One MMPU hallmark is that it is staffed by both institutions, EMBL and the University Hospital Heidelberg, and each research group is headed by two cooperating principal investigators. Currently, the MMPU consists of 9 international teams of molecular research-oriented MDs, PhDs, PhD students and technicians.

The research philosophy aims at the molecular understanding of the basis of common human diseases, its applications in diagnosis and therapy, and feedback from ‘bedside medicine’ into the research laboratory.

Chronic Kidney Disease
Dr. Rainer Pepperkok, Prof. Dr. Julio Saez-Rodriguez, Dr. Mikhail Savitski and Prof. Dr. Matias Simons

Chronic Pain and Homeostasis
Dr. Theodore Alexandrov, Dr. Robert Prevedel, Prof. Dr. Rohini Kuner and Prof. Dr. Jan Siemens

Heart Development and Diseases
Dr. Eileen Furlong and Prof. Dr. Johannes Backs

Iron homeostasis in health and disease
Prof. Dr. Matthias Hentze and Prof. Dr. Martina Muckenthaler

Microbiota Drug Metabolism and Cancer Therapy
Dr. Michael Zimmermann, Prof. Dr. Matthias Ebert, and Dr. Tianzuo Zhan

Molecular Pediatric Oncology
Prof. Dr. Jan Korbel and Prof. Dr. Andreas Kulozik

Stem Cell–Niche Networks in Ageing and Diseases
Dr. Judith Zaugg and Dr. Caroline Pabst, Prof. Dr. Anthony D. Ho, Prof. Dr. Carsten Müller-Tidow

Systems Medicine of Cancer Drugs
Dr. Wolfgang Huber, Prof. Dr. Sascha Dietrich and Dr. Junyan Lu

Translational RNA Biology
Prof. Dr. Matthias Hentze and Prof. Dr. Andreas Kulozik

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Former research groups

Cholesterol Regulation
Rainer Pepperkok and Heiko Runz
MMPU Group 2007 – 2014

Cystic Fibrosis
Carsten Schultz and Marcus Mall
MMPU Group 2006 – 2018

HIV-1 formation and its inhibition
John Briggs and Hans-Georg Kräusslich
MMPU Group 2011 – 2018

Stem Cells and Ageing
Anne-Claude Gavin and Anthony D. Ho
MMPU Group 2011 – 2018

Chronic Pain
Paul Heppenstall, Rohini Kuner and Jan Siemens
MMPU Group 2011 – 2019

Cancer Early Detection
Peer Bork and Magnus von Knebel Doeberitz
MMPU Group 2006 – 2020