PD Dr. Julia Maria Kröpfl is an Associate Professor at the University of Basel, holding multiple concurrent academic appointments across the Faculty of Medicine and Department of Sport, Exercise and Health (DSBG). She serves as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Research Associate in the Department of Preventive Sports Medicine and Systems Physiology, Research Assistant (Admin) in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Research Associate in the Department of Rehabilitative and Regenerative Sports Medicine, and Visiting Researcher in the Department of Biomedicine (FG Brink). Her research program centers on the molecular mechanisms of exercise physiology, with particular emphasis on stem and progenitor cell mobilization, microRNA pathways, and cardiovascular adaptations. Dr. Kröpfl has made significant contributions to understanding exercise-induced responses in heart failure patients, especially those with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and has developed specialized exercise protocols for various patient populations. Her habilitation lecture in October 2024, titled 'Make your stem cells move: regeneration and disease management through physical exercise,' highlights her expertise in leveraging exercise for regenerative medicine approaches. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a strong focus on molecular exercise biology, particularly examining microRNA expression patterns (especially miR-21 and miR-126) and their role in mediating exercise benefits. Her research spans from basic molecular investigations to clinical trials, including the VascuFit studies examining vascular adaptations and the HIT-GLAUCOMA trial investigating exercise interventions for glaucoma patients. A recurring theme is identifying how specific exercise modalities can be optimized for different clinical conditions to maximize therapeutic benefits. Dr. Kröpfl appears to be actively involved in supervising doctoral candidates and participating in academic governance within her departments, though specific students are not named in the available information. Her research program bridges basic science and clinical application, with publications ranging from molecular studies of cellular mechanisms to randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions.








