Research Group Dr. med. Miriam Wiestler
Welcome to the research group of Dr. med. Miriam Wiestler.
In our research projects we deal with various aspects of therapy optimization, as well as the special interaction between nutrition, psychosocial factors and the course of the disease in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Another focus of the working group is the investigation of gender-specific aspects in these patients.
IBD, composed of the two main clinical phenotypes, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are characterized by recurrent, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Controlling inflammatory activity and achieving a stable remission of the disease plays a major role in today's therapy in order to prevent structural intestinal changes and improve the quality of life of IBD patients. Medical treatments for IBD have been increasingly revolutionized over the last decade, but even newer therapeutic methods such as biologic therapies typically lead to lasting clinical remission in no more than 50% of patients. Today, we believe that IBD results from the complex interplay of westernized, lifestyle-associated environmental factors and genetic predispositions that lead to uncontrolled immune responses against luminal trigger factors.
Further Information
- SIGMOID:
With the “SIGMOID” study, we wish to identify novel, predictive biomarkers regarding treatment response in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) under different therapeutic regimens using novel molecular techniques e.g. sc RNA sequencing and Multi-Omic approaches. In the future, this should be able to guide individualized, optimized therapy regimes in IBD patient care and thus personalize and improve patient care globally. For this purpose, innovative analysis techniques are used in cooperation with Prof. Yang Li's research group at the Center for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM). This study is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the Clinician Scientist Program PRACTIS.
- NOURISHED:
With the “NOURISHED” study, we are currently running a cross-sectional study on IBD patients and healthy controls to investigate the connection between nutritional behaviour, the intestinal microbiome and its metabolic activity. We hope to generate a deeper understanding of disorders within the microbiome-metabolome axis in IBD, including the identification of potential diagnostic and, above all, (nutritional) therapeutic approaches.
-
DORO:
The “DORO” study is an anonymized, web-based cross-sectional survey on sex-specific differences in the diagnosis of IBD and the further course of therapy. Study participation is open to all interested IBD patients throughout Germany via IBD focus centers and practicing gastroenterologists. If you are interested in supporting us with patient recruitment, please write to us.
-
MHHplus funding
-
Covid-19 Research Network Lower Saxony (COFONI)
-
Fellow of the Clinician Scientist Program PRACTIS at the Hannover Medical School (funded by the DFG)
-
Hochschulinterne Leistungsförderung (HiLF I)
Pueschel, L.; Nothacker, S.; Kuhn, L.; Wedemeyer, H.; Lenzen, H.; Wiestler, M. Exploring Dietary- and Disease-Related Influences on Flatulence and Fecal Odor Perception in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 137. doi.org/10.3390/jcm14010137
Pink I, Wiestler M, Pueschel L, Ruwisch J, Drick N, Boblitz L, Scharbau M, Welte T, Haufe S, Tegtbur U, et al. Exploring Physical Activity, Sleep, and Nutrition’s Role in Fatigue Among Post-COVID-19 Patients. Nutrients. 2024; 16(23):4056. doi.org/10.3390/nu16234056
Pueschel L, Kockelmann F, Kueck M, … , Wiestler M, Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Show Fewer Sex-Related Differences in Their Dietary Behavior Than the General Population: A Qualitative Analysis. Nutrients 2024; 16. DOI: 10.3390/nu16172954
Peyrin-Biroulet L, Rahier JF, Kirchgesner J, … Beaugerie L; I-CARE Collaborator Group. I-CARE, a European Prospective Cohort Study Assessing Safety and Effectiveness of Biologics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Mar;21(3):771-788.e10.
Bergquist A, Weismüller T, Levy C, … , Wiestler M, … Lenzen H. International PSC Study Group. Impact on follow-up strategies in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Liver Int. 2023 Jan;43(1):127-138.
Li G, Zhang B, Hao J, Chu X, Wiestler M, Cornberg M, Xu CJ, Liu X, Li Y. Identification of Novel Population-Specific Cell Subsets in Chinese Ulcerative Colitis Patients Using Single-Cell RNA Sequencing. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Feb 2;12(1):99-117.
