October 23, 2025

Young researchers from all over the world as guests in Hanover: the 14th LISA Summer Academy of TWINCORE took place from August 24 to September 12, 2025. A week of lectures and up to two weeks of laboratory practicals offered international Bachelor's and Master's students the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in infectiology and immunology and to gain in-depth practical experience. The event was made possible in part by a 5,000 euro grant from the VHV Foundation, which the MHH plus Foundation topped up with 2,000 euros from its own funds. The aim of the program is to inspire talented young scientists to pursue a career in infection research and to present Hannover, Germany and Europe as attractive research locations. This year, 24 students from 13 countries took part - in equal numbers from Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. Presentations by experts from the MHH, the HZI, Fraunhofer ITEM, TWINCORE and international guests conveyed the latest specialist knowledge; laboratory practicals and a supporting program strengthened exchange and networking.

October 2, 2025

Every two years, our sponsors receive the most important information about living wills, health care proxies and wills at our MHH Advance Care Planning Day. This year's event was again well attended: We welcomed around 230 guests. Dr. Gerald Neitzke, Chairman of the Clinical Ethics Committee at MHH, explained how to specify medical treatment wishes in advance - in the event that you are no longer able to communicate your will in this regard due to illness. Lawyer and notary Dr. Oliver Pramann provided information on the power of attorney for financial matters and what needs to be considered when appointing several authorized representatives for different areas. He also explained the basics of statutory succession and the drafting of wills. Both speakers presented illustrative practical examples and answered numerous questions from the audience. Did you know that our Pension Day is also open to interested parties who do not (yet) support the foundation? If you don't want to miss the MHH Prevention Day 2027, send us an email to vorsorgetag@mh-hannover.de and ask to be added to our mailing list.

September 25, 2025

There has been a British Masonic Lodge in Celle since 1957, which is committed to promoting humanity, respect and brotherhood and is actively involved in social issues in the region. Saxony Lodge 842 currently has ten passive and 25 active members - many of them former soldiers who were stationed in Celle and have remained there. The lodge regularly collects donations for charitable organizations. From the most recent campaign, the MHH plus charitable foundation was delighted to receive 2,000 euros for the MHH's pediatric oncology department. Arthur Blake, a member of the lodge, took the opportunity to come to Hanover in person to hand over the donation cheque to MHHplus board member Dr. Eckhard Schenke: "It's always nice to see exactly where our help goes." Many thanks to Saxony Lodge 842 from Celle!

September 3, 2025

Thanks to funding from the Friedrich and Alida Gehrke Foundation, which is administered in trust by the Förderstiftung MHH plus, the Clinical Department of Anaesthesiology at MHH has been able to expand its laboratory equipment in a targeted manner. With the newly acquired, software-controlled Patch Clamp Amplifier, researchers are trying to understand how pain stimuli are generated and transmitted. The amplifier makes it possible to measure tiny electrical currents that flow through so-called ion channels. These channels control how nerve cells communicate with each other and therefore play a central role in the perception of pain. Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Leffler and his team want to understand exactly how these ion channels function in nerve and immune cells in order to get to the bottom of the mechanisms behind the development of pain. The long-term goal of the research is to develop new, effective pain medication that causes fewer side effects. This is a highly topical and important issue in view of the global opioid crisis.

July 17, 2025

Children and adolescents with a wide variety of diagnoses are treated in the MHH's pediatric surgery department: The surgeons' portfolio ranges from appendicitis and complicated bone fractures to tumor removal or correction of malformed organs. Many patients can go home after just a few days, while others have to stay for weeks or months. It is therefore a great ray of hope that the playroom and parents' room on the pediatric surgery ward 66 have now been redesigned with the help of PSD Bank Hannover eG. The cooperative bank provided 5,000 euros for this purpose as part of the PSD profit savings scheme. And children's nurse Claudia Blankenhorn, who not only pored over furniture catalogs, ordered toys and assembled highchairs in her free time, but also on duty, undoubtedly made the most of this amount. "It's really, really great," said Antje Schneider and Christina Homann from PSD Bank during their visit to the ward. Clinic Director Prof. Dr. Dr. Jens Dingemann explained why donations like this are so important: "As a university, we simply have the problem that there is no real source of funding for these things, which are neither research nor patient care nor teaching, but play a very decisive role in making children and parents feel reasonably comfortable on our wards. We are therefore particularly grateful for this donation!"

>> Click here for our reel on Instagram

July 9, 2025

MHH's KlinStrucMed program enables medical students to conduct research for a clinical doctoral thesis during their studies. With the help of a scholarship, they interrupt their regular medical training for a year to work on their topic under close supervision and with a practical orientation. The scholarship for Lotta Völker, who is doing her doctorate in neurology, was funded by the MHH plus Foundation. In her project, she is investigating the neurotoxic side effects of CAR-T cell therapy. In this modern form of immunotherapy, the body's own T-cells are modified so that they recognize and specifically attack tumour cells. Unlike chemotherapy, healthy body cells are preserved in this way. However, as effective as this therapy is, it can also cause serious neurological side effects such as headaches, hallucinations, speech disorders and even dangerous brain swelling. As part of her doctoral thesis, Lotta Völker is developing a scoring system based on various risk factors such as age, previous illness and organ function so that the neurological side effects can be detected and treated as early as possible. Lotta Völker also explains her research in our video reel on Instagram.

July 1, 2025

Yes, that is the answer at the Ambystoma Mexicanum Bioregeneration Center, where the axolotl, with its ability to regenerate quickly, serves as a model for improving human wound healing. For the team led by Dr. Sarah Strauß (Head of Laboratory) and Christina Liebsch (Head of Husbandry and Breeding), the welfare of amphibians such as axolotls and other cross-toothed newts is the top priority. While in many research facilities thousands of animals live in cramped conditions in solitary confinement and are often only expected to survive until the end of their studies, the situation here is completely different: In fully equipped aquariums and terrariums, the animals lead a life close to nature with places of retreat, daily rhythms and individual care. In regular training courses, Dr. Strauß and Ms. Liebsch pass on their knowledge to veterinarians and laboratory animal specialists with the aim of improving the care and husbandry of amphibians beyond the boundaries of their laboratory.
The laboratory is also dedicated to the conservation of endangered amphibian species. Among other things, they are involved in the Citizen Conservation Project with Ambystoma dumerilii, a cross-toothed newt species - a coordinated conservation breeding program with the aim of working together to actively combat species extinction. These additional efforts, such as species-appropriate husbandry and structurally rich tank design, go far beyond scientific standards and cannot be covered by research funding. The measures are therefore financed by funds from the MHH plus Foundation, which is happy to support this place where research, ethics and species protection go hand in hand!

June 17, 2025

As part of the FREI DAY learning format, children and young people throughout Germany deal with current social and ecological challenges. They research issues of their own choosing and implement projects independently. Teachers take a back seat and merely play an accompanying role. The elementary school on Großbuchholzer Kirchweg has also been taking part since September 2024. For second-graders Madenna and Raphaela, it was clear from the start that they wanted to do something for sick children being treated at the MHH with their project - bring a little color into the often monotonous hospital routine and simply show them that someone is thinking of them. So they collected stones and painted them with cheerful motifs over several weeks. Today, the two girls came to the MHH Children's Hospital to deliver these lucky stones to the team at the play oasis. Now the teachers always have a colorful souvenir when they visit the ward or look after children in the Spieloase. Many thanks to Madenna and Raphaela for this!

June 3, 2025

Many MHH employees have been familiar with Mein Dienstrad GmbH since the beginning of the year as the university's partner for bike leasing. Now Kai Eilers, who is responsible for procurement management at the Oldenburg-based company, introduced himself to the youngest members of staff. On today's World Bicycle Day, he met seven children from the three MHH daycare centers and, how could it be otherwise on this theme day, had five miniature bicycles for them. "This is a really great thing," said Martin Fulst, Head of the MHH Campuskinder daycare center. "In total, almost 400 children will benefit from this gift." Liesa Krüger, head of the Weltkinder daycare center, and Lena Lorenz, head of the Hirtenkinder parents' initiative, were also delighted. "These retro-style balance bikes look great," says Lena Lorenz. The children who came along to the donation handover quickly discovered that the small bicycle baskets of the mint-colored two-wheelers were not empty: There were a whole host of mini-memories to be discovered inside and so, at the end of the short but cheerful encounter, everyone bid a contented farewell in various directions.

There is also a reel on our Instagram account.

