Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterized by pathologically low body weight. It often manifests during childhood or adolescence, taking a chronic course, and fewer than 50% of those affected make a full recovery. Chronic underweight can affect many different bodily systems and lead to secondary damage.

The research group focuses on structural and molecular changes, investigating them using both the activity-based anorexia animal model and a translational approach in patients. The animal model is based on weight loss leading to hyperactivity. In addition to the chronic phase, the model incorporates a refeeding phase to investigate the processes that occur during underweight conditions and the influence of subsequent weight gain, in a manner analogous to clinical treatment. The focus is on structural changes in the brain and cardiopulmonary system. In addition to structural changes, molecular markers that can provide individual insights into the patient’s condition or the course of the disease are also being investigated.

This project addresses a gap in research by investigating fundamental changes in AN at multiple levels. The aim is to identify changes that do not fully resolve, leaving a kind of scar as a form of bodily memory. Enhanced understanding of the pathophysiology will enable preventive measures to be introduced at an early stage, positively impacting the long-term health of rehabilitated patients.

Studium und akademische Ausbildung

• 2022 Promotion zur Dr’in rer. nat. an der RWTH Aachen – Study of inflammatory-related miRNAs after acute CNS injuries
• 2018 M.Sc. Biologie, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen
• 2016 B.Sc. Biowissenschaften, Universität Münster

Wissenschaftlicher Werdegang

• seit 10/2024 Post-Doc Wissenschaftlerin am Institut für Funktionelle und Angewandte Anatomie, Medizinische Hohschule Hannover
• 09/2022 – 09/2024 Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Institut für Neuroanatomie, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen
• 12/2018 – 09/2022 Promotionsstudentin, Institut für Neuroanatomie, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen

Förderungen

• 07/2025 – 06/2028 nextGENERATION, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Else-Kröner-Fresenius gefördertes Medical Scientist Programm
• 01/2024 – 12/2025 START, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen
• 01/2023 – 12/2025 Doktor Robert Pfleger-Stiftung, Bamberg

Ausgewählte Publikationen

• Korten NM, Blischke L, Thelen AC, Schulze Eckel A, van Egmond M, Verspohl V, Neumann M, Kneisel L, Tran M, Beyer C, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Keller L, Bang C, Andreani NA, Seitz J, Trinh S, Voelz C. From gut to brain: effects of fecal microbiota transplants from humans to rats on hippocampal gene regulation - a study on anorexia nervosa. Transl Psychiatry. 2026 Apr 30;16(1):238. doi: 10.1038/s41398-026-04056-9. PMID: 42062245; PMCID: PMC13133121.
• Korten NM, Thelen AC, Voelz C, Beyer C, Seitz J, Trinh S, Blischke L. Exploring the Link Between the Gut Microbiota and Epigenetic Factors in Anorexia Nervosa. Brain Behav. 2025 Aug;15(8):e70733. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70733. PMID: 40842134; PMCID: PMC12370852.
• Käver L and Voelz C, Specht HE, Thelen AC, Keller L, Dahmen B, Andreani NA, Tenbrock K, Biemann R, Borucki K, Dempfle A, Baines JF, Beyer C, Herpertz-Dahlmann B, Trinh S, Seitz J. Cytokine and Microbiome Changes in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa at Admission, Discharge, and One-Year Follow-Up. Nutrients. 2024 May 23;16(11):1596. doi: 10.3390/nu16111596. PMID: 38892530; PMCID: PMC11174589.
• Voelz C, Schaack LEM, Kogel V, Beyer C, Seitz J, Trinh S. Reversibility of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Markers During Long-Term Glucose Starvation in Astrocytes. J Mol Neurosci. 2024 May 16;74(2):53. doi: 10.1007/s12031-024-02223-5. PMID: 38750341; PMCID: PMC11096255.
• Voelz C, Trinh S, Käver L, Tran MT, Beyer C, Seitz J. MiRNA research-The potential for understanding the multiple facets of anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord. 2024 Jul;57(7):1489-1494. doi: 10.1002/eat.24204. Epub 2024 Mar 28. PMID: 38545802.

Forschungsschwerpunkte

• Anorexia nervosa: strukturelle Veränderungen, Biomarker, miRNA, Tiermodell activity-based Anorexia, gut-brain-axis, microbiome