hannover Medical School), Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology (HZI), Institute for Information Engineering at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics of Infection Research (HZI), Department of Cellular Proteome Research (HZI), Translational Alliance Lower Saxony TRAIN Omics / BIOMEDAS (BIOMEdical DAta Science) at the MHH
Pre4D
To ensure that PIA can be used successfully in epidemiological research on transient infections in the long term and be established in other market areas in the future, the adherence of study participants is crucial and requires special demands on the user-friendliness of PIA. In the Pre4D project from the field of technology transfer, solutions for improving the user-friendliness of PIA are being identified and implemented. This also includes optimizing maintainability and partial refactoring in order to reduce bugs and problems that impair usability. Gamification approaches are also included by developing a feedback module tailored to PIA. Attention is paid to the greatest possible generic functionality to enable broad future use.
Funding: Pre-4-D Fund of the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research
Partners: --
Needs and requirements for PIA (“Prospective Monitoring and Management App”) - Potential client and user perspective (NeRe4PIA)
This project aims to systematically gain knowledge about what needs and requirements are necessary from the perspective of potential users for a desired broader application of PIA in order to compare the vision with the needs and interests of both future stakeholders and the open source software community as an existing FOSS.
Funding: Supported by the Initiative and Networking Fund as part of the "Helmholtz Enterprise" funding program
Partners: --
RESIST Cohort
The RESIST Cluster of Excellence focuses on infections and people who are particularly susceptible to them. For population-based research in this area, a specific cohort of predominantly older people has been established. The cohort participants are interviewed and examined on site at the Hannover Study Center of Dr. S. Castell's team on behalf of the Hannover Medical School. The results are documented by the study team in PIA. The aim of this cohort is to gain a better understanding of individual susceptibility to infections and human defense mechanisms.
Funding: Resist Cluster of Excellence, co-funded by the German Research Foundation
Partners: Implementation on behalf of the Hannover Medical School
App-based Infection Assessment in RESIST (iAR)
The primary aim is the prospective investigation of risk factors for common infectious diseases such as acute respiratory infections. We also integrate questions related to the gut microbiome as well as investigate symptoms of vector-borne diseases caused by tick bites.
In both ZIFCO and iAR, questions regarding user acceptance and usability of the digital HZI application PIA as well as compliance with the mobile/web-based application and the study concept are being analyzed.
Funding: Resist Cluster of Excellence, co-funded by the German Research Foundation
Partners: Institute of Virology at Hannover Medical School, Hannover Unified Biobank
Impact and viability of a novel mass PCR testing method as a pandemic-fighting strategy (PCR-4-All)
In order to be prepared for future major outbreaks, measures must be developed that can be implemented immediately in the event of a pandemic. The PCR-4-ALL project brings together expertise from the fields of (1) epidemiology, disease modeling and e-health platforms, (2) disease econometrics and (3) high-throughput screening, diagnostic technologies and clinical testing of infectious diseases. Within the project, the "Climate, Cohorts and PIA" team is responsible for the further development of digital requirements, integrating cohorts into the project and evaluating practical feasibility. In the Department of Epidemiology, this is done together with the "Clinical Epidemiology" team.
Funding: European Union
Partners: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Università Degli Studi Di Verona, Italy, Fundació Privada Institut de Recerca de la Sida Caixa, Spain
Pilot Digitale Citizen Science Kohorte (PIA4All)
Sensors for measuring aerosols and reactive gases and analyzing their impact on health (SMARAGD)
The aim of this citizen science project is to link pollutant measurements with health data together with citizen scientists. To this end, the participants install special pollutant sensors in their environment and report their health status using the HZI application PIA ("Prospective Monitoring and Management App", www.info-pia.de). The Research Center Jülich is responsible for the scientific supervision of the pollutant measurement. The sensors record particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, ozone and carbon monoxide. The health data focuses on respiratory infections. The project is a feasibility study. As a citizen science project, SMARAGD also aims to integrate interested citizens into the project planning and to actively shape the process. Therefore workshops are organized with citizens in which framework conditions and content are discussed, developed and modified to enable joint learning and knowledge transfer in both directions.
Funding: Helmholtz Association
Partners: Research Center Jülich, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU)
Digital epidemiology in the German National Cohort (NAKO): "Participant Involvement"
As part of the 3rd funding phase of the German National Cohort (NAKO), further digitalization of the study is planned. The HZI is responsible for the "Participant Involvement" sub-project. Here, participants should be involved more closely via digital structures so that information can flow efficiently from NAKO institutions to participants and vice versa. In order to adequately consider the user perspective in the development, we plan to implement the design thinking approach in the sense of citizen science with interested NAKO participants and other stakeholders in the first project phase.