May 28, 2025

Thanks to the financial support of the Förderstiftung, doctoral student Lea Oehlsen was able to complete an internship abroad at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. During her three-month stay, the young scientist gained valuable insights into research into lipid nanoparticles - a key topic for the development of innovative therapies for cardiovascular diseases. The time spent in Prof. Pieter Cullis' research group, which is a world leader in this field, allowed Oehlsen to learn new methods and techniques and establish a valuable cooperation with the Canadian Institute. "I came back to Germany with a lot of ideas and impressions," reports Oehlsen, who is now bringing her newfound motivation to her project and her work at the MHH.

May 21, 2025

The Johann Georg Zimmermann Prize was first awarded in 1973 and is now one of Germany's most important awards in the field of cancer research. Every year, a research prize for postdocs and a medal for long-term commitment to cancer medicine are awarded. This year's research prize is shared by Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Heßmann and PD Dr. Niklas Klümper. Hessmann is head of the Chromatin-associated changes in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer research group at the University Medical Center Göttingen. She has been researching pancreatic cancer for over ten years and convinced the Board of Trustees with her work on the role of the tumor suppressor SMAD4. Klümper is a senior physician at the Clinical Department of Urology and head of a research group on translational urooncology at the Institute for Experimental Oncology at the University Hospital Bonn. He impressed with his research on NECTIN4 amplification as a biomarker for response to EV therapy. Prof. Dr. Markus Büchler was awarded the Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Medal 2025 for his leading role in the establishment of modern pancreatic surgery and his numerous publications and clinical activities. The surgeon has been shaping his field for 20 years and has been Director of the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Center in Lisbon, Portugal, since 2023.

Presentation of the Johann Georg Zimmermann Prize 2025
Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 3:30 pm
Hannover Medical School,
Lecture Hall D, Building J2, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany

The event is open to all interested parties. We only ask for an informal registration by e-mail to foerderstiftung@mh-hannover.de by 30.05.2025. Thank you very much!

May 13, 2025

After Vice President Martina Saurin has just turned her birthday into a fundraiser for the new daycare center, the next power woman shows us how it's done. PD Dr. Nadine Freifrau von Maltzahn, Senior Physician at the Clinical Department of Dental Prosthetics and Biomedical Materials, used her inaugural lecture in March as an opportunity to collect donations for the new nursery building. "My son is also looked after by the campus children and I can confirm from my own experience how valuable this care is," says von Maltzahn. "That's why I simply wanted to raise awareness of the issue among my friends and colleagues." The spontaneous campaign raised 75 euros, bringing us a little closer to our goal - thank you very much!

April 22, 2025

Martina Saurin has dedicated herself wholeheartedly to the new Campuskinder daycare center. The project has been a high priority for the Vice President for over two years, because she knows what the company daycare center with its special educational offer and opening hours adapted to MHH operations means for many MHH employees. Although there is still no sign of this in the everyday lives of the campus children, behind the scenes coordination with the construction department, discussions with investors and the application for the new operating license are already in full swing - and Saurin is always in the thick of things. She also dedicated her own birthday to the project: instead of small gifts, she asked for a contribution towards financing the daycare center's equipment. The donation box she handed over to MHHplus board member Dr. Eckhard Schenke in her office contained over 400 euros. And the best part? "I'm doubling the amount," said Martina Saurin at the handover. "I was so pleased to see how committed my colleagues were, so of course I want to contribute something myself." That's real commitment - and another plus on the donation account for the new daycare center, which now stands at just under 68,000 euros. By the way: the emptied donation box was immediately put back at the reception. "After the donations is before the donations - I will continue to invite all my visitors to support the new building for the campus children until it is finally finished," says Saurin with a wink.

April 17, 2025

400 was the number of the day. That's how many chocolate bunnies Andreas Brauckhoff from remediation company BELFOR brought to the children's hospital this Easter. "I'm pleased that I'm allowed to come to the MHH twice a year without there being a fire or water damage," laughed Brauckhoff. After all, handing over Santa Clauses and chocolate bunnies has become a tradition. The hand movements of MHHplus Board Member Dr. Eckhard Schenke, who received the large boxes and brought them to the children's hospital for distribution together with Andreas Brauckhoff, have also become routine. However, the joy at receiving this kind gift is always new and great - both for the MHH plus Foundation and for the children who eat the chocolatey treats at the end.

April 14, 2025

"On your marks, get set, go!" was the motto on Sunday for the 67 MHH relay teams that took part in the ADAC marathon in Hanover. The 350 or so employees were hard to miss on the course in their bright green running shirts, which were financed by the sponsoring foundation. For the fourth time, MHH plus also paid the entry fees for the MHH relay runners and this year even provided its own relay team together with the Communications Administrative Unit. A special highlight for all teams was the joint finish, which was made possible thanks to a specially set up relay stop. The "s Brain 3" team was the fastest from MHH. After three hours, 22 minutes and 43 seconds, they crossed the finish line together. Congratulations!

April 9, 2025

Every two years, participants from all over Germany and Europe come together to listen to practical presentations and discussions and to exchange the latest ideas for Nursing and healthcare professionals in oncology. This year, the MHH plus Foundation once again supported the MHH Oncology Nursing Day, which focused on current developments and challenges in oncology nursing under the motto "for each other - with each other - from each other" in February. The aim of the event, which is organized by MHH Nursing together with the MHH CCC, is to further strengthen oncological nursing and continuously develop the job profile.

A detailed report of the day and the complete program can be found at Hannover Medical School : Oncology Nursing Day!

March 28, 2025

To celebrate 60 years of MHH in style, the MHH Choir and the MHH Orchestra are joining forces once again for a special concert experience. On March 30, they will present famous works from the Romantic period as part of an anniversary concert in the Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche. In preparation for this special project, the choir and orchestra went on a rehearsal weekend together for the first time. The members of the ensembles came together at the Landesakademie Niedersachsen in Wolfenbüttel in March to work on the anniversary program in peace and quiet.

>> to the full report on the choir and orchestra and the rehearsal weekend.

February 12, 2025

The fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) has become a central component of the work of the Baobab zusammensein e.V. network in recent years. Due to global migration, this tradition, which violates human rights, is being practised worldwide and increasingly in Germany. The network for health and participation in African communities therefore supports affected women and girls in Germany, raises awareness about FGM and trains professionals in dealing with those affected. Workshops are also held regularly at the MHH as part of the midwifery degree course. The main lecturer is supported by affected women who openly report on their experiences and answer the students' questions. In order to support this important and sustainable teaching format, the MHH plus Foundation finances an expense allowance for the women concerned.

January 28, 2025

The six-year term of office of MHH President Prof. Dr. Michael Manns ended on December 31, 2024. However, he will remain loyal to the MHH, in future as Senior Professor. For this reason, the employees of the Management and Administration department only celebrated a small farewell to "their" President. However, they did not visit the new office without a gift: they symbolically presented a donation to the Förderstiftung MHH plus foundation, whose fortunes Professor Manns has shaped since its foundation, first as a member of the Board and then as a committed and networked President. Manns was delighted with this gesture: "The money is definitely in the best hands with the charitable foundation!"

January 13, 2025

The MHH not only needs a new building for the clinical areas, but also for its company daycare center "Campuskinder". The two buildings, in which 189 kindergarten and after-school children are currently cared for by MHH employees, are obsolete and need to be demolished. The new building itself, which is expected to cost ten million euros, is to be realized via an investor solution: The investor builds the daycare center and the MHH rents it back from him. However, the MHH is dependent on donations for the equipment and the design of the outdoor area. The MHH plus Foundation supports the project and manages the donations received. We are particularly pleased when MHH employees get involved in the project on their own initiative - like the four Clinical Departments of the Center for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine. They dedicated their Christmas party to the construction of the new daycare center and thanks to the generosity of the employees, €1,600 was raised. It wasn't just the children who were delighted with the full piggy bank at the handover ceremony in front of the dental clinic. The four clinic directors Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwestka-Polly, Prof. Dr. Meike Stiesch, Prof. Dr. Nadine Kai Schlüter and Prof. Dr. Nils-Claudius Gellrich (from left) were also visibly delighted as they posed with Martin Fulst and Britta Barysch (daycare center management) and the campus children Maja and Lasse for MHH photographer Karin Kaiser.

>> to the campaign website

December 11, 2024

Sometimes a small report can cause a big surprise. "My wife and I read about a boy with cancer who was being treated at the MHH Children's Hospital," says Christian Wehling. "He made a fervent wish to drive a toy excavator through the inner courtyard of the children's hospital. We were very touched that this very simple wish could not be fulfilled because there was simply no excavator in the play area." The vocational school teacher, who teaches at the Justus-von-Liebig School in Hanover, decided without further ado to find a remedy together with his wife. The two of them bought two sturdy front loaders - better safe than sorry - which Wehling delivered to the children's hospital's play oasis today. He was accompanied by nine schoolgirls who are currently training to become horse handlers and helped to assemble the vehicles. Claudia Erzfeld-Dokanikis from the play oasis was absolutely delighted at the handover: "We'd better wait for better weather before we go outside, but until then the children can ride up and down the corridors - it's at least as much fun!"

