Dr Bernd Schwahn studied medicine in Mainz, Germany, and Basel, Switzerland. He undertook his paediatric training at the university hospitals in Mannheim, Cologne and Düsseldorf where he specialised further into diabetes, endocrinology and, in particular, genetic metabolic medicine.

After two years as a research fellow in the molecular biology lab of Dr Rima Rozen at McGill University, Montreal, working on mouse models for homocystinurias, he returned to work as Consultant Paediatrician, Researcher and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Düsseldorf (2001-2006) and as Consultant Paediatrician in Metabolic Medicine and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in Glasgow (2006-2014) before he joined the team at the Willink Unit at MCGM in Manchester.

In 1995 he was awarded an MD by the Medical faculty of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz for his work on temporal and spatial Osteonectin mRNA expression during human fetal bone development using in situ hybridisation (supervisor - Dr Stefan Mundlos). In 2005 he was awarded the highest German academic research and teaching qualification (Habilitation) by the Medical faculty of the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf in recognition of his work on homocysteine remethylation disorders and betaine metabolism.

Dr Schwahn is providing undergraduate and postgraduate teaching to Glasgow University and University of Manchester. He has broad research interests with a focus on disorders of sulphur and methyl group metabolism and is currently involved as principal and chief investigator in clinical treatment trials for molybdenum cofactor deficiency and lysosomal storage diseases.

Paediatric genetic metabolic disorders - Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester (weekly).

Outreach clinics - The Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

German Working Group for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (APS)
British Inherited Metabolic Disease Group
German Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology (DGKED)
German Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ)
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Society for the Study of Inherited Metabolic Disease