Education and Training
After studying medicine and philosophy at the University of Gießen and Mainz Prof. Grünig received his approbation in 1987. He specialized in internal medicine at the Department of Cardiology and Pneumology at Heidelberg University and subsequently obtained his specialization in internal medicine and cardiology.
Expertise
He is an international renown expert of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and has pioneered echocardiography and right heart catheterisation during exercise. He has participated in approval-relevant studies for medication. Together with the rehabilitation clinic Rehaklinik Heidelberg-Königstuhl, he devised the first respiratory and exercise program for PH which has recently been implemented and adapted in more than 10 European counties. Additionally, he has a long-standing interest in the genetic predisposition to pulmonary hypertension and has clinically followed families for more than two decades leading to the discovery of a new PAH gene KLF2 and of pathways for genetic predisposition to PH.
Memberships
Prof. Grünig has been the Scientific Adviser of the patients’ self-help group p.h. e.V. since 2001.
Elected treasurer of the pulmonary hypertension working group of the German Society of Cardiology (DGK), previously speaker of the group.
- Early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in at risk populations
- Genetic predisposition to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
- Right heart function in PH
- Trials with new targeted medication for PH
- Specialized training program with respiratory and exercise training for PH patients
Pulmonale Hypertonie (PH)
- Humbert M, McLaughlin VV, Badesch DB, Ghofrani HA, Gibbs JSR, Gomberg-Maitland M, Preston IR, Souza R, Waxman AB, Moles VM, Savale L, Vizza CD, Rosenkranz S, Shi Y, Miller B, Mackenzie HS, Kim SS, Loureiro MJ, Patel MJ, Koglin J, Cornell AG, Hoeper MM; ZENITH Trial Investigators. Sotatercept in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension at High Risk for Death. N Engl J Med. 2025;392(20):1987-2000. (IF 159)
- Grünig E, Jansa P, Fan F, Hauser JA,Pannaux M,Morganti A,Rofael H,Chin K. Efficacy and safety of macitentan/tadalafil single-tablet combination therapy in PAH: the A DUE randomized trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024. 30;83(4):473-484. (IF 21.7)
- Hoeper MM, Badesch DB, Ghofrani HA, Gibbs JSR, Gomberg-Maitland M, McLaughlin VV, Preston IR, Souza R, Waxman AB, Grünig E, Kopeć G, Meyer G, Olsson KM, Rosenkranz S, Xu Y, Miller B, Fowler M, Butler J, Koglin J, de Oliveira Pena J, Humbert M; STELLAR Trial Investigators. Phase 3 Trial of Sotatercept for Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. N Engl J Med. 2023;388(16):1478-1490. (IF 159)
- Grünig E, MacKenzie A, Peacock AJ, Eichstaedt CA, Benjamin N, Nechwatal R, Ulrich S, Saxer S, Bussotti M, Sommaruga M, Ghio S, Gumbiene L, Palevičiūtė E, Jurevičienė E, Cittadini A, Stanziola AA, Marra AM, Kovacs G, Olschewski H, Barberà JA, Blanco I, Spruit MA, Franssen FME, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Reis A, Santos M, Viamonte SG, Demeyer H, Delcroix M, Bossone E, Johnson M. Standardized exercise training is feasible, safe, and effective in pulmonary arterial and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: results from a large European multicentre randomized controlled trial. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(23):2284-2295. (IF 22.7)
- Xanthouli P, Jordan S, Milde N, Marra A, Blank N, Egenlauf B, Gorenflo M, Harutyunova S, Lorenz HM, Nagel C, Theobald V, Lichtblau M, Berlier C, Ulrich S, Grünig E, Benjamin N, Distler O. Haemodynamic phenotypes and survival in patients with systemic sclerosis: the impact of the new definition of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Ann Rheum Dis. 2020;79(3):370-378. (IF 12.3)
- Grünig E*, Eichstaedt C*, Barberà JA, Benjamin N, Blanco I, Bossone E, Cittadini A, Coghlan G, Corris P, D'Alto M, D'Andrea A, Delcroix M, de Man F, Gaine S, Ghio S, Gibbs S, Gumbiene L, Howard L, Johnson M, Jurevičienė E, Kiely D, Kovacs G, MacKenzie A, Marra AM, McCaffrey N, McCaughey P, Naeije R, Olschewski H, Pepke-Zaba J, Reis A, Santos M, Saxer S, Tulloh RM, Ulrich S, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Peacock A. European Respiratory Society Task Force Statement on: Exercise training and rehabilitation in patients with severe chronic pulmonary hypertension. Eur Respir J.2019;53:1800332. (IF 12.3)
- Ehlken N, Lichtblau M, Klose H, Weidenhammer J, Fischer C, Nechwatal R, Uiker S, Halank M, Olsson K, Seeger W, Gall H, Rosenkranz S, Wilkens H, Mertens D, Seyfarth HJ, Opitz C, Ulrich S, Egenlauf B, Grünig E. Exercise training improves peak oxygen consumption and haemodynamics in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and inoperable chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Eur Heart J. 2016;37(1):35-44 (IF 20.2)
- Sitbon O, Channick R, Chin KM, Frey A, Gaine S, Galiè N, Ghofrani HA, Hoeper MM, Lang IM, Preiss R, Rubin LJ, Di Scala L, Tapson V, Adzerikho I, Liu J, Moiseeva O, Zeng X, Simonneau G, McLaughlin VV; GRIPHON Investigators. Selexipag for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(26):2522-33. (IF 55.9)