December 10, 2024

The employees of the renovation company Belfor visit the MHH plus Foundation at least twice a year: at Easter and Christmas. However, they don't come alone, but always have sweet reinforcements with them. This year too, Belfor delivered 300 chocolate Santas in the run-up to Christmas, which will be distributed in the children's hospital over the next few days. It is a good feeling for the MHH to have a firm place in the heart of the Germany-wide damage repair company. It shows both the medical and nursing staff that the work in the pediatric clinic, which is not always easy, is particularly appreciated. Many thanks to Belfor!

December 5, 2024

In order to track down the causes of Parkinson's disease, which is still incurable, it is important to be able to examine and observe patients at the earliest possible stage. But this is precisely where the major challenge lies. The diagnosis is usually only made when significant neurological deficits have already occurred. For this reason, last year the MHH plus funding foundation supported the establishment of a cohort of patients with REM sleep behavior disorder with 5,000 euros. After all, if you move around excessively during REM sleep, fidgeting or even thrashing about, this can be an early sign of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Martin Klietz and Dr. Matthias Höllerhage from the Clinical Department of Neurology are taking advantage of this fact to identify suitable test subjects for a Parkinson's study.

"Those affected usually make initial contact with us via our website," explains Dr. Klietz. "We explain what REM sleep behavior disorder is all about and provide a self-test." Anyone who answers "yes" to more than five of the questions is encouraged to have their own sleep behavior checked for one night using video polysomnography. "To do this, we fit the test subjects with a measuring device that uses a whole series of electrodes to record eye movements, brain waves and muscle tension, for example. We also install a camera that documents movement behavior in the dark," says Dr. Klietz. During REM sleep, the muscles should actually be completely relaxed. However, during this phase, those affected show clear muscle tension, which can be seen in the curves even when no movement is visible on the camera images.

Five to ten people currently register via the website every month. Around one in two is invited to observe their sleep. "It was different in the initial phase, when we didn't yet have the website and the self-test," says Dr. Klietz. "Only around 10% of those who contacted us really matched our criteria catalog." Dr. Klietz has already been able to identify 20 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder in just under a year. Once a diagnosis of REM sleep behavior disorder has been made, those affected are offered a detailed medical assessment in the Clinical Department of Neurology. In addition, participants are asked to provide biosamples for research so that further tests can be carried out in the laboratory. It is hoped that this will one day enable the causes of Parkinson's disease to be determined and approaches to a cure to be identified.

November 25, 2024

The Family Service has launched a course in 2024 that is specifically aimed at MHH employees and students on parental leave. "The birth of a child turns your life upside down, especially if it's your first," says Katja Fischer from Family Services. "That's why we want to use the course to help participants stay in touch with MHH during parental leave and network with each other at the same time." The course concept is part of the certification as a family-friendly university and will initially be subsidized by the Förderstiftung for two years with a total of 3,000 euros. The program celebrated its premiere on 26.10.2024 with the "First Aid for Children" course. Participants learned about the main differences to first aid for adults and were able to practice what to do in the most important emergency situations. The Family Service is planning to expand the program in 2025: whether there will be a PEKiP course next year or rather "Yoga for pregnant women" is still being hotly debated.

November 15, 2024

Last Tuesday, the KinderUniHannover (KUH) started a new round: MHH neurologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Skripuletz explained to around 300 girls and boys how the human brain works. For over 20 years, "die KUH" has been a permanent institution in the Hanoverian university landscape, with professors from Hannover Medical School (MHH), Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation and the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH) organizing a new series of lectures every year especially for eight to twelve-year-old children. As part of this very special promotion of young talent, they satisfy children's thirst for knowledge and provide answers to everyday questions. In order for as many children as possible to take advantage of the opportunity to experience a university from the inside, it not only needs dedicated professors, but also committed public relations work. This is why the MHH plus Foundation regularly supports the KinderUniHannover with a printing subsidy for flyers and posters. >> to the report on the lecture from 13.11.2024

October 28, 2024

When a child undergoes surgery, this presents anesthesiologists with certain challenges. On the one hand, organs and blood vessels are significantly smaller than in adults and the metabolism is different; on the other hand, there are certain complications that only occur in children. For this reason, the Clinical Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine has its own team for operations in the children's hospital. However, since surgical teams without a pediatric anesthesiology focus also have to care for very young patients, for example in emergency care, the anesthesia specialists train in the HAINS training center at the MHH on how to deal with children's complications and behaviors. To ensure that this training can take place under the most realistic conditions possible, the foundation has provided 40,000 euros for the purchase of a child simulator. The model is based on an approximately one-year-old infant and can move, go limp and even cry realistically. Breathing and heartbeat are simulated and various complication scenarios can be simulated.

The model is currently used in at least 16 courses per year, in which physicians and nursing staff practise together how to proceed in the event of a circulatory disorder, for example. This occurs much more frequently in children than in adult patients due to the smaller amount of blood in the body. It is then not only important to react quickly, but also to adjust the dosage of an infusion precisely to the weight and size of the child. "In adults, you can attach a standard bag if necessary, regardless of stature, without having to fear any disadvantages," explains Dr. Hendrik Eismann, senior physician and course leader. "With children, however, even a small miscalculation can lead to a dangerous overdose. That's why checklists and good preparation of the surgery are among the essential course contents."

Practice is carried out in teams of two under realistic conditions in a replica operating theater, with the beeping of the monitor and - at the beginning of the anaesthetic preparation - the child's crying in the ear. The course participants are filmed and the image and sound are transmitted to the seminar room next door, where the other participants observe the exercise sequence. Details are then discussed by the whole group. "The new simulator has significantly increased the learning effect. Thanks to the complex possibilities of the model, the scenario now corresponds much more closely to the actual stress level in a real operating theater," says Eismann. "This is simply great preparation!" In future, the simulator will also be used in teaching so that dealing with child patients becomes routine as early as possible.

September 24, 2024

Bringing joy to children and young people with life-shortening illnesses or making life easier for them and their families is the declared aim of the Kinderbär4you e.V. association from Hanover. Since its foundation three years ago, the volunteers have been acquiring donations through personal discussions - under the motto: You can help too! Kinderbär4you e.V. In the meantime, the association members have been so successful with their commitment that they would like to regularly support the children's hospital's hardship fund with the donations they raise. Families of seriously ill children receive unbureaucratic help from this fund if, for example, the overnight stay of the second parent or a sibling poses a financial problem. On behalf of the Kinderbär4you e.V. association, Ines Schillen, the association's treasurer, not only presented the first donation of 500 euros when she visited the children's hospital on Tuesday. She also brought along 100 pink fanny packs, which the teachers Claudia Erzfeld and Annette Wiens from the play oasis gratefully received. "We will use the bags to fill our Advent calendar for the children this year," said Erzfeld. "The girls will go crazy!" All that remains for us to say is: Thank you very much to Kinderbär4you e.V. for the donation of money and goods!

By the way: The association is always on the lookout for volunteers who would like to meet potential donors in person. Further information and contact details can be found at www.kinderbaer4you-ev.de.

August 30, 2024

Virtual reality has not only found its way into teenagers' bedrooms, but also into medicine. At the MHH, for example, VR glasses have been used for almost a year in early mobilization after serious operations or for patients with severe movement restrictions. The system was financed with the support of the MHH plus Foundation, which subsidized the purchase with a good 30,000 euros. "We've had really good experiences in recent months," says Dr. Christoph Korallus, functional senior physician in the Clinical Department for Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. "There are many different programs within which the exercises can be tailored precisely to the patient's level." For example, fruit that needs to be picked from a virtual tree to mobilize the shoulder can be placed higher or lower as required. The therapists can also set whether a firm grip is required or whether the fruit sticks to the virtual hand when simply touched. In this way, patients with severe limitations are spared too much frustration during the exercises. "When immersing themselves in the computer-generated environment, many patients also leave their own bodies behind to a certain extent," says Korallus. "It can happen that someone avoids certain movements in the real world due to pain, which suddenly become possible in a ball game with a virtual dolphin - precisely because the real body is hidden to a certain extent. Such successes are difficult to achieve with traditional physiotherapy because the pain memory keeps thwarting our plans." To make these observations even clearer, Dr. Korallus and his team are currently planning a study to illustrate the advantages of VR-supported therapy and get even more practitioners interested in this technology.

