University Research

Alumni Philipp Richter, originally from Hanover (Germany), is the first graduate of the first international cohort of medical students at UMFST-UMCH – Universitätsmedizin Neumarkt am Mieresch (the Hamburg Campus of UMFST). He has now chosen to continue with doctoral studies at UMFST in Târgu Mureş, becoming the first in his class to do so in Romania.

He opted to study medicine in English at UMFST-UMCH, rather than in German in his home country, because he felt that studying in English would give him a better foundation for an international career in research and medicine.

Philipp praises the UMFST-UMCH campus: modern facilities, digital dissection tools from year one, small-group teaching, and a blend of Romanian-taught theoretical courses and German-led hospital practicals. He says this mixed setting prepared him well for the clinical environment.

For his doctoral research, he will focus on a pathology topic: specifically, the concordance and discrepancy between immunohistochemical diagnosis and DNA-based PCR diagnosis of DNA-replication-error repair mechanisms in colorectal cancer patients from Germany and Târgu Mureş. He explains that although the two diagnostic methods target the same biological aspect, in some cases they diverge — and this discrepancy may be clinically significant, influencing whether a patient receives an optimal therapy.

Philipp says his family background includes several pathologists (his father, grandmother, grandfather and uncle), which influenced his interest in pathology — the microscopic visual-diagnostic work of pathology appealed to his interest in combining observation with clinical reasoning.

He was drawn to continue doctoral work in Romania because he already had connections with Romanian professors (such as Simona Gurzu‑Prundaru) and found an academic environment at UMFST that he felt could support international research collaborations.

Our 6th-year student Julius Balkenhol has just achieved an extraordinary milestone — his first publication as first author, published in the European Journal of Cancer.
The study, titled “Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma 1986–2019 in Germany: Incidence, anatomical site, staging, and histologic subtypes,” sheds light on an important topic in dermatologic oncology:

https://www.ejcancer.com/article/S0959-8049(25)00954-2/fulltext

But Julius’s journey goes far beyond research:

Everything started with projects in dermatopathology and deep learning, where he and his collaborators — Centroderm, NeraCare, and the University of Wuppertal — developed models predicting the survival of melanoma patients solely from H&E-stained slides. Later, in cooperation with Centroderm and the University of Bremen, he worked on using AI to diagnose and classify skin diseases from microscopic biopsy images.

During his time as a working student in an AI company, Julius experienced the major challenges of digitization in pathology firsthand. Instead of merely observing these issues, he decided to act. Together with his co-founder Sören Wierzba, who studied economics, he established Beratung Digitale Pathologie (BDP) oHG — a consulting company dedicated to improving digital pathology workflows.
Their clients include pathology laboratories, major clinical groups, and software developers.

Today, Julius and his team — which includes a master’s in mathematics, a master’s in bioinformatics, a PhD in medical image segmentation, and eight students from UMFST-UMCH and other universities — are developing innovative projects that will be publicly released soon.

On December 3, Julius will share his story at Reach Higher – Student Edition, titled:
💬 “From study bench to research to business – Why any of those matter.”

We’re truly proud of Julius — a brilliant example of how curiosity, courage, and creativity can shape an international medical careeralready during one’s studies. 🌍👏

On April 4, 2025, Research Day 2025 took place simultaneously at UMCH in Hamburg and UMFST in Târgu Mureș. At three different venues at each location, students presented their academic work and research projects from various medical fields.

As in previous years, students from both campuses had the opportunity to submit abstracts. The selected contributions were categorized into clinical and preclinical disciplines. All participating students presented their research ideas and projects in short lectures – either in person or via online connection.

The scientific level of the presentations was impressive: topics ranged from basic science studies to practice-oriented clinical questions. The academic committees were visibly impressed by the students’ commitment, creativity, and the depth of their research. At the end of the day, outstanding contributions in both categories were recognized with awards.

Research Day 2025 once again demonstrated the enormous potential of emerging researchers – and highlighted the importance of international exchange in medical science and education.

With his ReachHigher lecture "Appendicitis and Hernia – without and with incarceration – two common diseases," Hon.-Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Jentschura kicked off the year 2025 at UMCH with a special highlight. The Medical Director captivated first and second-year students with an exciting mix of medical knowledge, illustrative graphics, and real surgical insights.

The focus was on two common medical conditions: appendicitis and hernias – also known as tissue ruptures. Dr. Jentschura provided a clear explanation of how the appendix, a small appendage of the intestine, can become inflamed and why this can have serious consequences if left untreated. He impressively demonstrated that while theoretical knowledge from textbooks forms the foundation, anatomy often looks different in the operating room. Using surgical images and videos, students gained a rare glimpse into real medical practice.