Funding: Federal government, federal states and Helmholtz Association
Partners: German National Cohort (NAKO)
New health risks due to biodiversity-based urban ecosystem disservices (Kontravital)
Urban green infrastructure can be associated with effects that can be perceived as harmful, unpleasant or undesirable, the so-called counterproductive ecosystem services (CES). For sustainable planning of urban green infrastructure, it is important to consider these in addition to the benefits. The aim of the project is to close existing gaps in knowledge about CES. It examines aspects of physical and mental health such as allergies, zoonoses and stress. It is planned to integrate the findings into a communal planning tool. The HZI is involved in the project in the area of zoonoses and digital study infrastructure.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Partners: Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences
Climate changes and their impact on vector-borne Lyme disease (Hi-Cam)
As part of the Helmholtz Climate Initiative, this project aims to estimate the occurrence of Lyme disease in Germany as a function of climatic variables using statistical-mathematical modeling. In a second part, we deal with the serostatus in relation to Lyme disease and associated factors. Therefore biosamples and data from the German National Cohort (NAKO) and the Rhineland Study are used.
Funding: Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Association
Partners: Rhineland Study of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases e.V. (DZNE), NAKO Health Study, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)
Effectiveness of antibiotic training for general practitioners (WASA)
Treating common infections such as upper/lower respiratory tract and urinary tract infections can be a challenge for GPs. According to an analysis of health insurance data, almost 30% of all antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary (see DAK). At the same time, the WHO declared antibiotic resistance to be one of the ten most threatening global health problems (see WHO). Treatment with antibiotics is one of the main factors in the development of this resistance. As 85% of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient sector (GERMAP), the project "Effectiveness of training in rational antibiotic management for general practitioners" was developed. In collaboration with the Southeast Lower Saxony Hygiene Network, GPs in the region were offered a guideline-based training module on upper and lower respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. The module was evaluated by the Department of Epidemiology at the HZI with regard to participation and effectiveness. To this end, the participating GPs were surveyed and antibiotic prescription data from the AOK Lower Saxony was analyzed.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
Partners: Southeast Lower Saxony Hygiene Network, Braunschweig Health Department, Braunschweig Municipal Hospital, Lower Saxony State Health Office, AOK Lower Saxony, Lower Saxony Medical Association
Evaluation and Expansion Evaluation of existing cohorts to address One Health Topics in Germany (PanCo)
One Health (OH) considers the health of humans, animals and ecosystems as interdependent. OH surveillance (OHS) involves systematic and comprehensive longitudinal data collection that is manageable, including, if possible and relevant, biosamples from humans, animals and the environment. OHS is based on longitudinal data collection, i.e. cohort research. Therefore, in PanCo we aim to develop a OH framework suited for OHS including a stakeholder analysis, semi-structured interviews and group discussions. We also map ongoing OH epidemiological studies and assess existing population-based cohorts in German speaking areas, such as NAKO and SHIP, for their relevance to OH issues, despite their primary focus or main data collection not being intended for OH research. By identifying OH-relevant information and there availability in these and other existing studies, the project seeks to inform the development of OH-specific modules for integration into existing cohorts or the establishment of a new OHS study.
Hence, the project will provide recommendations for OH-module development and longitudinal OHS.
Partner institutions: Friedrich-Löffler-Institut, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Universitätmedizin Greifswald
Our Research
One focal point of the team is applied digital epidemiology. Here we focus on the further development and establishment of our free and open source (FOSS) eResearch system PIA ("Prospective Monitoring and Management App") as a digital management tool for long-term epidemiological studies. As a generic system, PIA offers the possibility to conduct cohort studies or surveys including biosample management digitally. PIA has been developed at the HZI since 2017 under the leadership of Dr. Stefanie Castell as Product Owner and was used for the first time in 2019 as part of an additional project of the NAKO for population-based research of transient infections. Since then, further projects from the field of infection research have been continuously integrated.
The team also includes the Hanover Study Center.
Overview Projects
Integrated DZIF Infection Cohort within German National Cohort (ZIFCO)
The ZIFCO study is an L3 project (additional project) integrated into the German National Cohort (NAKO) with the aim of investigating risk factors for susceptibility to transient infectious diseases. In the future, the consequences of these infections will also be researched. The long-term infrastructure of the NAKO provides an ideal basis for this. ZIFCO complements this with a specially developed digital application for translational infection research. ZIFCO not only relies on regular digital self-reports from participants, but also supplements these in the case of acute respiratory infections with self-collected nasal swabs. These are analyzed for various viruses using multiplex PCR at Hannover Medical School. As an L3 project of the NAKO, ZIFCO thus offers the opportunity to expand the extensive standard program of the largest German cohort study to include epidemiological research on acute respiratory, gastrointestinal and urogenital infections. This enhances the examination of participants at the study center (approximately every 5 years) through the digital support of the participants by PIA in everyday life.