August 16, 2024

Liane Frischmuth died just a few months after being diagnosed with cancer - a brain tumor had cut off the blood supply to her heart despite intensive treatment in the MHH's neurosurgery department. On the occasion of her funeral in April 2024, her husband Uwe Frischmuth called for donations to the MHH plus support foundation. Almost 850 euros were raised for cancer research at the MHH thanks to numerous donations from family, friends and colleagues. "Despite her illness, my wife always thought of others first," says Uwe Frischmuth. "And even if medicine has reached its limits in her case, perhaps we can make a small contribution with the donations collected so that other patients can be helped even better in the future." Liane Frischmuth was buried in the Deister resting forest. "My wife chose the tree herself, my daughter always says," says Frischmuth. "It was a very overcast day when we walked through the forest with the employee of the Ruheforst to decide on a suitable place. Suddenly the sky opened up and a ray of sunlight hit a very young tree, barely two meters tall. That's when the decision was made." Since the burial, the tree has grown quite a bit and Uwe Frischmuth finds strength in nature every time he visits - and sometimes thinks about how happy his wife would have been about the result of the appeal for donations.

August 8, 2024

The transport service literally keeps the hospital running. "Patients get around a lot at the MHH thanks to us," says employee Andreas Litau. "We take them to examinations in other departments, whether in bed, in a wheelchair or on foot." However, wheelchairs in particular have been in short supply recently, so coordinating the various patient journeys has become a logistical challenge, partly because not everything is predictable down to the last detail in everyday hospital life. Despite thorough arrangements and forward planning, it happened time and again that there was simply no wheelchair available for a patient transport. The MHH plus Foundation therefore provided almost 10,000 euros for the purchase of additional wheelchairs to make the work of the transport service team easier. The seven new additions were delivered at the beginning of August. "We are delighted," says Ansgar Kruth, Head of the MHH transport service. "The purchase improves the situation for staff AND patients, and that's a really nice thing!"

July 31, 2024

A somewhat different kindergarten is currently being created in a small courtyard right next to the pneumology outpatient clinic at the MHH Children's Hospital: the beds have been planted with herbs, aromatic plants and berry bushes. A raised vegetable bed and wooden benches are also planned. The idea came from the outpatient team itself. "It's actually great to be able to just go outside in the middle of the children's hospital. However, the planting in the inner courtyard was very functional and rather dreary," explains dietician Katrin Schlüter. "That's when we came up with the idea of creating a green space where waiting children could find variety and experience what it's like to eat blueberries straight from the bush instead of buying them pre-packed from the supermarket." That was in January 2023, and a lot has happened since then. The team has organized everything itself, from coordinating with the clinic manager to the first cost estimate and fundraising. The MHH plus Foundation only provided support with the financial processing of the donations. A total of 12,000 euros was raised. The charitable association "Mehr Aktion für Kinder und Jugend e.V." contributed 6,000 euros, while the other half was donated by companies and some private individuals.

Two weeks ago, the time had finally come. Blueberry and blackcurrant bushes were planted, along with lavender, catnip, sage, rosemary, thyme and, of course, chocolate mint. The plants have developed well in the short time and are already attracting attention. We meet a mother and her two sons bending over the lavender and stroking the rosemary. "This has just been a revelation. We've been waiting by the pirate ship for the last hour. It was very busy. When we passed the open door here, the children came out straight away and were delighted with this little piece of nature," says the mother enthusiastically.

The best thing: The KinderGARTEN as a contribution to nutrition education has also impressed the university management so much that the team has received additional funding from the performance-oriented distribution of funds (LOM). The first plans are already being made to upgrade the shade garden in the courtyard opposite. "There are already some nice plants here, but we could imagine a barefoot path or something similar," says Schlüter. "We have plenty of ideas!"

June 27, 2024

When Ulrike Ende started the school year with the elective course "Health & Exercise", she would never have dreamed that she would be handing over a donation cheque for 12,500 euros to an MHH professor together with the tenth graders in her course. With the idea of the charity run, the sports and social studies teacher wanted to combine the two topics "mental illness" and "major sporting events" in the school's internal work plan in a meaningful way. "I've been campaigning for depression awareness since 2017 because I also see the need for it in a school context," says Ende. "That's why I liked the idea of not only imparting knowledge about symptoms, causes and offers of help, but also doing something concrete for a good cause."

The "awareness fever" gripped the entire school. The students in the elective course not only acquired extensive knowledge about depression and other mental illnesses, but also passed this on to all other year groups in a low-threshold manner. Teachers and parents had the opportunity to take part in the Robert Enke Foundation's "Impression Depression" project. And finally, on May 24, 2024, the charity run for the benefit of the Alliance for Depression took place. 500 pupils and teachers from years 5-10 took part and were able to look back on the pleasing donation result of 12,500 euros at the end. Prof. Dr. Tillmann Krüger, Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social-psychiatry and Psychological Therapy at the MHH, was also very impressed when he accepted the donation cheque on 18.06.2024. "Campaigns like this help us to raise awareness of the issue of depression. That's really great, thank you very much!"

The Alliance against Depression in the Hannover Region is part of a nationwide campaign and was founded in 2008 on the initiative of the MHH, the contact point for self-help groups and the Hannover Region. The aim is to raise awareness of the illness and to network existing counseling and treatment services in order to improve care for people suffering from depression.

May 8, 2024

It was a great pleasure when two of the largest funding organizations at the MHH visited the Children's Hospital: Maja Holste from the Kleine Herzen Hannover association and Dr. Eckhard Schenke from the Förderstiftung MHH plus foundation brought two bicycle ergometers specially adapted to the size of children. They presented the gifts with a total value of 12,500 euros to the sports and rehabilitation medicine therapeutic team. Kerstin Münker, Shaona Steinmann, Nicola Lo Gelfo and their colleagues will use the fitness equipment in future, especially for the mobilization of children with heart disease and transplants.

January 8, 2024

Helmut Keidel has finally been able to breathe again for a good year and a half - in the truest sense of the word. In July 2022, the farmer from Rimpar in Franconia received a new lung at the MHH after a long history of suffering. "I was quickly out of breath at a young age," says Keidel. "I was later diagnosed with holes in my lungs, and soon I couldn't go about my daily life without an oxygen mask." When the physicians raised the possibility of an organ transplant in 2018, Keidel didn't think twice. He worked with great discipline to meet the requirements for listing, even though this also meant losing 45 kilos. He was finally listed in spring 2022 and, after four unsuccessful attempts, the right lung was finally found for him. One year after the transplant, he called for donations on the occasion of his first "lung birthday" and 1,660 euros were raised, which the Keidels topped up to 2,500 euros and handed over to the MHH plus Foundation. Thank you very much!

December 6, 2023

Just in time for St. Nicholas Day, the renovation company Belfor delivered a pre-Christmas chocolate gift for the MHH Children's Hospital in keeping with tradition. The Hanover regional branch donates 400 Santa Clauses and 400 Easter bunnies to children, nursing staff and physicians at the MHH Children's Hospital on St. Nicholas Day and at Easter. The little patients who unfortunately have to spend a few days or even many weeks at the MHH during the Advent season are most happy about this. A sweet distraction like this certainly does them good. Many thanks to Belfor!

November 4, 2023

What is the connection between brain network architecture and mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders and suicidal tendencies? Prof. Dr. Jonathan Repple from Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main is investigating this question. On November 4, the psychiatrist was awarded the Annika Liese Prize 2023 for his extensive research and high-ranking publications in this field. Dr. Eckhard Schenke from the MHH plus Foundation presented the 10,000 euro prize on behalf of the Annika Liese Foundation. The award ceremony took place at the MHH Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social- and Psychological Therapy.

Before the award ceremony, 36-year-old Professor Repple presented his main research areas and their current results to his colleagues. "Professor Repple is conducting very innovative neuroscientific research that is helping us to decipher affective disorders such as depression," said Prof. Dr. Stefan Bleich, Director of the Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Social-psychiatry and Psychological Therapy, in praise of the award winner. His research into brain networks is important in order to one day be able to develop better therapies for mentally ill people with the help of biomarkers, for example.

The Annika Liese Prize is awarded every two years to a scientist whose research makes a significant contribution to a better understanding of the causes of mental illness or helps to improve diagnosis, prognosis or treatment. The prize is donated by Bärbel and Wolfgang Liese in memory of their daughter Annika, who died by suicide in 1996 at the age of just 19.

