In close cooperation with its clinical-experimental working groups, current research topics are taken up that arise from the constant change in the working world "on land and at sea".Thematically, the focus is on the development of workplace-related and at the same time public health-related prevention strategies, e.g. on the increasing absenteeism and early retirement due to mental stress and diseases or on health burdens caused by the increasing work intensification, the globalized commodity trade and new industries and technologies. In this context, the ZfAM draws on extensive expertise, but at the same time sets thematic priorities in newly established research projects, e.g. on the health effects of night and shift work and on quality-assured methods in the early diagnosis of occupational respiratory and lung diseases.

The Institute continues to deal in particular with research topics that have a Hamburg-specific connection, an example of which is the complex of topics "Psychomental stress in shipping". For the coastal states, the emerging technology sector of "offshore wind energy" poses a challenge to employee and workplace-related prevention, to which the Central Institute contributes its expertise.The diagnostics of the "classical" chemical-irritative, toxic, carcinogenic and biological stresses also continue to be a focus at ZfAM.

Cooperation with the UKE takes place within the framework of the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS), for which ZfAM developed questions of occupational and environmental medicine in particular; involvement in the Center for Health Care Research (CHCR), the UKE association for health care research, was also expanded.

The members of the advisory board advise and support ZfAM in the performance of its tasks and research projects. The members of the advisory board are appointed by the president of the BJV for a term of four years.

Members of the advisory board

Fleet Medical Officer Dr. med. Diane Amelunxen
Naval Institute of Maritime Medicine, Kronshagen

Prof. em. Dr. Dr. Hermann M. Bolt
Leibniz Research Center for Working Enviroment and Human Factors (Dortmund)

Prof. Dr. Annegret Flotow
Department of Nutrition and Home Economics, HAW

Dr. rer. Biol. Hum. Janice Hegewald
Head of 3.1 "Prevention of work-related illnesses"
The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Berlin

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Hans Klose
Head of Pneumology, Center for Oncology, UKE

Prof. Dr. Olaf von dem Knesebeck
Director of the Institute for Medical Sociology, UKE

Prof. Dr. Albert Nienhaus
Deputy Director of the Institute of Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), UKE

Prof. Dr. med. Benjamin Ondruschka
Director of the Institute for Legal Medicine, UKE

Prof. Dr. Birgit-Christiane Zyriax
Professor of Midwifery Science - Institute of Health Care Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), UKE