On 4 June 2024, around 320 scientists from the German National Cohort (NAKO) and representatives from nationwide research institutions and politics met in Berlin to exchange ideas. Under the motto ‘10 years of research for a healthier future’, the German National Cohort (NAKO) not only celebrated its anniversary, but also used the occasion for a varied programme of lectures on the beginnings of the study through to current results and future plans. Keynote speaker Prof Paul Elliott offered exciting insights into the UK Biobank – the UK’s largest population study – in his presentation.
Judith Pirscher, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Professor Dr. Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, welcomed the approximately 320 participants at the MDC.C Max Delbrück Communications Center in Berlin as well as the almost 80 online participants of the symposium.
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More Information“Sound medical data is essential for the health of all of us. Long-term studies such as the German National Cohort (NAKO) make it possible to recognise diseases earlier and treat them in a targeted manner. This makes them a real treasure trove of data for health research. In addition, the NAKO data set enables the application of AI-supported methods for the development of new, personalised medicine. With the third survey of 85,000 NAKO participants, the next major milestone of this successful project is now starting,” said Judith Pirscher.
“One of the 18 NAKO study centres in Germany is located at the Max Delbrück Center,” said Professor Dr. Maike Sander. “In the study centres, the NAKO participants are repeatedly examined from head to toe. Here we can see over time how people are doing: whether, for example, an abnormality that is not causing any symptoms disappears on its own. We look forward to welcoming the NAKO community to the scientific symposium and wish everyone inspiring discussions.”
Eleven speakers reported on current research projects and influences on health, such as environmental pollution, living conditions or gender-specific factors, at the NAKO Scientific Symposium. Professor Dr. Paul Elliott, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German National Cohort (NAKO) and founding member of the UK Biobank, spoke in the closing keynote about the importance of large cohort studies and the potential of these studies for our health.
“The German National Cohort (NAKO) is one of the most important resources for population-based epidemiology in Germany. A network of 18 study centres and 26 research institutions has compiled a powerful database of data and biosamples since 2014. The combination of the size of the study population, the detailed data collection and the long-term approach is also unique internationally. Now it is time to use the largest data set of its kind in Germany even more intensively for research projects in order to create as much added value as possible for the health of our society,” said Professor Dr. Henry Völzke, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NAKO e.V., summarising the value of the study.