Professorship for Performance Diagnostics and Training Control from Medical School Hamburg, Germany
Prof. Dr. Daniela Stein-Brüggemann is a distinguished academic and practitioner in sports science, currently serving as Professor of Performance Diagnostics and Training Control at the Medical School Hamburg (MSH). She also leads the MSH University Outpatient Clinic for Sports and Exercise Medicine. With over two decades of academic, clinical, and applied experience, she has demonstrated exceptional commitment to bridging the gap between sports science research and practical athletic performance. Her academic journey began at the University of Rostock, followed by a Ph.D. in Movement Science at the University of Hamburg. A passionate educator, she has mentored numerous undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across multiple institutions. Her research primarily focuses on performance diagnostics, injury prevention, and training optimization in elite and recreational sports. Through her roles in both academic and clinical settings, she has advanced innovative training models, including individualized performance profiling and prehabilitation strategies. She maintains active collaborations with national and international institutions, sports federations, and research networks, such as the German Football Association and BiSp. Additionally, she serves as a reviewer for top-tier journals and research projects. With her dynamic contributions to science, education, and healthcare, Prof. Stein-Brüggemann is a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award.
Professional Profile
Education
Prof. Dr. Daniela Stein-Brüggemann holds an interdisciplinary educational background, which forms the foundation of her integrative approach to sports science. She began her academic career at the University of Rostock, where she pursued studies in Sports Science, Political Science, and Educational Science from 1999 to 2004. This multidisciplinary education enriched her ability to view sports and human performance not only through physiological and biomechanical lenses but also from political and pedagogical perspectives. Following her undergraduate studies, she completed a professional internship at the Institute for Applied Training Science (IAT) in Leipzig, where she honed her interests in movement science. Her growing passion for sports medicine prompted a shift in focus, and she went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) in Movement Science at the University of Hamburg in 2015. Her doctoral research was dedicated to injury prevention in professional football, titled: “The Effect of Improved Conditioning on the Incidence of Soccer-Specific Injuries – A Longitudinal Analysis of a Professional Soccer Team.” This work laid the foundation for her future academic and applied contributions, emphasizing the practical utility of evidence-based conditioning programs in reducing injuries among athletes.
Professional Experience
Prof. Dr. Daniela Stein-Brüggemann’s professional experience spans academic teaching, clinical research, project leadership, and athletic training. Between 2005 and 2016, she worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Hamburg, where she also managed sports medicine laboratories and training for elite and recreational athletes. In this role, she contributed to training interventions for injury-prone populations and co-led the Corporate Health Management (BGM) sector. In 2016, she joined the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) as a Project Manager in the BGM department, further developing her leadership in occupational health and sports medicine. Since 2019, she has served as a Professor at the Medical School Hamburg, where she leads the Chair for Performance Diagnostics and Training Control. As of 2025, she also heads the MSH University Outpatient Clinic for Sports and Exercise Medicine. Outside academia, she has worked continuously as a performance diagnostician and athletic trainer for professional teams across football, hockey, and athletics. She also holds consulting roles and has served as a lecturer for various sports academies. Her career reflects a deep integration of academic research, healthcare service, and high-performance sports environments.
Research Interests
Prof. Stein-Brüggemann’s research is firmly rooted in the application of scientific knowledge to improve real-world athletic performance and healthcare outcomes. Her primary interests lie in performance diagnostics, injury prevention, training control, and exercise therapy. Her pioneering work in lactate threshold diagnostics has refined how physiological data is interpreted to guide training plans for both elite and recreational athletes. She has also conducted sport-specific movement analyses in disciplines including football, handball, hockey, triathlon, and track and field. Her recent research interests include exploring the impact of pre-operative exercise therapy on post-operative recovery, integrating sports science with clinical health strategies. Furthermore, she is deeply invested in women’s sports science through her leadership in the AG Female Athletes research group. She actively contributes to national and international research networks such as the BiSp FeMeLa project, the German Football Association’s Medical Committee on Women’s Football, and the International Female Athlete Network. Her research approach is distinctly translational—bridging gaps between data collection, diagnostic interpretation, and evidence-based implementation in training and rehabilitation settings. She seeks to optimize long-term athlete development while minimizing injury risks and improving recovery outcomes.
