Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Oliver Ullrich

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

The most essential characteristics of all biological systems are defined by the universal law of gravity. During the last centuries, research in Anatomy elucidated in detail, how the human body is constructed to withstand and to live under the gravity conditions of Earth. Our aim is to understand how the cellular architecture and function responds to gravity and to identify molecular mechanisms how gravity influences cell function and adaptation. Our research also contributes to an appropriate integrated risk assessment for human space flight. It is crucial to understand if and how homeostasis of the immune system's cellular machinery is maintained in altered gravity. Knowing the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which gravity influences immune cell regulation and their function in nervous, bone and vascular tissue, is an important prerequisite for understanding immune regulation in space at an integrated level and for risk assessment, systematic and validated medical monitoring and potential countermeasures during exploration class missions. In coordinated in vitro studies, combining modern aerospace technology and methods in cellular and molecular biology and multiple research platforms (parabolic flights, suborbital ballistic rockets and the International Space Station), we are working together with research institutions from the U.S., Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia and China and with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Swedish