The topic of hernias was also vividly addressed. Dr. Jentschura explained how weaknesses in the abdominal wall can lead to tissue or organs protruding outward. From inguinal hernias to complex cases with incarcerated tissue, he guided participants through the challenges and solutions in surgery. Here too, he emphasized the importance of understanding human anatomy to act safely and effectively in practice.

The voluntary lecture attracted numerous interested students to the fully packed lecture hall. Dr. Jentschura had already impressed with his lecture in November, and his return to the UMCH campus was eagerly anticipated. His new topic offered participants unique insights into practice and demonstrated the value of such events in gaining new perspectives beyond regular studies and deepening their enthusiasm for medicine.

During the UMFST-UMCH Days 2024, students had the opportunity to submit abstracts addressing research-relevant questions in medicine. Promoting research holds significant importance at UMFST-UMCH, and the Scientific Sessions held during the University Days contributed to supporting students in this field.

Students presented a variety of topics in short presentations at the Hamburg Campus auditorium, impressing the committees. Both clinical and pre-clinical committees evaluated the students’ work and announced the winners of the Scientific Sessions.

Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievements:

1st Place:

• Alessandro Aust with the topic: “Acetyl-L-Carnitine as a beneficial supplement against cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration”

• Katharina Kremmin with the topic: “Indications for labor induction in Germany: Clinical guidelines and reproductive outcomes”

2nd Place:

• Aurelio Pio Russo with the topic: “Utilizing artificial intelligence for automated Cobb angle measurement in scoliosis diagnosis and assessment”

• Charlotte Kuna with the topic: “Predictors of mortality in pulmonary sepsis”

3rd Place:

• Ivan Bergo with the topic: “Lipoxins: Potential therapeutic strategies in diabetic nephropathy”

• Juliana Sobral Gonçalves with the topic: “Medical student’s assessment of flow velocities and pulsatile index using transcranial Doppler on healthy subjects: Case series”

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Research Committee for their support and dedication.

As part of the UMFST-UMCH Days 2023, the event called "Research Day for Medical Students" took place on May 6. Both students from the Hamburg Campus and their fellow students from the UMFST Main Campus in Targu Mures had the opportunity to submit abstracts. The students, whose abstracts were classified thematically into clinical and pre-clinical teaching subjects, all had the opportunity to present their research concepts during the event. Some were connected via Zoom for this purpose, however, a large proportion of the research-enthusiastic students were physically present.

The scientific sessions were opened by short addresses by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in English, Assoc. Prof. Simona Muresan, and the Medical Director of the Hamburg Campus, Hon.-Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Jentschura. Prof. Amelia Tero-Vescan, Prof. Mark Slevin and Prof. Adrian Man were present as the Scientific Committee for the group of students whose abstracts were assigned to preclinical subjects. Serving as secretary was Assist. Anca Cighir. For the clinical subjects, the Scientific Committee consisted of Hon. Prof. Jentschura, Hon. Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Andreas Lübbe, Prof. Prof. Tiberiu Bataga and Assoc. Prof. Andreea Varga. The secretary of this group was Assist. Ioan Balmos.

After the students had given short presentations on a considerable range of different topics, thus evidently impressing the panels, the respective scientific committees selected the winners of the Scientific Sessions.

Winners:

• 1st Place: Ivan Bergo (“Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators as Preventive and Therapeutic Agents of Chronic Complications in Diabetes Mellitus”)

• 2nd Place: Latrick Lechsner & Maria-Antonia Balan (“Usefulness of Digital Learning – Can We Bring Pharmacological Teaching to the Next Level?”)

• 3rd Place: Erik Hartzo (“Endarterectomy for Moderate and Severe Carotid Stenosis: Friend or Foe?”)

Additional accolades for strong submissions:

• Nicoleta Arnaut („C-Reactive Protein Associated Inflammation in Diabetic Wound Healing and its Possible Contribution to Neurodegeneration”)

• Assala Teguiche („Risk Factors for New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery”)

• Giulia Valentini & Jose Valles Fons (“Pregnancy Related Alteration in CYP1A2/CY3A4 Enzyme Activity in Antipsychotic Therapy”)

• Julius Balkenhol & Patrick Lechsner („Assessing Potential for Biological Therapeutics to Reduce the Risk Profile of Pharmacotherapy in Myasthenia Gravis”)