Wiestler M, Kockelmann F, Kück M, Kerling A, Tegtbur U, Manns MP, Attaran Bandarabadi M, Bachmann O. „Quality of life is associated with wearable-based physical activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective, observational study”. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2019 Nov 1;.
Frank, B., Wiestler M., … , O. Fletcher and B. Burwinkel (2008). "Association of a common AKAP9 variant with breast cancer risk: a collaborative analysis." J Natl Cancer Inst 100(6): 437-442.
Frank, B., S. H. Rigas, J. L. Bermejo, Wiestler M., … , A. Cox and B. Burwinkel (2008). "The CASP8 -652 6N del promoter polymorphism and breast cancer risk: a multicenter study." Breast Cancer Res Treat 111(1): 139-144.
L Püschel, A Alaswad, Z Liu, L Zhou, M Bathon, U Seidler, H Lenzen, H Wedemeyer, Y Li, M Wiestler, P284 Sex-specific aspects in IBD: a multidimensional view, Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, Volume 18, Issue Supplement_1, January 2024, Page i653, doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad212.0414
Pueschel L, Kockelmann F, Kück M, Kerling A, Tegtbur U, Seidler U, Lenzen H, Attaran Bandarabadi M, Bachmann O, Wedemeyer H, Wiestler M., P545 Does gender matter? Gender-related nutritional behaviour, disease activity and quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, Volume 17, Issue Supplement_1, February 2023, Pages i671–i672, doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjac190.0675
Wiestler M, Kockelmann F, Kück M, et al. Lebensqualität ist bei Patienten mit chronisch-entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen mit Wearable-basierter körperlicher Aktivität assoziiert: Ergebnisse einer prospektiven, beobachtenden Querschnittsstudie. Präsentation als Kurzvortrag KV047. Viszeralmedizin 2018, September 2018 München.
Konen FF, Möhn N, Witte T, Schefzyk M, Wiestler M, Lovric S, Hufendiek K, Schwenkenbecher P, Sühs KW, Friese MA, Klotz L, Pul R, Pawlitzki M, Hagin D, Kleinschnitz C, Meuth SG, Skripuletz T. Treatment of autoimmunity: The impact of disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis and comorbid autoimmune disorders. Autoimmun Rev. 2023 Mar 15;22(5):103312. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103312. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36924922.
B. Wedi, M. Wiestler, A.-M. Dittrich, C.M. Weber, J. Hohlfeld, T. Werfel und A. Kapp. MHH-AZ – Comprehensive Allergy Center der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover. 2021; 44: 459-472. doi: 10.5414/ALX02249.
Mederacke, I., Wiestler, M., Wedemeyer, H. “An unusual cause of erythema on both lower legs in a patient with Crohn´s disease” July 2021, Gastroenterology. 4
Wiestler M und Seidler U. Mit Morbus Crohn und Colitis ulcerosa sicher durch die Schwangerschaft: Maßnahmen zur Minimierung von Komplikationen und Kontrolle der Inflammationsaktivität; Dezember 2020; Der Klinikarzt 49(12):545-549.
Wiestler M und Seidler U. "Buch-Kapitel 3.4 Wichtige Differentialdiagnosen der CED." CED in Klinik und Praxis, 3. Auflage, Thieme Verlag, Herausgegeben von Hoffmann JC. Kroesen AJ, Klump B. 2020.
Our Team
Senior physician Infusion clinic / clinic administration
Specialist in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology
Nutritionist DAEM/DGEM
Abdominal sonography DEGUM level I
![[Translate to Englisch:] Copyright: Tom Figiel](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/6/csm_GHE_AKK_Wiestler_2249e4edda.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Copyright: Tom Figiel")
- Jennifer Gill, Physician
- Leonie Kuhn - Doctoral student
- Lea Pueschel, M.Sc. - PhD student
The research group is looking for motivated doctoral candidates and students. If you are interested, please send us a meaningful application.