- Sitbon O, Channick R, Chin KM, Frey A, Gaine S, Galiè N, Ghofrani HA, Hoeper MM, Lang IM, Preiss R, Rubin LJ, Di Scala L, Tapson V, Adzerikho I, Liu J, Moiseeva O, Zeng X, Simonneau G, McLaughlin VV; GRIPHON Investigators. Selexipag for the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(26):2522-33. (IF 55.9)
Dr. med. Benjamin Egenlauf | Senior Physician, Consultant for | ||
Dr. med. Satenik Harutyunova | Consultant for Internal Medicine | ||
Dr. med. Panagiota Xanthouli | Consultant for Internal Medicine | ||
Dr. sc. hum. Nicola Benjamin | Study Coordiantor, Scientific Project | ||
Molecular Biologist, Head of (Epi)genetic | |||
Dr. rer. nat. Lena Brückner | Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin Studien Arzneimittel- und sonstige Studien | ||
Dörte Ochs | Secretary | ||
Faruk Sehic, MPham | Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter Studien Arzneimittel- und sonstige Studien | ||
Armine Grid | Outpatient specialist | ||
Nertila Korcari | Study Nurse | ||
Nana Yaa Afrah Amoakohene | Study Nurse | ||
Sabrina Lenk | Study Nurse | ||
Kerstin Sauer | Medical professional | ||
Jasmin Prax | Health and nursing assistant, outpatient nurse |
Lung Research - Projects
- Early diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in at risk populations
Some diseases may increase the risk of developing PH. People affected by systemic sclerosis for example, have an approximately 30% chance to develop PH during their life. This risk is similar to that of family members of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients with an underlying BMPR2 mutation. It is essential to identify the onset of PAH as early as possible to slow down disease progression and improve quality of life, exercise capacity and haemodynamics. The team of Prof. Grünig is therefore evaluating screening programs and changes of the haemodynamic definition of PAH, to enable an early diagnosis and to prevent from overdiagnosis. - Identification of novel and verification of previously established mutations in PAH via gene panel analysis and whole exome sequencing.
One aim of the group is to understand the genetic predisposition to PAH. Therefore, DNA of PAH patients is analysed using the latest state-of the art sequencing techniques in order to identify genetic mutations that might have caused the disease. To this end, we developed a new PAH specific gene panel based on next generation sequencing (patent pending). This analysis focusses on mutations in genes that have been implicated in the disease already and candidate genes that are suspected to play a role. This technique led to the identification of a novel PAH gene called KLF2. In some families with autosomal dominant inherited PAH, no mutations can be found that would explain the onset of the disease. For these patients whole exome sequencing is used that allows the identification of novel genes associated with PAH. Furthermore, the group of Prof. Grünig identified new pathways leading to a genetic predisposition to PH in family members of PAH patients and in subjects susceptible to high altitude pulmonary edema. - Assessment of right heart function by echocardiography and right heart catheterisation
Echocardiography at rest and during exercise provides comprehensive information on the right heart morphology and function. The prognostic relevance of these parameters assessed by systolic pulmonary arterial pressure increase during exercise as well as reference values for right atrial and ventricular size have been elaborated by the working group of Prof. Grünig. Exercise right heart catheterisation is one major discipline of the Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension at the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. Beside own research projects, the working group participates in large studies and registries such as PEXNET and RIGHT-NET. - Treatment of PH
Both targeted treatment as well as general and supportive measures are investigated in the Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension at the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. Beside participation in current drug trials of pharmaceutical companies such as TRITON, MERIT, EXPERT, GRIPHON, AFFILATE, INOVATION and VELETRI the working group has initiated many trials on targeted and supportive treatment of different PAH subgroups such as the first randomised targeted trial of PAH medication for patients with mildly elevated pulmonary artery pressures and systemic sclerosis (EDITA). - Respiratory and exercise training for PH patients
Pulmonary hypertension patients undergo an individualised, low intensity small group 3-week in-hospital rehabilitation programme at the Rehabilitation Clinic Heidelberg-Königstuhl with further continuation for 12 weeks at home. Before and after the intervention patients are clinically examined at the Thoraxklinik to evaluate their clinical benefit (echocardiography, 6-minute walking distance, lung function, spiroergometry) and molecular changes (miRNA analysis). The Heidelberg exercise and respiratory training for PH patients has recently been established in 10 European countries.
