Research and clinic under one roof

On January 19, 2023, the Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine officially opened next to Charité’s high-rise ward block. The building, which formerly housed surgical, intensive care and emergency units, was gutted down to the frame and completely refurbished throughout. It will be jointly used by the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin for biomedical research, outpatient care and clinical studies. As Charité’s third pillar, the BIH has the mission of advancing translational medicine – a process that involves transferring laboratory discoveries as quickly as possible into clinical solutions that benefit patients. Now a new building is bringing the two partners together spatially: In the Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine (RHC), physicians from Charité will work with scientists from the BIH under one roof.

On the occasion of the RHC’s opening, Franziska Giffey, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, said: “Berlin is on its way to becoming one of the world’s leading international medical metropolises. To achieve this, we need the close integration of cutting-edge research on the one hand and excellent patient care on the other. The new Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine does just that: In state-of-the-art clinical, laboratory and office facilities equipped with the latest technologies, it uniquely links together under one roof the BIH’s innovative research and Charité’s medical care. I would like to thank everyone involved for their tremendous efforts in bringing this project to fruition. We in Berlin are working together to create the future of medicine.”

Combining biomedical research and clinical medicine in one building

“With the Rahel Hirsch Center we are improving our already very successful and groundbreaking collaboration across joint project lines. In this building, scientists, physicians and patients will interact with one another on a daily basis,” said Prof. Joachim Spranger, Decan of Charité. “Looking to the future, the continuous sharing of bench and bedside experiences will foster the development of new ideas, thus leading to even better healthcare options. In addition, the Berlin Simulation and Training Center (BeST) will enable us to simulate treatment alternatives as realistically as possible using state-of-the-art technologies and techniques. This makes it possible for us to simultaneously train the doctors of tomorrow here.” 

The modern six-story research building will provide 14,875 square meters of floor space for research groups, technology platforms, study centers and outpatient areas, and is directly linked to Charité’s high-rise ward block. The BIH’s Digital Health Center and Health Data Sciences Center are moving into the building with their research groups. Three Core Facilities will support the groups with cell research, genetic analysis and bioinformatics data analysis, and certain parts of the joint Clinical Study Center of the BIH and Charité will be based at the RHC. The Julius Wolff Institute of Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration will be temporarily housed at the RHC. The Oncological Outpatient Department and Day Case Unit of the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as the Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology and its surgical units and Skin Cancer Center are also moving to the RHC, as are the research and diagnostic teams of the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neuropathology. The RHC will also be home to the Berlin Simulation and Training Center (BeST), which provides training to physicians within and outside Charité on how to use next-generation technologies and methods.

Medicine of the future in the Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg

The close collaboration among leading global players, renowned scientists, first-class hospitals, and an innovative startup community make the capital region one of the world's leading healthcare and life sciences locations. Interdisciplinary networks, highly skilled specialists, technology transfer, and disruptive technologies are decisive factors when it comes to transforming scientific insights into innovative products for the global healthcare market.

For further information about the growth industries in the Airport Region Berlin Brandenburg please contact

Melanie Gartzke I melanie.gartzke(at)airport-region.de 

(Source: Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Communications Staff Office, Jan. 19, 2023, "Innovative Research and Clinical Care Under One Roof: Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine of the BIH and Charité Opens its Doors").