Funded by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), the Helmholtz Association and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF)
Partners: German National Cohort (NAKO), Institute of Virology at Hannover Medical School, Hannover Unified Biobank, Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI)
Paving the way towards individualized vaccination (i.Vacc) - Exploring multi-omics Big Data in the general population based on a digital mHealth cohort (i.Vacc)
The i.Vacc project uses data and biosamples from the intensified infection cohort (ZIFCO), in particular living immune cells (PBMC) and plasma. These are used to create multi-omics profiles that include levels of genetics, proteomics and immune profiling. The focus is on the prediction of susceptibility to infection and immunological response to infection or vaccination. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the project also includes parameters of the immune response to a SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination as an outcome. The overall project objective is to generate hypotheses for more stratified, i.e. individualized, vaccination recommendations as a conceptual basis. The methodological focus is on statistical analyses in the area of big data. In i.Vacc, highly complex molecular datasets are combined with longitudinal cohort data collected repetitively via PIA in ZIFCO and epidemiological-clinical baseline data from the German National Cohort (NAKO).
Funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the German Volkswagen Foundation
Partners: Hannover Unified Biobank (Hannover Medical School), Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology (HZI), Institute for Information Engineering at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Department of Bioinformatics of Infection Research (HZI), Department of Cellular Proteome Research (HZI), Translational Alliance Lower Saxony TRAIN Omics / BIOMEDAS (BIOMEdical DAta Science) at the MHH
Pre4D
To ensure that PIA can be used successfully in epidemiological research on transient infections in the long term and be established in other market areas in the future, the adherence of study participants is crucial and requires special demands on the user-friendliness of PIA. In the Pre4D project from the field of technology transfer, solutions for improving the user-friendliness of PIA are being identified and implemented. This also includes optimizing maintainability and partial refactoring in order to reduce bugs and problems that impair usability. Gamification approaches are also included by developing a feedback module tailored to PIA. Attention is paid to the greatest possible generic functionality to enable broad future use.
Funding: Pre-4-D Fund of the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research
Partners: --
Needs and requirements for PIA (“Prospective Monitoring and Management App”) - Potential client and user perspective (NeRe4PIA)
This project aims to systematically gain knowledge about what needs and requirements are necessary from the perspective of potential users for a desired broader application of PIA in order to compare the vision with the needs and interests of both future stakeholders and the open source software community as an existing FOSS.
Funding: Supported by the Initiative and Networking Fund as part of the "Helmholtz Enterprise" funding program
Partners: --
RESIST Cohort
The RESIST Cluster of Excellence focuses on infections and people who are particularly susceptible to them. For population-based research in this area, a specific cohort of predominantly older people has been established. The cohort participants are interviewed and examined on site at the Hannover Study Center of Dr. S. Castell's team on behalf of the Hannover Medical School. The results are documented by the study team in PIA. The aim of this cohort is to gain a better understanding of individual susceptibility to infections and human defense mechanisms.
Funding: Resist Cluster of Excellence, co-funded by the German Research Foundation
Partners: Implementation on behalf of the Hannover Medical School
App-based Infection Assessment in RESIST (iAR)
The primary aim is the prospective investigation of risk factors for common infectious diseases such as acute respiratory infections. We also integrate questions related to the gut microbiome as well as investigate symptoms of vector-borne diseases caused by tick bites.
In both ZIFCO and iAR, questions regarding user acceptance and usability of the digital HZI application PIA as well as compliance with the mobile/web-based application and the study concept are being analyzed.
Funding: Resist Cluster of Excellence, co-funded by the German Research Foundation
Partners: Institute of Virology at Hannover Medical School, Hannover Unified Biobank
Impact and viability of a novel mass PCR testing method as a pandemic-fighting strategy (PCR-4-All)
In order to be prepared for future major outbreaks, measures must be developed that can be implemented immediately in the event of a pandemic. The PCR-4-ALL project brings together expertise from the fields of (1) epidemiology, disease modeling and e-health platforms, (2) disease econometrics and (3) high-throughput screening, diagnostic technologies and clinical testing of infectious diseases. Within the project, the "Climate, Cohorts and PIA" team is responsible for the further development of digital requirements, integrating cohorts into the project and evaluating practical feasibility. In the Department of Epidemiology, this is done together with the "Clinical Epidemiology" team.
