Research in Germany

Wild macaques that carefully observe social interactions form closer social bonds, rise in the dominance hierarchy, and are thus able to mate more frequently

During the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures placed considerable strain on families in many countries. A new study examining the effects of remote schooling on the Swedish labour market has found that temporary distance learning led neither to systematic job losses nor to significant reductions in earnings. The researchers also found no evidence that mothers were disproportionately affected. The study, which offers valuable insights for the debate in Germany, was led by economist Christoph Kronenberg, PhD from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), it has now been published in the prestigious Journal of Labor Economics.

A molecule that should, in principle, fall apart remains stable: researchers at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have experimentally demonstrated an extraordinary quantum state that was first predicted theoretically more than four decades ago. The findings open up new possibilities for controlling interactions and losses in quantum systems, a key challenge for future quantum technologies.

How do oestrogen and testosterone influence eating behaviour, energy balance and other bodily functions – and what does this mean for health? A research project at Leipzig University’s Leipzig Center of Metabolism (LeiCeM) Cluster of Excellence is investigating the effects of sex hormones on human metabolism. To mark Transgender Awareness Week from 13 to 19 November, PD Dr Haiko Schlögl, who leads the Hormones and Health initiative, offers insights into his research. It aims to combine research addressing unanswered questions about the health of trans people with basic research into metabolism.

Hamburg, 9 November 2026 – Very severe cases of malaria can cause lasting brain damage or prove fatal. Researchers from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) investigated in collaboration with international partners how brain damage occurs in malaria at the cellular level. In mice, they found that the protein RIPK1, a regulator of inflammatory and cell death processes, contributes to damage to the cells lining the brain’s blood vessels. Findings from human brain tissue and genetic data from malaria patients also pointed to this protein. The results have been published in the journal Science Advances.

The negative impact of loneliness on health and well-being is well-known, but for university students, social interaction can also be key to academic success. A new study by Constructor University Professor Dr. Sonia Lippke and colleagues, published in the prestigious journal Frontiers of Psychology, analyzes the effects of student loneliness on health and academics and lays out concrete steps that universities can take to mitigate them.