Dr. med. Marco Witkowski, PhD

Metabolomics - Microbiome - Thrombosis

As a cardiologist and scientist, I have the privilege of combining patient care with translational research. Clinically, I am particularly interested in the prevention of coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction and their treatment using interventional procedures.
Despite optimal control of risk factors, many patients suffer cardiovascular complications - primarily thrombotic vascular occlusions, which contribute to increased mortality. In my research group funded by the Corona Foundation, I am investigating molecular mechanisms that contribute to an increased risk of thrombosis.
After completing my residency, I spent several years in the laboratory of Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic. There I worked on clinical patient cohorts and used mass spectrometry and thrombosis models to investigate how individual metabolites in the blood promote vascular inflammation and thrombosis. I am particularly fascinated by how our diet, the body's own metabolism and the intestinal microbiome change the composition of chemical substances in the blood (the metabolome) and thus affect the vascular system. My research aims to help uncover the molecular mechanisms that promote vascular complications in each individual patient. Our long-term goal is a customized therapy of the metabolome for the treatment of coronary heart disease and its complications.