Text: Tina Götting

September 26, 2023

Evenings like this are rare in lecture hall F: A woman in an opulent white dress played the shiny black grand piano as if she was out of this world. Johanna Doll started playing the piano at the age of three and graduated with top honors before turning to medicine. She now works as a physician at the MHH, but her love of music has remained. And this love could be felt in every minute of the benefit concert, which differed from other piano recitals simply by the fact that Johanna Doll spoke about the respective composer between pieces, highlighting and alluding to individual passages. The reason for the detailed moderations? "I don't want to go on this journey alone, I want you with me!" was Doll's credo. If you looked around the audience, it was clear that this had been successful in every case. Best of all, the concert raised around 2,500 euros, which will be doubled by the MHH plus Foundation, which organized the concert. This means that the researchers working on Parkinson's and other movement disorders at the MHH can look forward to a total of 5,000 euros. Many thanks to everyone who supported the campaign!

July 16, 2023

Sometimes something beautiful can come out of sad events. Victoria Blake-Rüssel took the death of her mother Julie Anne Blake from cancer at the end of last year as an opportunity to organize a fundraising campaign together with her family to benefit cancer research at the MHH. "The team at the MHH provided my mother with excellent care in her final days," says Victoria Blake-Rüssel. "My family and I would like to thank them for this and do our bit to ensure that cancer research continues to make progress." The Blake family chose their very own version of the charity run as the starting point for the campaign: a charity walk. The twelve family members covered 15 kilometers in the Lüneburg Heath for a good cause. "The oldest participant was Grandma Käthe, who is over 80 years old," reports Blake-Rüssel proudly. 1,670 euros have been received so far and even more donations have been announced. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this great campaign!

July 4, 2023

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. There are currently 200,000 people affected in Germany, and the number is rising. The typical symptoms are well known: Movement disorders such as tremors, slowed movements, muscle stiffness and balance disorders. There are various treatment approaches that can reduce the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease, but a cure is not yet possible. The aim of the movement disorders working group at the Clinical Department of Neurology at MHH is to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, to find new treatment options and to optimize the care of affected patients. Most of this work is funded from the regular budget of Hannover Medical School, but for some areas, such as ongoing laboratory funding, the working group relies on donations. The Förderstiftung is supporting this important neurology research with a charity concert. Schubert (Wanderer Fantasy D 760), Ravel (Valses nobles et sentimentales) and Liszt (Venezia e Napoli) will be performed. Save the date in your diary!

Benefit concert with Johanna Doll
Tuesday, 26.09.2023 | 19.00
Hannover Medical School
Lecture Hall F | Building J1 | Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1 | 30625 Hannover
Admission free | donations are requested

We can promise you right now: Pianist Johanna Doll will enchant you with her skills! She began playing the piano at the age of three. She showed exceptional talent at an early age and has been performing regularly on stages around her home near Munich since the age of five. At the age of 16, she began her junior studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. There she was able to further develop her musical skills as part of the program for gifted students and two years later continued her piano studies at the Munich University of Music, where she finally completed her artistic master's degree with the highest distinction. In order to further deepen her musical knowledge and skills, Johanna Doll took part in international master classes with renowned artists such as Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Michel Beroff and Erik Tawastjerna. She has won prizes in numerous competitions such as Jugend Musiziert and the Karl Lang Competition and, thanks to her outstanding abilities, has been awarded scholarships from Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Munich and the Richard Wagner Verband Bayreuth. Johanna Doll can look back on a busy concert schedule at home and abroad. She has already performed on renowned stages such as the Gasteig in Munich and has delighted audiences with her virtuoso playing. She is also particularly keen to give regular benefit concerts for palliative and hospice associations and other healthcare facilities or institutions. Johanna Doll presents her piano recitals herself; as a synaesthete, she takes her audience on a journey into her world of sounds and colors, creating a special connection with her audience.

April 24, 2023

The compulsory elective course "Social, Responsibility & Health", which IGS SÜD Langenhagen offered for the first time this year in the tenth grade, leaves plenty of room for students' own initiative. Several small groups spent a long time discussing which projects should be implemented. Elsa Asani, Batul El-Ahmad, Luca Just, Santino Born, Finn Röpke, Nick Runge and Erik Schell decided to organize a charity run in aid of cancer research at Hannover Medical School. After the run took place at Silbersee in January and all the donations were collected in the following weeks, MHHplus board member Dr. Eckhard Schenke accepted the donation cheque during a visit to the IGS at the end of April and was delighted with the campaign. "It's really great what the young people have achieved here," said Schenke. "As if the actual organization of such a run wasn't time-consuming enough, the students had to meet various requirements from the city, including the installation of a mobile toilet. Nevertheless, they didn't let themselves be dissuaded from their plan - I find that very impressive." The organizing team also showed foresight when selecting the runners. The assumption that the 4th and 5th years would be the most motivated to run proved to be absolutely right: the six classes exceeded all expectations in the charity run - the pupil with the most stamina covered a distance of over 15 kilometers. And it wasn't just the pupils who were delighted with what they had achieved. Christina Herbers, teacher at the IGS and head of the elective course, was also moved: "I'm really proud of the seven of them, how they managed to do it despite all the adversity."

Many thanks to IGS SÜD Langenhagen!

April 17, 2023

Torsten Krieger, Spokesman of the Executive Board of PSD Bank Hannover eG, is a welcome guest at the MHH Children's Hospital. This is not only due to his friendly manner, but also because he never comes empty-handed. In April, he brought two surprises with him. Firstly, he presented Dr. Eckhard Schenke from the MHH plus support foundation and Claudia Erzfeld-Dokanikis and Annette Wiens from the children's hospital's play oasis with a donation cheque for 5,000 euros. The money is needed for an urgently required renovation of the kitchen in the play oasis so that the teachers can continue to bake cookies or prepare small meals with children who are being treated in the children's hospital but do not necessarily have to stay in bed. But that was not all: 200 teddies were also included to make the children's stay in hospital a little more pleasant. The children's hospital has a PSD Bank survey to thank for this gift of cuddly toys. The bank wanted to donate a teddy bear to the play oasis for every participant. As the response clearly exceeded expectations, other Facilities or Institutions in addition to the MHH can now look forward to the cute teddies - but the first ones have ended up with us. Many thanks to PSD Bank for their support and commitment to the patients of the children's hospital!

March 28, 2023

Andreas Brauckhoff from the remediation company BELFOR is normally at the MHH when there is water damage or a fire. Twice a year, however, he also comes to the campus on more pleasant occasions. At Easter and Christmas, the company always organizes a literally sweet fundraising campaign and surprises children and staff at the children's hospital with seasonally appropriate chocolate. Today, 350 chocolate bunnies arrived so that everything was ready in time for Easter.

We say: Thank you very much!

March 26, 2023

Over 200 runners took part in the Hannover Marathon for the Hannover Medical School on Sunday. Wearing bright orange running shirts, which were purchased for all 38 relay teams thanks to the support of the MHH plus Foundation, they were clearly visible from afar. The teams from the various Clinical Departments, Institutes, schools and the MHH administration had illustrious names such as "MHH Frauenpower", "MHH running ears" and "MHH Splice Splice Baby". The fastest of them, however, were "MHH - smells like gene spirit", who mastered the course in three hours, 35 minutes and 51 seconds. Congratulations to them!

February 4, 2023

On Saturday, the Oncology Nursing Day took place for the third time at the MHH with more than 400 participants. As one of the largest advanced nursing training courses in northern Germany, this event brings together all the important topics that Nursing staff deal with on a daily basis when working with children and adults with cancer. This year, the event was held as a hybrid event for the first time. This gave carers the opportunity to take part far beyond the borders of northern Germany. Nursing staff from Aachen to the Polish border, from Kiel to Munich took part nationwide. The event even made it as far as Brazil and Azerbaijan. Once again this year, a wide range of topics invited participants to exchange ideas. The focus was on new therapies and how to counteract side effects with nursing care. There was a particular focus on complementary measures and the question of how yoga, singing bowl meditation and other relaxation methods can positively influence the healing process, the enormous potential of these methods from a nursing perspective and how they can be integrated into everyday nursing care. There was laughter and tears during an emotional presentation by a patient who gave a first-hand account of his experiences. The event concluded with a talk on professional pride, which was intended to encourage and encourage and culminated in a talk that literally got everyone out of their seats. To ensure that this important event could remain free of charge for participants, the Förderstiftung supported the Oncology Nursing Day with around 6,000 euros.

February 1, 2023

It's not just nurses who are in short supply in Germany, the shortage of medical assistants (MFA) is also making itself felt. Attractive, varied and well-founded training is therefore more important than ever. With this in mind, the MHH regularly puts its training concept to the test and explores new ways to make the transfer of knowledge even better. For example, in addition to training on the individual wards, centralized in-house teaching has now been introduced. To ensure that teaching is as practical as possible, the MHH plus Foundation supported the training center in purchasing a skeleton and a torso model. A nice side effect: the students are also planning to use the models at their stands at the IdeenExpo or at the Long Night of Professions - to get even more young people interested in a great profession in future.