Funding: European Union
Partners: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Università Degli Studi Di Verona, Italy, Fundació Privada Institut de Recerca de la Sida Caixa, Spain
Pilot Digitale Citizen Science Kohorte (PIA4All)
Sensors for measuring aerosols and reactive gases and analyzing their impact on health (SMARAGD)
The aim of this citizen science project is to link pollutant measurements with health data together with citizen scientists. To this end, the participants install special pollutant sensors in their environment and report their health status using the HZI application PIA ("Prospective Monitoring and Management App", www.info-pia.de). The Research Center Jülich is responsible for the scientific supervision of the pollutant measurement. The sensors record particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, ozone and carbon monoxide. The health data focuses on respiratory infections. The project is a feasibility study. As a citizen science project, SMARAGD also aims to integrate interested citizens into the project planning and to actively shape the process. Therefore workshops are organized with citizens in which framework conditions and content are discussed, developed and modified to enable joint learning and knowledge transfer in both directions.
Funding: Helmholtz Association
Partners: Research Center Jülich, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU)
Digital epidemiology in the German National Cohort (NAKO): "Participant Involvement"
As part of the 3rd funding phase of the German National Cohort (NAKO), further digitalization of the study is planned. The HZI is responsible for the "Participant Involvement" sub-project. Here, participants should be involved more closely via digital structures so that information can flow efficiently from NAKO institutions to participants and vice versa. In order to adequately consider the user perspective in the development, we plan to implement the design thinking approach in the sense of citizen science with interested NAKO participants and other stakeholders in the first project phase.
Funding: Federal government, federal states and Helmholtz Association
Partners: German National Cohort (NAKO)
New health risks due to biodiversity-based urban ecosystem disservices (Kontravital)
Urban green infrastructure can be associated with effects that can be perceived as harmful, unpleasant or undesirable, the so-called counterproductive ecosystem services (CES). For sustainable planning of urban green infrastructure, it is important to consider these in addition to the benefits. The aim of the project is to close existing gaps in knowledge about CES. It examines aspects of physical and mental health such as allergies, zoonoses and stress. It is planned to integrate the findings into a communal planning tool. The HZI is involved in the project in the area of zoonoses and digital study infrastructure.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Partners: Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences
Climate changes and their impact on vector-borne Lyme disease (Hi-Cam)
As part of the Helmholtz Climate Initiative, this project aims to estimate the occurrence of Lyme disease in Germany as a function of climatic variables using statistical-mathematical modeling. In a second part, we deal with the serostatus in relation to Lyme disease and associated factors. Therefore biosamples and data from the German National Cohort (NAKO) and the Rhineland Study are used.
Funding: Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Helmholtz Association
Partners: Rhineland Study of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases e.V. (DZNE), NAKO Health Study, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)
Effectiveness of antibiotic training for general practitioners (WASA)
Treating common infections such as upper/lower respiratory tract and urinary tract infections can be a challenge for GPs. According to an analysis of health insurance data, almost 30% of all antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary (see DAK). At the same time, the WHO declared antibiotic resistance to be one of the ten most threatening global health problems (see WHO). Treatment with antibiotics is one of the main factors in the development of this resistance. As 85% of antibiotics are prescribed in the outpatient sector (GERMAP), the project "Effectiveness of training in rational antibiotic management for general practitioners" was developed. In collaboration with the Southeast Lower Saxony Hygiene Network, GPs in the region were offered a guideline-based training module on upper and lower respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. The module was evaluated by the Department of Epidemiology at the HZI with regard to participation and effectiveness. To this end, the participating GPs were surveyed and antibiotic prescription data from the AOK Lower Saxony was analyzed.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)
Partners: Southeast Lower Saxony Hygiene Network, Braunschweig Health Department, Braunschweig Municipal Hospital, Lower Saxony State Health Office, AOK Lower Saxony, Lower Saxony Medical Association
Evaluation and Expansion Evaluation of existing cohorts to address One Health Topics in Germany (PanCo)
One Health (OH) considers the health of humans, animals and ecosystems as interdependent. OH surveillance (OHS) involves systematic and comprehensive longitudinal data collection that is manageable, including, if possible and relevant, biosamples from humans, animals and the environment. OHS is based on longitudinal data collection, i.e. cohort research. Therefore, in PanCo we aim to develop a OH framework suited for OHS including a stakeholder analysis, semi-structured interviews and group discussions. We also map ongoing OH epidemiological studies and assess existing population-based cohorts in German speaking areas, such as NAKO and SHIP, for their relevance to OH issues, despite their primary focus or main data collection not being intended for OH research. By identifying OH-relevant information and there availability in these and other existing studies, the project seeks to inform the development of OH-specific modules for integration into existing cohorts or the establishment of a new OHS study.
Hence, the project will provide recommendations for OH-module development and longitudinal OHS.
Partner institutions: Friedrich-Löffler-Institut, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Universitätmedizin Greifswald
