Susanne Rohrbach, PhD

Susanne Rohrbach has focused her main research interests on the age-related cellular and molecular changes in the myocardium. She investigates the protective effects and signalling pathways activated within the myocardium by caloric restriction or physical activity. Her group also investigates whether diet or physical activity have cardioprotective effects independent from protective effects on plasma lipid profiles and progression of arteriosclerosis. The metabolic reprogramming of the adipose tissue may represent a key event activated by both interventions and has major impact on other organs including the heart. A central hypothesis of the research is that targeting of adipokine regulation and cardiac muscle energy metabolism may yield a novel therapeutic option against age-associated cardiac deterioration or heart failure.