The Research Cluster: Preventive Self is concerned with the interactions between programmes of prevention and society. Using cardiovascular diseases as an example, four institutes, Humboldt University Berlin, Social Science Research Center Berlin, Charité University Medical School and University Hamburg, will empirically investigate the historical, societal, scientific and political aspects of these interactions over a period of three years. Interviews with experts from medicine, research and politics take an equal role to investigations of everyday practice and a socio-historical analysis of the role of prevention throughout the 20th century.

Public events discussing the cluster's findings, such as talks, lectures, exhibitions or panel discussion will be announced on www.csal.de well in advance of the event. An email list is available for those interested in following the cluster's progress.