Welcome to the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight EBV. To do this, they evaluated genome sequencing data, which is actually intended for characterizing the human genome, in a new way. Using the new technique, they were able to estimate the amount of EBV in the blood and find correlations in large health data sets – for example, an increased viral load in people with HIV infections, but also in smokers. There were also indications of new genes that play key roles in EBV immunity. Their findings have now been published in the renowned journal Nature.

The University of Bonn is acknowledging the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 by reaffirming its aim of promoting gender equality in academia. Women are still significantly underrepresented in many research fields at university level, and the trend is more marked the higher up the career ladder one goes. The University has launched numerous initiatives and programs to tackle the problem.

A groundbreaking approach that targets the degradation of membrane proteins in cancer cells has received funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder program. The goal: To target previously "undruggable" cancer-related proteins by selectively degrading them and potentially offering a new way to overcome resistance to current cancer therapies. 

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn is continuously expanding its international relations and intensifying existing collaborations. Since last summer, it has also been engaged in increasing exchange with Tongji University School of Medicine (TUSM). Following visits by both sides, the Bonn faculty welcomed a delegation led by Prof. Jialin C. Zheng, Dean of TUSM, to Venusberg on January 30, 2026.