School of Medicine
Chair of Clinical Pharmacology
Pharmacotherapy in research, teaching and counselling
The Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) is based at the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal (HUKW) as the Philipp Klee Institute for Clinical Pharmacology. It focuses on topics relating to drug therapy. In addition to conducting clinical trials and delivering courses in this field, the Chair offers a clinical pharmacology advisory service for Helios staff, with the aim of preventing or managing side effects and interactions with other medicines as effectively as possible.
Chair holder
Prof. Dr.
Petra Thürmann
Vice President for Research
Executive Board
Chair Holder
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Clinical Pharmacology
Member of the Board of Directors
International Centre for Sustainable and Just Transformation (tra:ce)
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 50
58455 Witten
Room number: 1.263
Research
The Chair of Clinical Pharmacology carries out research projects in collaboration with the Philipp Klee Institute and coordinates and supportsstudies conducted by various clinics at the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal (HUKW). Research specialisations include drug treatment (pharmacotherapy) in older patients and the optimisation of medication safety in cases of polypharmacy, i.e. the simultaneous and long-term use of at least five different medicines.
Students with a particular interest in and commitment to pharmacology can undertake research projects and pursue doctoral projects at the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology. Pharmacists have the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies (Dr. rer. medic.).
Clinical trials
At the Philipp Klee Institute, in addition to pharmacological research projects in the field of health care research, numerous clinical trials on medicines and medical devices are initiated, co-ordinated and monitored. These studies are either initiated by the investigating doctors themselves (IIT) or by sponsors (SIT) and are carried out in collaboration with various departments at the Helios University Hospital Wuppertal. One example of such a trial is the investigation into the tolerability and analgesic efficacy of loxapine in patients with certain types of neuropathic pain. The Institute has a laboratory and examination rooms for the care of trial participants. Thanks to the extensive facilities at Helios University Hospital Wuppertal, even highly complex studies can be carried out, such as trials lasting several days or studies involving specific patient groups (children, dialysis patients, patients receiving intensive care, etc.). The institute works closely with the Centre for Clinical Trials at Witten/Herdecke University.
Doctoral projects
At the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology, medical students, doctors and pharmacists can undertake doctoral studies and complete their habilitation. Current PhD research topics focus on the safety of drug therapies, the use of medicines in older people, gender-sensitive pharmacotherapy and the impact of medicines on the environment. If you are interested in research, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Current research projects
Completed research projects
Publications
All publications from the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at UW/H are listed in the university bibliography.
Teaching
Staff at the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology deliver courses for
- the model degree programme in Medicine (StEx),
- the Bachelor’s degree programme in Psychology (B. Sc.) and
- the Master’s degree programme in Psychology with a specialisation in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy (M. Sc.).
In the model degree programme in Medicine, teaching sessions are offered during both the pre-clinical and clinical phases in the form of problem-based learning (PBL) or introductory seminars and revision courses designed to provide targeted exam preparation. The subject areas cover the entire field of clinical pharmacology – from general principles through to the specific drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) of various diseases. In addition, interested students can gain a deeper understanding of the field of clinical pharmacology through a four-week compulsory elective placement and the elective term during the practical year.
Within the psychology degree programmes, the department imparts comprehensive basic knowledge of pharmacology and addresses specific psychological areas of focus and practice-related aspects.
Consultancy
Pharmacotherapy
The Institute offers pharmaceutical advice primarily to doctors and members of the health care system. It focuses on complex issues relating to side effects and drug interactions, and provides support for patients who are unable to tolerate certain medicines. National and international databases such as Micromedex® are utilised for this purpose. Another key area of focus is research into specific pharmaceutical topics and the formulation of individual treatment recommendations. In addition, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are systematically recorded and reported to the relevant federal authorities or the German Medical Association’s Drug Commission.
Planning and conducting clinical trials
At the Philipp Klee Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, there is a strong focus on providing support for clinical trials in accordance with the German Medicines Act (AMG) and the Medical Devices Act (MPG), which are initiated by principal investigators and conducted in accordance with GCP guidelines. The Institute offers comprehensive support in the planning, conduct and analysis of such trials and has extensive methodological and regulatory expertise. In addition, GCP courses are regularly offered to doctors and nursing staff from all specialist disciplines who are participating in trials or wish to deepen their knowledge.
The team at the Chair of Clinical Pharmacology
Dr. rer. medic.
Veronika Bencheva
Research Project Associate
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Clinical Pharmacology
- +49 202 896-1853
Orcid ID: 0009-0006-8594-0537
Stockumer Straße 12
58453 WittenRoom number: D36
Prof. Dr. med.
Sven Schmiedl
Professor
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Clinical Pharmacology
- +49 202 896-1854
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-4844-0112
Stockumer Straße 12
58453 WittenRoom number: D50
Angelika Wiegand , M. A.
Secretariat
Faculty of Health (School of Medicine) | Chair of Clinical Pharmacology