December 2, 2022

Winter temperatures have also arrived in Hanover - and with them this year's portion of Christmas chocolate from Belfor. Each Easter and Christmas, the employees of the refurbishment company drive through Hanover for a day and deliver their chocolate donations to several wards. The MHH Children's Hospital has been part of the schedule for years.

We would like to say a big thank you for this!

September 16, 2022

During his visit to the MHH Children's Hospital, Torsten Krieger, Spokesman of the Executive Board of PSD Bank Hannover eG, brought a large donation cheque for the MHH plus support foundation so that art therapy can continue at the MHH Children's Hospital. It helps seriously ill children and young people, who often lack the words to express their situation, to express their feelings through painting. Whether colored pencil or ink, talented or not, is of secondary importance - what is important is the process in the course of which contradictory feelings are "sorted". PSD Bank has been committed to this topic for many years and uses funds from its own lottery with a social component, known as Gewinnsparen. Many charitable organizations in the region benefit from this model and we are delighted to be part of it. Thank you very much!

September 2, 2022

Last year, the scholarship program celebrated its tenth birthday. And the best thing: In the anniversary year, more students were supported at the MHH than ever before: 33 particularly committed people received a scholarship, eight of which were funded by the MHH plus Foundation. As the usual scholarship celebration had to be canceled in the winter due to the coronavirus, there was another opportunity for sponsors and recipients to get together today at the end of the scholarship year. For the first time, the get-together did not take place in a lecture hall, but in a relaxed atmosphere and pleasant temperatures in the inner courtyard of the preclinical teaching building (J2). A good idea for the next scholarship celebration - at which the MHH plus Foundation will certainly be present again.

June 21, 2022

Christiane Heise and Nadine Heuser, who currently jointly manage Ward 26 of Neurosurgery, are full of anticipation: two beds on their ward are to be replaced with sophisticated mattress systems that allow for gentle mobilization. "Many of the people we look after here have symptoms of paralysis and are very sensitive to pain," explains Heise. "These patients particularly benefit from the gentle shifting of pressure points, which a carer could never achieve in this way." There are individual modules under the mattress that create a kind of wave movement and perform the mobilization so slowly that many patients are not even disturbed in their sleep. "It's also a huge relief for the nursing staff, because in many cases mobilization is simply very exhausting. The fact that patients and nursing staff benefit equally is of course particularly pleasing," adds Heuser. The MHH plus Foundation has already been able to finance three of the mattress systems for other wards, and Ward 26 owes its two new additions to the "150 minutes" campaign week. If you would like to know exactly how these special beds work: Click here for the video that we shot during an earlier delivery.

31.05.2022

What sounds a bit like renovating your own home turns out on closer inspection to be the MHH-AStA's latest project. The "living room" meeting place, which is a café, study space and party location all in one, last underwent a comprehensive makeover in 2015 and now the paint was off, as they say. The walls are therefore being painted and a new carpet laid on the lounge platform. Previously, several trusses had already been installed to make it easier to install additional light sources for discussion evenings, art exhibitions and parties. Two larger murals are also planned, which will be created by students. "We're happy that things are finally getting off to a good start," say Hannah Beecken and Nele Breuste from the student association Campus Life e.V., which organizes the events and café operations in the living room. Maximilian Marcial, who is responsible for the association's finances, and Daniel Gussarow (photo) are also wielding brushes and paint rollers. The renovation was made possible in part by a grant of 10,000 euros from the MHH plus Foundation.

May 4, 2022

Last Thursday, not only the MHH spring concert celebrated a small revival after a two-year break. Future Day was also held at the MHH in person again for the first time. On this day of action, also known as Girls' and Boys' Day, companies open their doors to give pupils an impression of their daily work. At MHH, fifth-graders Aurélie Neim Koyou and Lilli Morchner from IGS List, among others, got a taste of Fundraising: they were extremely active in supporting the preparations for this year's MHH spring concert, which is regularly held as a thank-you for the members and donors of the MHH plus Foundation and the Society of Friends of MHH. We have captured how the two girls spent the day with us in a small picture gallery for you.

to the gallery

April 28, 2022

Supporters of the Förderstiftung MHH plus and the Gesellschaft der Freunde der MHH e.V. had to wait three years for the Mädchenchor Hannover, but on April 28, 2022, the concert, which had been postponed several times due to the pandemic, was made up for in front of almost 300 guests in Lecture Hall F at Hannover Medical School.

To the detailed report with picture gallery

April 27, 2022

The Johann Georg Zimmermann Prize was first awarded in 1973 and is now one of Germany's most important awards in the field of cancer research. In order to promote and recognize young scientists and long-term commitment in equal measure, the award is divided into two parts. Dr. med. Anna Saborowski, Clinical Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology at MHH, receives the research prize endowed with 10,000 euros. As a physician scientist at the interface between patient care and basic research, she plays a key role in the (further) development of therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cholangiocarcinomas with an FGFR2 fusion. The Johann Georg Zimmermann Medal is awarded to Prof. Dr. med. h.c. Christoph Huber, former Head of the III. Medical Clinical Department at Mainz University Hospital and co-founder of BioNTech, for his achievements in the field of immunotherapy for oncological diseases. His work on the translational development of mRNA vaccination technology has significantly changed the treatment of solid tumors. In addition, as a company co-founder and scientific networker, he has repeatedly provided new impetus in the fight against cancer.

Presentation of the Johann-Georg-Zimmermann-Award 2022
Monday, June 13, 2022, at 3:30 pm
Hannover Medical School,
Lecture Hall F, Building J1, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany

Program as PDF download

The event is open to all interested parties. We only ask for prior registration by 30.05.2022. You can either send the completed registration form by e-mail to foerderstiftung@mh-hannover.de or fax it to us at 0511 532-161132. Thank you very much!

April 8, 2022

In changeable April weather that couldn't quite decide between bright sunshine and heavy downpours, Andreas Brauckhoff from the renovation company Belfor and Dr. Eckhard Schenke, board member of the Förderstiftung MHH plus foundation, unloaded 500 chocolate bunnies for the MHH. The delivery of bunnies has now been a tradition for several years and brings a smile to the faces of employees and patients alike in the Children's Hospital.

Many thanks to Belfor!

March 15, 2022

The foundation of the US metal processing company Arconic supports depression research at the MHH with $35,000 (approx. 29,500 euros). Prof. Dr. Helge Frieling accepted the donation cheque today together with MHHplus board member Dr. Eckhard Schenke. Dr. Arne Roßberg, Managing Director of Arconic Extrusions Hannover GmbH, and Silke Menning from the Arconic Foundation were delighted to be able to make a contribution to the prevention of chronic depression with the foundation's funds. "The foundation's funds will enable the clinical study for a test that can be used to determine whether a patient will respond to antidepressants before treatment," explains Prof. Dr. Helge Frieling. "The results of the study will help to make treatment more precise and tailored and spare many patients a chronic course of the disease."

Many thanks to the Arconic Foundation!

December 7, 2021

The employees of Belfor now know their way around the MHH grounds, as the refurbishment company regularly donates impressive quantities of seasonal chocolate gifts to the children's hospital at Christmas and Easter. This year, Andreas Heit and Andreas Brauckhoff from Belfor delivered 500 Santas. And to match the felt hats of the chocolate figures, the two gentlemen and Dr. Eckhard Schenke from the MHH plus Foundation, who accepted the delivery, also wore red headgear. We think it suits them.

Many thanks to Belfor!

December 3, 2021

In times like these, even good things can sometimes take a little longer. Back in December last year, Professor Matthias P. Schönermark and Heike Kielhorn-Schönermark, Managing Partners of SKC Beratungsgesellschaft, decided to forego the obligatory Christmas mail to customers and business partners and donate the money to the Centre for Rare Diseases at the MHH instead. The sum was topped up once again by a supplementary appeal for donations among the employees. The result was as impressive as it was impressive. And so the Centre for Rare Diseases, for which senior physician Dr. Vega Gödecke accepted the cheque on behalf of the team, is delighted to have received 2,038 euros. "It's really great support," said Gödecke. "On the one hand, this amount enables us to carry out special diagnostics with a view to a current research question and, on the other hand, supports our offers for the next Rare Disease Day Symposium."

Many thanks to SKC Beratungsgesellschaft!

Christmas benefit "Singing together for Nursing"
Sunday, 28.11.2021 | 4-5 pm | Lecture hall F of the MHH

We were in good spirits and thought we were on the safe side with the 2G regulation - as safe as you can be in times of coronavirus. But the rapid developments of the last few weeks have unfortunately dashed our hopes of a joint sing-along concert. As part of the MHH, we naturally feel a special responsibility and cannot accept the idea that our event could have resulted in even one infection that could have been avoided. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we have to cancel the concert. We hope for your understanding - and for better times!

