Building Bridges and Innovations in Medicine

Stefan R. Bornstein, Chair of Medicine of the University Clinic of Dresden for Internal Medicine and of the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic III at the University Hospital of Dresden and transCampus Dean at King's College London, became known through his pioneering work on the physiological foundations of stress. In his memoir, he tells how, as an “Allgäu mountain boy”, he came to terms with his family's roots and found his way to the Jewish faith. He describes how the combination of two traditionally separate fields of medical research – the hormonal system and the nervous system – led to the greatest discovery of his life. And he reports how the international cooperation between London, Dresden and Jerusalem triggered a surge of innovation in diabetes therapy. In this way, he illustrates with multifaceted personal experiences what became the central concern of his far-reaching work: That not isolation and confrontation, but only unprejudiced cooperation leads to progress that benefits people – their identity, their health and their prosperity. Bornstein's life theme: building bridges – especially now.