Research Skills
Prof. Dr. Stein-Brüggemann possesses an extensive array of research skills that span quantitative analysis, diagnostic protocol development, physiological monitoring, and interdisciplinary project management. Her expertise in performance diagnostics includes advanced lactate curve analysis, movement profiling, and load-strain assessments tailored to individual athletes. She is proficient in utilizing physiological and biomechanical data to optimize training regimens and support rehabilitation protocols. With a strong background in longitudinal studies, she skillfully integrates statistical tools for performance tracking and outcome evaluation. Her academic and clinical research is strengthened by her ability to manage large-scale projects, coordinate interdisciplinary teams, and implement research findings into diverse sports and health contexts. Moreover, her ability to conduct field-based testing and lab-based diagnostics enables a practical approach to research that resonates across elite sports and corporate wellness settings. She is also a skilled mentor and academic supervisor, guiding numerous students through thesis projects at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Her capacity for evidence-based planning, critical evaluation, and continuous methodological improvement establishes her as a versatile and impactful researcher in the field of sports and health sciences.
Awards and Honors
Throughout her career, Prof. Dr. Daniela Stein-Brüggemann has earned recognition for her contributions to sports science research and professional practice. While specific award titles are not explicitly listed, her academic trajectory and multiple appointments to prestigious committees and networks are indicative of her professional esteem. Since 2023, she has served as a reviewer for BiSp research projects, demonstrating trust in her evaluative and methodological expertise at the federal level. Since 2017, she has been a peer reviewer for the German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, further underlining her influence in shaping contemporary sports science literature. Her longstanding membership in the German Association for Sports Science (dvs) since 2008 reflects her commitment to academic collaboration and research dissemination. Her leadership in the AG Female Athletes initiative and collaboration with the DFB on women’s football medicine positions her as a pioneer in gender-specific sports research. Moreover, her coordination roles and project management contributions to interdisciplinary university and clinical settings underscore her ability to lead impactful, real-world research endeavors. These cumulative honors and responsibilities reflect her scholarly excellence, dedication to innovation, and high standing in the academic and athletic communities.
Conclusion
Prof. Dr. Daniela Stein-Brüggemann’s career exemplifies the synergy of academic excellence, clinical innovation, and athletic expertise. She stands out as a leading figure in applied sports science, with a focus on diagnostics, injury prevention, and training optimization. Her multidisciplinary education, practical experience, and ongoing research in both clinical and athletic settings enable her to deliver impactful, evidence-based interventions. As an educator, she inspires future professionals by merging theoretical rigor with hands-on learning. As a researcher, she has contributed significantly to performance science and healthcare outcomes, particularly in elite sports and women’s health. Her collaborations with esteemed institutions and federations, combined with her leadership in national research networks, highlight her influence and commitment to advancing the field. With a proven track record of successful projects, student mentorship, and scientific publications, she exemplifies the qualities of a top-tier researcher. Given her achievements, leadership, and dedication to knowledge translation, Prof. Stein-Brüggemann is a highly suitable candidate for the Best Researcher Award. Her work not only advances sports science but also creates meaningful, lasting impact in health, athletic performance, and education.
Publications Top Notes
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The functional movement screen for injury prediction in male amateur football
Authors: J. Schroeder, K. Wellmann, D. Stein, K.M. Braumann
Journal: German Journal of Sports Medicine / Deutsche Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin, 67(2)
Year: 2016
Citations: 19
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Der Functional Movement Screen zur Verletzungsvorhersage im Männeramateurfußball
Authors: J. Schroeder, K. Wellmann, D. Stein, K.M. Braumann
Journal: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin, 67(2), 39–43
Year: 2016
Citations: 5
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The female athlete—reliability of body composition analyses during the female menstrual cycle in young women without hormonal contraception
Authors: J. Schröder, J. Fürst, K.M. Kiefer, L. Schultz, R. Reer, D. Stein-Brüggemann
Journal: German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research
Year: 2024
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Speed and power of young soccer players in German divisional development training center: 3549 Board# 310 May 30, 8:00 AM–9:30 AM
Authors: R. Reer, D. Stein, K. Wellmann, J. Schroeder, S.P. von Duvillard, …
Journal: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47(5S), 966–967
Year: 2015
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Auswirkung einer verbesserten konditionellen Leistungsfähigkeit auf das Auftreten von fußballspezifischen Verletzungen: Längsschnittanalyse einer professionellen Fußballmannschaft
Author: D. Stein
Publisher: Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky
Year: 2015
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Position-specific indices of selected physiological abilities of professional soccer players: 3541 Board# 185 May 31, 9:30 AM–11:00 AM
Authors: R. Reer, D. Stein, K. Wellmann, J. Schroeder, S.P. von Duvillard, …
Journal: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46(5S), 952–953
Year: 2014
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The relationship between sports conditioning and success in professional soccer
Authors: R. Reer, D. Stein, K. Wellmann, S.P. von Duvillard, K.M. Braumann
Journal: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44, 114–114
Year: 2012