November 12, 2021

Rarely has an award winner's scientific work been closer to the personal story of the Liese couple, whose daughter Annika died by suicide in 1996. Professor Evgeni Ponimaskin from the Institute of Neurophysiology at the MHH has achieved initial success in the search for an early diagnosis of suicidal behavior. He has been able to show which processes in the human brain can lead to depression and what a therapeutic approach based on these processes might look like. "Our next goal is to find a suitable biomarker to be able to predict suicidal thoughts in the laboratory, so to speak," says Professor Ponimaskin. If this could be achieved, suicidal tendencies in depressed patients could be detected early and reliably in future with the help of a simple blood test. Professor Ponimaskin and his team were able to prevail against a particularly dense and qualified field of applicants this year. The prize was presented by Prof. Kai G. Kahl and Dr. Eckhard Schenke from the Annika Liese Foundation Board of Trustees.

September 13, 2021

When you turn sixty and have spent more than half your life together, it calls for a lavish celebration. Sabine and Hans-Jürgen Rode were of the same opinion when they hosted a garden party in August 2021 to celebrate their 60th birthday and 30th wedding anniversary. "As we are basically happy as can be, as the saying goes, we decided to turn our party into a small fundraiser for the MHH plus charitable foundation," says Sabine Rode, who has special ties to the MHH as a long-standing patient. And in the end, the small fundraising campaign was not so small: an impressive 2,630 euros were raised! We would like to thank them very much and wish them all the best for the next few years of their lives together!

August 31, 2021

It's not every day that Hannover Medical School receives a windfall like this: a former MHH patient has left a legacy of almost 1.4 million euros to the MHH plus Foundation. She came from a wealthy family of entrepreneurs and had come to Hanover for love, where she lived until her death in February of this year. Half of the additional funds will be used for cancer research and half for cardiology research.

July 15, 2021

Not everything always goes according to plan in the emergency room, that's the nature of things. "But the chaos here in the waiting area was no longer normal," says Martina Toussaint, ward manager of the MHH emergency department. "Some people were sitting on the floor and doing the most insane contortions to charge their cell phones at one of the few sockets. That's obviously not possible, but I couldn't blame them either. After all, it's always busy here and the waiting time is long. There's often not much else to do but swipe their cell phones." The MHH plus Foundation therefore provided around 8,000 euros for renovation measures and additional equipment. The walls were painted and decorated with a harmonious floral motif, a large television provides some distraction and, thanks to additional sockets, no one has to perform acrobatics when their smartphone runs out of juice. A unanimous "thumbs up!" from patients and the emergency department team!

June 24, 2021

PSD Bank has been supporting various projects and initiatives at the MHH Children's Hospital for many years. When Holger Hammer and Torsten Krieger from the Executive Board of PSD Bank Hannover visited the children's hospital today, they had two impressive cheques with them. The MHH plus Foundation's hardship fund for the children's hospital will be topped up with 10,000 euros. "Especially in times of coronavirus, the economic situation in some families worsens dramatically as a result of their stay in hospital, so the fact that we can help quickly and unbureaucratically with small bottlenecks is a huge relief for those affected," said Christine Heidemann, who is in charge of the hardship fund, when handing over the cheque. A further 10,000 euros went directly to Clinic Clowns Hannover e.V., whose clowns reliably bring variety to everyday hospital life for children and young people every Thursday. "Sustainability is particularly important to us when supporting social projects," emphasized Holger Hammer. And when sustainability comes with a red clown's nose, social commitment is of course twice as much fun!

June 14, 2021

Hannover 96 and the MHH Children's Hospital - this connection has been a tradition for years. The MHH Kids Arena, which is modeled on a miniature stadium, is a testament to this. Here, children and young people being treated at the children's hospital can watch soccer matches, read a book or play games. Professional 96 players also visit regularly, so that football-loving patients can forget about everyday hospital life for a moment. Yuri Sladkov from the 96plus initiative, which brings together all of the sports club's social responsibility activities, also visits regularly. Today he had 70 jerseys in his luggage, which Claudia Erzfeld-Dokanikis and Annette Wiens, who organize educational support in the play oasis at the MHH Children's Hospital, were allowed to distribute among the patients of the MHH Children's Hospital. "A campaign like this is simply a great change for the children," says Erzfeld-Dokanikis. "That's why we really appreciate the commitment of 96plus."

June 09, 2021

Since 2013, the Förderstiftung MHH plus has been organizing one of the most important awards in German cancer medicine, which has been donated by Deutsche Hypothekenbank (Actien-Gesellschaft) since the 1970s. As the bank is now withdrawing from the scientific prize, the Förderstiftung is also taking over the financing of the prize money for the Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Research Prize (10,000 euros) and the Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Medal (2,500 euros) with the current announcement. There is also an innovation in terms of content: the award is now to be more closely linked to the Comprehensive Cancer Center Niedersachsen (CCC-N), which is operated jointly by Hannover Medical School and the University Medical Center Göttingen. First step: Prof. Dr. Dr. Volker Ellenrieder, Director of the Clinical Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology at the University Medical Center Göttingen and spokesperson for the CCC-N, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Johann Georg Zimmermann Award.

June 4, 2021

Lieselotte Kunert had supported the Deutsche Herzstiftung e.V. for many years. When she died in 2018, she left the Heart Foundation a good 335,000 euros, which it is now passing on to the MHH Cardiology Foundation "Zukunft stiften", which is administered by the MHH plus Foundation. Martin Vestweber, Managing Director of the German Heart Foundation in Frankfurt am Main, and Gisela Neubauer, honorary representative of the Heart Foundation for Hanover, came to MHH to hand over the cheque. "Of course, we don't receive a donation of this magnitude every day, which is really something special," said Prof. Dr. Johann Bauersachs, Director of the MHH Clinical Department of Cardiology and Angiology and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the "Zukunft stiften" Foundation. Martin Vestweber, Managing Director of the German Heart Foundation, was also visibly satisfied: "We are very pleased that we can now fulfill Mrs. Kunert's last wishes and use the funds from the estate to make a concrete contribution to improving the care of heart patients in cardiology at the MHH." The estate will be used primarily for research into new treatment methods in cardiology.

June 2, 2021

The KlinStrucMed doctoral college at the MHH offers particularly motivated and committed medical students a unique opportunity in Germany: after their third year of study, they can concentrate for a year on writing their doctoral thesis on a topic from clinical research and not only receive comprehensive supervision during this time, but also a monthly scholarship of 800 euros. The MHH plus Foundation supports the KlinStrucMed program, which is financed entirely by donations and other funding, with a grant of 50,000 euros for doctoral projects related to oncology. The three students who will benefit from the financial support with their doctoral topics are Emily Narten, Anja Tiede and Laura Christin Kusche. If you would like to find out more about the young women and their planned research, you can read all the details on our project page.

May 28, 2021

The Johann Georg Zimmermann Prize is one of the highest awards for achievements in cancer research in Germany. It is donated by Deutsche Hypothekenbank (Actien-Gesellschaft) and awarded by the MHH plus Foundation. Today, this year's award winners were honored virtually in a small group due to the pandemic. Prof. Dr. Konstanze Döhner and Prof. Dr. Hartmut Döhner (Ulm University Hospital) were awarded the Johann Georg Zimmermann Medal 2020 / 2021. The Johann-Georg-Zimmermann Research Award 2020/2021, endowed with 10,000 euros and aimed at young cancer researchers for their current scientific work, goes to PD Dr. Armin Wiegering (University Hospital Würzburg). Further information can be found in the official press release of Hannover Medical School.

May 11, 2021

The Transparent Civil Society Initiative (ITZ) was launched in 2010 by Transparency International Deutschland e.V. because there were (and are) no uniform disclosure requirements for civil society organizations in Germany. In order to make the work of non-profit organizations transparent and comprehensible for the general public and supporters, numerous actors from civil society and academia have defined ten basic points that every civil society organization should make accessible to the public. These include the statutes, the names of the key decision-makers and information on the source of funds, use of funds and personnel structure. Since then, 1485 organizations have joined the initiative. The Förderstiftung MHH plus is now one of them. Information about the foundation as defined by the ITZ can be found here.

April 30, 2021

Despite all the negative developments brought about by the pandemic, there is also something positive to report. Last year, we were able to record an increase in donations of over one million compared to the previous year! You can find out which projects we supported with this money and what is on our agenda for 2021 in our recently published 2020 funding report. Donors to the Förderstiftung MHH plus will receive the report by post in the next few days. With this in mind, we wish you all an interesting read!

