The Faculty of Medicine bundles its activities in research focus areas that deal with issues of high scientific and social relevance. They have substantial critical mass and are characterized by research at the highest international level. The research focus areas were developed in a strategic process with national and international review. The quality of the research priorities is ensured by the following criteria:

• International visibility
• Third-party funding in the sense of coordinated DFG programs, such as Collaborative Research Centres (CRC), Research Units (RU) or Clinical Research Units (CRU)
• an interdisciplinary structure
• Cooperation with other faculties of the University of Cologne, other universities and non-university research institutions (e.g. Max Planck Institutes)

The research focuses are embedded in the key profile areas of the University of Cologne "Aging-Associated Diseases" and "Cancer Biology and Medicine".

Across the research focus areas, the cross-sectional area "Health and Society" deals with the implementation of cutting-edge medicine in society. Here, the cross-sectional area bundles the topics of all key research areas and links them with their clinical structures.

Further information can be found in the faculty's research report.