On October 21, 2024, a celebratory symposium to mark the 30th anniversary of the EPIC Potsdam Study took place at the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE). Also known as the Brandenburg Nutrition and Cancer Study, the prospective cohort study comprising 27,548 participants has played an important role in global nutrition research since 1994. The symposium offered an exciting review of three decades of successful research, presented milestones and future plans and provided insights into the impressive career paths of former and current scientists.

A unique success story

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Potsdam Study, which was initiated as part of the European EPIC cohort study for research into cancer and other chronic diseases, is an example of sustainable nutrition and prevention research. 

In his opening speech, the Scientific Director of the DIfE, Prof. Dr. Tilman Grune, explained how the study has developed since its beginnings in 1994 into an indispensable database from which the researchers gain important insights into the relationships between diet, lifestyle and the occurrence of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, for example. 

“We owe the success of the EPIC Potsdam Study not only to our loyal study participants, but also to our dedicated employees and all the funding bodies that provide the necessary funding,” emphasized Grune in his speech. 

He also paid tribute to both the visionary work of Adjunct Prof. Dr. Heiner Boeing who is considered the “father” of the EPIC Potsdam study, and to the successful continuation of this pioneering work by Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze who took over the management of the study in 2019. Their joint efforts have made it possible to establish the cohort study as an integral part of health research in Germany. 

The administrative director, Dr. Birgit Schröder-Smeibidl, also highlighted the continuous development of the Human Study Center and the central importance of its services and infrastructure for the EPIC Potsdam Study. “With the new Gerty Cori House, the research center and the biobank received adequate and technically state-of-the-art premises, an enormous added value for all human studies, but especially for EPIC Potsdam. My heartfelt thanks go to all those who have worked at the Human Study Center with great dedication and expertise,” said Schröder-Smeibidl.

Partnership for the future

A highlight of the morning was the laudatory speech by Prof. Dr. Annette Schürmann who, in her function as Director of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), praised not only the scientific successes of the EPIC Potsdam Study, but also the strategic partnership between the DZD and the DIfE. “The EPIC Potsdam Study is an incredible treasure for diabetes research with great potential. The approximately 130 DZD publications to date with data from the EPIC Potsdam Study speak for themselves,” summarized Schürmann. In particular, the DIfE-developed German Diabetes Risk Test is a valuable result for DZD research on the way to a future without diabetes.

Focus on study participants

A central component of the day was the exchange between former and current employees of the EPIC Potsdam Study. In addition to personal memories, the focus was also on a substantive examination of professional development, which was made possible by the work on the study.

Prof. Dr. Anja Kroke, who played a key role in setting up the study in its early years, kicked things off. She described how important such a cohort study is for long-term risk assessment and the development of scientifically sound nutritional recommendations based on reliable data. 
 

Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze during his lecture “30 years of discovery – development and results of the EPIC Potsdam Study”. © Carolin Schrandt/DIfE
 

Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze, Head of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology and current Study Director, also reviewed the past decades and gave an outlook on future challenges. He emphasized the importance of the 4,500-participant EPIC-DZD sub-study, which has been made possible since 2014 as a follow-up study to the EPIC Potsdam Study thanks to funding from the DZD. He also highlighted the importance of the EPIC Potsdam Study as part of the national research data infrastructure NFDI4Health. It is important to harmonize and standardize the data in order to make it even more usable for future research projects. 

He also thanked everyone involved for their commitment and particularly emphasized the importance of the volunteers. “I have the utmost respect for the fact that the participants have dedicated themselves to our study over decades and that we were able to record a remarkable response rate in all follow-up observations.” 

Lasting effect and new impetus

This was followed by further contributions from former researchers of the EPIC Potsdam Study, who showed how their work on the study shaped their careers and what topics they are researching today. The presentations covered a wide range of topics – from the identification of biomarkers for the prevention of chronic diseases and more precise approaches in nutrition-based disease prevention through metabolomics or lipidomics to nutritional surveys in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa. Practical approaches, such as the continuous development of risk tests at the DIfE, were also presented. All presentations highlighted the lasting impact of EPIC data on individual research and international cooperation.

Closing and conclusion

The symposium concluded with four presentations by current DIfE scientists who presented their latest projects based on the comprehensive EPIC data. These exciting insights into the research of different departments showed how the study data continue to drive DIfE research and contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases. 
 

The symposium speakers (from left to right): Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze, Prof. Dr. Krasimira Aleksandrova, Prof. Dr. Ina Danquah, Prof. Dr. Anja Kroke and Assist. Prof. Dr. Clemens Wittenbecher. © Carolin Schrandt/DIfE
 

This was followed by a relaxed get-together. Here, guests were able to playfully explore the history of the EPIC Potsdam Study in a quiz and reminisce about three eventful decades of study in an entertaining picture show. 

Here you will find further information on the symposium and a photo gallery.

Background information on the EPIC Potsdam Study

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Potsdam Study, also known as the Brandenburg Nutrition and Cancer Study (BEK), is a population-based prospective cohort study and part of the EPIC Study, which was initiated in the early 1990s as part of the EU program “Europe Against Cancer.” The aim of the EPIC study is to investigate the relationship between diet, nutritional status, lifestyle and environmental factors and the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

The EPIC Potsdam Study cohort comprises 27,548 participants. That is around five percent of the entire EPIC cohort of around 521,000 participants. The 16,644 women from Brandenburg were mainly between 35 and 64 years old at the start of the study and the 10,904 men from Brandenburg were mainly between 40 and 64 years old. 

With its extensive database, the EPIC Potsdam Study serves as a basis for population-based epidemiological research at the DIfE. The research results contribute to creating the scientific basis for possible preventive measures and improving the health of the population. The data obtained has so far been used to generate two non-invasive risk tests that determine the individual risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next ten years (DIfE – German Diabetes Risk Test^®) or heart attack and stroke (cardiovascular disease risk test) within the next ten years.

The EPIC Potsdam Study was conducted by adjunct Prof. Dr. Heiner Boeing until 2019. At the beginning of 2019, Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze, Head of the Department of Molecular Epidemiology, took over the scientific management of the study.

Scientific contact
Prof. Dr. Matthias Schulze
Head of EPIC Potsdam study
Phone: +49 33 200 88-2434
E-mail: schulze(at)dife.de

Press contact
Public relations DIfE
Phone: +49 (0)33 200 88 - 2335
E-Mail: presse(at)dife.de
 

German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke 
The DIfE is a member of the Leibniz Association. It investigates the causes of diet-related diseases in order to develop new strategies for prevention and therapy and to provide dietary recommendations. Its research focus includes the causes and consequences of the metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of obesity, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and lipid metabolism disorder, as well as the role of diet in healthy aging and the biological basis of food choices and eating habits. www.dife.de/en

The German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) is one of eight German Centers for Health Research. It brings together experts in the field of diabetes research and combines basic research, translational research, epidemiology and clinical applications. The aim is to develop novel strategies for personalized prevention and treatment of diabetes. www.dzd-ev.de/en