March 29, 2021

It is already a tradition that twice a year a van from BELFOR Deutschland GmbH pulls up in front of the children's hospital and boxes of little chocolate figures are conjured out of the hold.

The Hanover regional branch donates 400 Santa Clauses and 400 Easter bunnies to the nursing staff and physicians at the MHH Children's Hospital at St. Nicholas Day and Easter respectively. Today was the day again, this time a whole team of blue Easter bunnies made their way into the wards - and will certainly not remain there unchallenged for long. "We just want to say a simple thank you for everything the medical staff do every day," says Andreas Brauckhoff, Project Manager at BELFOR. We are happy to pass this on to the MHH staff who are there for their patients on the pediatric wards every day!

December 17, 2020

Distraction and more activities for cancer patients - that was the aim of a fundraising campaign set up by two nursing staff. Board games worth around 2,000 euros have now been distributed on the wards.

Anyone being treated for cancer at the MHH generally has very few contacts because their weakened immune system is more susceptible than average to the slightest infection. In times of coronavirus, these few contacts had to be restricted even further. To make this isolation a little more bearable, Tanja Wysinsky and Isabelle Marie Diaz-Abidi launched a fundraising campaign under the motto Loneliness in hospital. "The idea came to me when I was walking along the ward corridor and heard resounding laughter coming from one of the patient rooms," says Wysinsky, who is currently training to become an oncology Nursing specialist at the MHH. "A patient had won a card game and was able to forget the strenuous therapy for a moment. I thought to myself that you could achieve a lot with a few board games." Diaz-Abidi, who is also training to become a specialist in oncology Nursing, was immediately enthusiastic. Together they wrote an appeal for donations, which convinced the Bahlsen Foundation, the PSD Bank, Mecklenburgische Versicherung, Sparkasse Hannover, DEVK-Versicherung and the SK.ONKOLOGIE patient advisory service to support their project. They were supported by their course instructor Carola Freidank and the Förderstiftung MHH plus, which took over the administration of the donations.

December 14, 2020

You can now buy them in the Canteen since December 10: Mouth-nose covers with the MHH logo. Thanks to the support of the MHH plus Foundation, the price remains moderate.

All MHH employees now have to wear face masks at least some of the time, even when they are not in contact with patients: in the corridors, in stairwells or even all day at work if they share an office and working from home is not possible. Central Purchasing therefore came up with the idea of having textile face masks with the MHH logo made and offering them for sale within the MHH. To ensure that the masks remain affordable, the MHH plus Foundation supported the campaign with a sum of 10,000 euros. The masks have been available in the Canteen for three euros each since December 10, 2020. Payment is made by multicard.

December 4, 2020

Anyone who thinks that chocolate Santas only taste good to children is wrong. At least that's the approach taken by Belfor.

During the coronavirus crisis, physicians and nurses are receiving special recognition from all sides, be it on a small or large scale. Belfor has also thought of those who keep the healthcare system running. That's why it dropped off a load of chocolate Santa Clauses at the children's hospital just in time for December 6. However, the tasty treats were not intended for the little patients, but for all the people who look after them every day. Incidentally, this kind gesture has already become a bit of a tradition: in April, Belfor dropped off Easter bunnies.

November 24, 2020

Thanks to a fundraising campaign by the MHH plus Foundation, two special mattress systems for critically ill patients have been purchased.

The latest innovations in medical technology include mattress systems that turn a patient particularly slowly from side to side. This means that even critically ill patients, for whom the slightest movement causes great pain, can be turned and protected from the dreaded bedsores. Such technology is of particular importance in the palliative care ward at the MHH, as critically ill patients for whom there is no hope of recovery are cared for here. These people are often no longer able to move independently. Thanks to the fundraising campaign, two beds in the ward have now been equipped with the mattress system so that the palliative care team can enable its patients to reposition themselves with as little pain as possible. Many thanks to our donors!

August 12, 2020

The MHH also needs to focus more on digital teaching at the moment. The MHH plus funding foundation is providing financial support.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced universities to replace face-to-face teaching with digital teaching formats wherever possible. To ensure that the quality of teaching does not suffer as a result of such a changeover, the digital courses on offer at MHH are to be gradually expanded and integrated into the normal teaching canon. The central challenge here is to offer the ideal mix of analog and digital teaching components in order to implement a coherent teaching concept for all study programs. Part of the concept is the development of a virtual teaching video library, with which specialist knowledge can be accessed by students anywhere and at any time. The MHH plus funding foundation is supporting the project with 50,000 euros for the creation of educational films on laboratory methods, clinical case analyses, bedside communications and other topics.

March 27, 2020

It was an unusual Friday when Dr. Schenke opened the post and 40 500-euro bills fell out of an inconspicuous envelope. The sender: unknown.

The coronavirus crisis is causing a lot of fear and anxiety. But it also mobilizes a lot of commitment! Restaurants are providing MHH employees with free food, chocolate bunnies are being donated, as are protective clothing and masks. Students and helpers from other departments volunteer to help out when care shortages occur. And the willingness to support the MHH financially in all necessary steps during this crisis is also growing significantly. The most vivid example is the 20,000 euro donation from an anonymous benefactor, which was received by MHH in the post.

"That was a big surprise," says Dr. Eckhard Schenke, Head of the Fundraising Administrative Unit at MHH and Managing Director of the MHH plus Foundation. "This is the first time we have received such a large amount of money without the donor revealing their identity." The purpose of the donation was also not clear from the post. However, due to the current circumstances, Schenke assumes that the donation was made in connection with the coronavirus crisis. "We are in contact with the hospital management and will spend the money where it makes the most sense in the fight against coronavirus." We would like to take this opportunity to thank the unknown donor!

February 26, 2020

At the end of February, supporters of the MHH got to know a completely different side of the university: cooking together with people who work, teach and research at the MHH.

The cooking event, hosted by the MHH plus Foundation, was held under the motto "Cook until the physician comes". The idea behind it? People who support the MHH meet people who work, research and teach at the MHH and get to know each other from a completely different angle while cooking together. After a brief welcome by MHH President Prof. Dr. Dr. Michael Manns, the event got straight down to business in the teaching kitchen. A three-course meal was prepared in small groups under the dedicated guidance of the trainee dieticians. While cooking and eating together, there was plenty of opportunity for many interesting conversations. We think it was a successful evening. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the principal, Ms. Nothacker, and her team, who prepared the evening so expertly and lovingly - simply fantastic!

January 27, 2020

A total of three projects will benefit from the donations from special-purpose income from the so-called "Gewinnsparverein": the Pediatric Intensive Care Network, the "Hafen" project to redesign outpatient waiting areas and the newly established hardship fund for short-term financial support for young patients and their families.

5,000 euros will go to the MHH plus Foundation to support the Pediatric Intensive Care Network (PIN), which is committed to providing optimal comprehensive care for seriously ill children in Lower Saxony. The focus of the collaboration is on the joint care of critically ill children, including transportation and on-site support, the development of joint treatment strategies and therapy standards, as well as the establishment and expansion of joint training and further education events. For example, monthly intensive pediatric workshops have been introduced in recent years. In addition, all PIN participants are offered several free certified pediatric resuscitation courses each year.

The Förderstiftung MHH plus foundation will receive a further 5,000 euros for the "Hafen" project, which focuses on redesigning the outpatient waiting area. Until recently, the only distraction in the outpatient area was an outdated wooden ship for the younger children. The somewhat unfashionable and dark waiting area had little to offer older children and teenagers in particular. Now, with the help of donations, the area has been made more welcoming, the ship has been given a new coat of paint and there are some "chill corners" for the older children. Thanks to the support of psd Bank, the redesign can now take a decisive step towards completion.

The newly established hardship fund of the Förderstiftung MHH plus for the MHH Children's Hospital is delighted to have received 4,000 euros. The aim of the fund is to provide unbureaucratic help for families of seriously ill children. The fund will always help with small amounts when it is necessary to alleviate the greatest need in the short term.

"PSD Bank's donation activities are intended to express our social commitment to the region in which we operate. In particular, our bank supports institutions that focus on promoting and helping children and young people," said Holger Hammer, member of the Executive Board, at the handover of the symbolic cheque at Hannover Medical School (MHH). "The MHH plus Foundation fulfills these criteria perfectly. We are therefore delighted to support it every year with a donation." MHH plus board member Dr. Eckhard Schenke is delighted with the donation: "The long-standing partnership with PSD Bank Hannover has already made a number of projects at MHH possible. We are therefore all the more pleased to have further financial opportunities for our new activities," he emphasizes.