Institute

The Ped Mind Institute was initiated in 2010. From that time, more than 220 manuscripts were published in the research area of pediatrics, pediatric surgery and especially later on in clinical genetics in childhood.

Initially, it was more an idea of an engaged pediatrician, but over time, it had an immense output of essential scientific information. The close connection to a big pediatric department enabled us to focus on rare and serious diseases in childhood from the clinical aspect and makes us aware how big the number of disabled children is, who suffer from rare genetic disorders, which do not allow a child to live a normal life. A small but significant change in the child`s DNA has such a „catastrophic effect“ on their phenotype that they are severely disabled or confined to a wheelchair for a life.

When we look at all these treatment options in these impaired children, you often find „treat“-ments, but no „cure". Treatments over years without curing the disease. „Curing“ means developing gene therapy options, pre-or postnatal, one-time approaches, repairing all these genetic defects very early. This means, detecting them as early as possible. This means developing accurate whole genome sequencing strategies for babies early after delivery to screen them for defects on their genetic material.

This is our focus-not finding treatments but find hypothesis to „cure“ children as early as possible.

Prof. Stefan Bittmann M.A.
Honorary Professor