Thomas Schmidt

Thomas Schmidt serves as Junior Professor at the German Sport University Cologne within the Institute for Circulatory Research and Sports Medicine, specifically in the Department of Preventive and Rehabilitative Sports and Performance Medicine. He maintains an active research associate position at Schüchtermann Clinic Bad Rothenfelde since 2015 and holds leadership roles in major cardiovascular organizations including the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases (DGPR) and the German Society for Cardiology (DGK).

His research focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, exercise therapy for cardiovascular conditions, and sports medicine applications for heart disease patients. Key areas include optimizing training intensities in cardiac rehabilitation programs, hemodynamic responses to exercise in coronary artery disease, physical activity recommendations for heart conditions, and innovative approaches like exergaming interventions for children with kidney disease. His fingerprint analysis shows strong expertise in Patient care (100%), Exercise (49%), Heart Rehabilitation (46%), Left Ventricular Assist Device (39%), Heart Failure (26%), and Physical Activity (13%).

Professor Schmidt has published 95 works including 42 journal articles and leads 4 active externally funded research projects with 3 completed. His recent publications (2025) demonstrate continued focus on optimizing cardiac rehabilitation protocols and expanding applications of exercise therapy to diverse patient populations.

• 1. Platz Wissenschaftspreis Deutsche Herzstiftung (2019)
• DSHS Lehrpreis 2022 (2023)

He actively supervises PhD students including Carolin Steinmetz, Anke Workowski, and Marit Lea Schlagheck, with numerous collaborative publications. His research portfolio shows strong integration between academic research and clinical application, with multiple media features highlighting the real-world impact of his work on exercise during dialysis and cardiac rehabilitation programs.