Wir überwinden Grenzen

Prof. Dr. Stephan Ehl and Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme have been appointed to the National Academy of Sciences / Election is considered one of the highest honors for researchers

With Prof. Dr. Stephan Ehl and Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme, two more Freiburg researchers have been members of the Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences since August 2020. Ehl is Medical Director of the Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, while Thimme is Medical Director of the Department of Medicine II - Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectiology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. Being elected a member of the Leopoldina is considered one of the highest academic honors and recognitions for scientists. "The Leopoldina is currently becoming increasingly important - also in light of the coronavirus crisis. I am very pleased that Freiburg is now so well represented in the Academy with eight members," says Prof. Dr. Frederik Wenz, Chief Medical Officer of the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

Expert for the child's immune system

Prof. Dr. Stephan Ehl studied medicine in Aachen, Erlangen and Munich. The clinical focus of the specialist in pediatric and adolescent medicine is in the field of pediatric immunology, in particular the diagnosis and treatment of congenital disorders of the immune system. He also researches immunodeficiencies with autoimmunity and chronic inflammation. In 2003, Ehl habilitated in the field of pediatrics. Prof. Ehl has been Medical Director of the Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI) at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg since 2008 and spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center 1160 on immunopathology since 2015. As head of the Department of Pediatric Immunology, the 55-year-old looks after children with immunological diseases in the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. He was awarded the research prize of the German Society for Pediatric Infectiology in 1999 and the Kind-Philipp Foundation Prize for Pediatric Oncology Research in 2001.

Internist and hepatitis researcher

Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme (50) studied medicine both in his home town of Berlin and in Freiburg. He is a specialist in internal medicine, gastroenterology and endocrinology. He habilitated in internal medicine in 2006. Since 2015, Thimme has been Medical Director of the Department of Medicine II at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, where he has set new priorities, including the founding of the Gerok Liver Center and IGE (Interdisciplinary Gastrointestinal Endoscopy). Thimme's research focuses on the immune response to hepatitis viruses. He is particularly interested in promoting young scientists and has set up training programs for clinician scientists funded by the German Research Foundation and the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, among others.Thimme has received numerous prizes and awards, including for the best experimental doctoral thesis, acceptance into the Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation, an appointment to a Heisenberg professorship, the Thieme Prize of the Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences and acceptance into the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Leopoldina - National Academy of Sciences

The Leopoldina, founded in 1652, is one of the oldest scientific academies in the world. With around 1,500 members, the Leopoldina brings together outstanding scientists from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and numerous other countries. As Germany's national academy, the Leopoldina has represented German science in international bodies since 2008 and takes an independent position on the scientific basis of political and social issues. In interdisciplinary expert groups, the Leopoldina develops public statements on current topics, also together with other German, European and international academies.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Stephan Ehl
Medical Director
Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency
Uniklinik Freiburg
Phone: 0761 270-77300
stephan.ehl@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme
Medical Director
Department of Medicine II
Medical Center - University of Freiburg
Phone: 0761 270-34040
robert.thimme@uniklinik-freiburg.de

Image source: Medical Center - University of Freiburg