The Bavarian Minister of the Interior and Sports, Joachim Herrmann, visited the TUM Campus in the Olympic Park (TUM CiO) on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Having already visited the campus in February 2023 as part of a graduation ceremony for police mountain and ski guides, Herrmann has now accepted an invitation for an extended tour. While all lecture halls, seminar rooms and sports halls have been in operation since October 2021, the third and final construction phase of the new building is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
During his visit, the Minister of the Interior and Sports was impressed by one of the most modern scientific locations for health and sports sciences in Europe, which is used by around 3,000 students per semester: "The Free State of Bavaria is already contributing over 211 million euros to the project - these are important, forward-looking investments for Munich and Bavaria. Bavaria can be proud of this flagship project."
On October 1, 2023, the former Faculties of Medicine and Sport and Health Sciences merged to form the new TUM School of Medicine and Health. Dean Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stephanie Combs explained the advantages of this to Minister of State Herrmann: "The new TUM School of Medicine and Health uniquely combines the subjects of medicine, sport and health sciences. And this connection is practiced in an outstanding way at the TUM Campus in the Olympic Park. Medicine benefits when people take part in sport and keep moving, as sport and exercise are the best way to prevent illness. In the laboratories on campus, it is possible to investigate, among other things, how patients can be trained and made fit so that they can be discharged from hospital after an illness."
During the tour, Herrmann was given exclusive insights into the design of the campus and the various sections, such as the laboratory and diagnostics areas. "At the TUM Campus in the Olympiapark, we wanted to offer transparent insights into the halls and seminar rooms with the central Rue Interieur. What particularly distinguishes the campus is the combination of theory and practice. What is learned in theory during lectures or seminars in the lecture halls can then be practiced and applied in the sports halls and diagnostic areas," says Dr. Till Lorenzen, Managing Director of the TUM School of Medicine and Health.
During the first part of the program in the climbing hall, Dr. Claudia Kern from the Chair of Preventive Pediatrics demonstrated how people with multiple sclerosis can use climbing to train their muscle strength, fitness and intramuscular coordination. During the subsequent visit to the diagnostics and laboratory brace, the Chair of Human Movement Science showed how possible health risks can be investigated by precisely measuring head concussions during headballs. In the Living Lab was demonstrated how disorders of hand function can be examined in everyday life in a controlled manner.
"In laboratories such as the Living Lab, we can present life-like situations," explains Univ.-Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer, Head of the Department Health and Sport Sciences and Head of the Chair of Human Movement Science. "The diagnostics which we also carry out with wearables can make a statement about the everyday behavior of patients with dementia or after a stroke, for example, by simulating normal life situations. These take place in a controlled, observable environment and therefore form a good interface between the clinic and the patient's everyday life."
Prof. Dr. David Franklin, Head of the Associate Professorship of Neuromuscular Diagnostics, is researching robotic approaches to the study of human sensorimotor control. With the help of an interactive robot, the sensorimotor and cognitive function of the brain is assessed through behavioral tasks using the upper extremities. Minister of the Interior Herrmann was able to see for himself how the robot works during his visit to the laboratory.
Dr. Florian Paternoster from the Associate Professorship of Biomechanics in Sports then demonstrated how, as part of the DFG project "History Dependence of Muscle Action", force potentiation takes place as a result of eccentric muscle work. In the diagnostics hall, Dr. Christine Hoffmann from the Applied Sports Science Unit explained how state-of-the-art camera technology is used to track and record the movements of athletes in the national modern pentathlon squad. Finally, Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler, Head of the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health, used spiroergometry to explain the influence of nutritional interventions on metabolism and carbohydrate balance.
The research objective of the TUM School of Medicine and Health to improve health promotion and prevention for all age groups in society is particularly important to the Minister of the Interior and Sport. The research results are to be implemented in society and for competitive sport. "Central research questions directly benefit the population and sport. For example, how people's health can be maintained for longer through exercise and nutrition concepts or how the continuous increase in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, heart attacks and strokes can be effectively countered," said Minister of State Herrmann.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Stephanie Combs
Dean TUM School of Medicine and Health
Clinic and Polyclinic for RadioOncology and Radiotherapy
Ismaninger Str. 22
81675 München
phone: 089 4140 4501
e-mail: stephanie.combs(at)tum.de
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer
Head Department Health and Sport Sciences
Chair of Human Movement Science
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24550 / 24600
e-mail: joachim.hermsdoerfer(at)tum.de
Dr. Till Lorenzen
Managing Director TUM School of Medicine and Health
Ismaninger Str. 22
81675 München
phone: 089 4140 1201
e-mail: till.lorenzen(at)tum.de
Text & Photos: Romy Schwaiger