ProfessorThomasF.MeyerreceivestheRobertKochGoldMedalforhislife'swork
Thisyear,oneofthehighestawardsininfectionbiologygoestothefutureKielseniorprofessor
 
ThisyearsRobertKochGoldMedal,oneofthetopscientificawardsinthefieldofinfectionmedicine,goestotheGermaninfectiousdiseasesspecialistProfessorThomasF.Meyer.ThiswasannouncedonMonday(June8)bytheRobertKochFoundation.TheFoundationtherebyrecognizestheoutstandingscientificlifesworkofProfessorMeyer,whohasalreadysetmanymilestonesininfectionresearch,rightuptouncoveringcausalmechanismsinthepathogenesisofcancer.ProfessorMeyer,currentlyDirectoroftheMolecularBiologyDepartmentattheMaxPlanckInstituteforInfectionBiology(MPIIB)inBerlin,willinfuturepursuehisworkininfectionandcancerresearchasaseniorprofessorattheFacultyofMedicineatKielUniversity(CAU),andthusalsoboostresearchattheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"(PMI).TheawardingofthemedalwilltakeplaceinBerlinonNovember13,2020.
"Throughoutmyacademiccareer,Ihavealwaysbeenfascinatedbythestudyoffundamentalinterrelationships,andusedinnovativemethodstopursuethis,"saidProfessorMeyer."TheRobertKochGoldMedalisgreatrecognitionforit,"continuedtheinfectionbiologist.Meyer'sscientificfocusareaslieinresearchingthemolecularmechanismsofbacterialandviralinfections,theparticularimportanceofhostcellsduringaninfection,thedevelopmentoforallivevaccinesandtheconceptof"host-directedtherapy",aswellasunderstandingtheroleofbacterialpathogensinthepathogenesisofcancer.ManyofthediscoveriesfromMeyer'slaboratoryarenowincludedinstandardtextbooks.
MeyertobecomeseniorprofessoratKielUniversity
Withrecently-awardedfundingfromtheEuropeanResearchCouncil(ERCGrant),Meyercancontinuehispioneeringresearchontheroleofinfectionsinthepathogenesisofcancerinhumansinthecomingyears.Afternumerousappointmentsasanhonoraryandseniorprofessoratnationalandinternationaluniversities,Meyernowplanstogetactivelyinvolvedinkeyaspectsofinfectionandcancerresearchathisfutureprimarylocation,KielUniversity(CAU).
"OnbehalfoftheentireUniversityBoard,IwouldliketocongratulateProfessorMeyeronthisoutstandingachievement.Togetherwiththenumerousotherprizesandgrants,thisemphasizestheimportanceofMeyer'sresearchworkintheareaofinfectiousdiseases,"saidtheCAUVicePresidentforResearch,ProfessorKarinSchwarz."WeareveryproudthatProfessorMeyerhashisnewscientifichomewithusatKielUniversity.Thecloseintegrationofmedicine,biologyandnutritionalsciences,whichProfessorMeyeriswell-knownfor,representsafuture-orientedscientificextensiontoourpriorityresearchareainthelifesciences,"continuedSchwarz.Thisseniorprofessorship,lastingfiveyears,honorsselected,outstandingindividualswithnationallyandinternationallyacclaimedresearchachievementsorparticularteachingachievements.ThomasMeyerwilltakeuphisnewpostinKielon1Septemberthisyear.
"IamdelightedthatProfessorMeyerwillcontinuehisworld-classresearchattheFacultyofMedicineattheCAU.HisdecisiontojoinusisagreathonorforourFaculty,andunderlinesthescientificattractivenessofmedicineandlifesciencesinKiel,"saidProfessorJoachimThiery,DeanoftheFacultyofMedicineattheCAUandDirectorofResearchandTeachingattheUKSH."Withhisinternationallyhighly-valuedexpertise,hewillalsoboosttheworkoftheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation",andtherebyhelptobetterunderstandinflammationswiththechallengeofinfections,"continuedThiery."IamalsodelightedthatinProfessorThomasMeyer,wehavegainedascientistanduniversitylecturerwhocanalsopassonhisuniqueexpertisein"thenextgenerationofbiologicaltools",theproductionofsmallorgansystemsfromcells("organoids"),toourdoctoralresearchersandpost-docsinKiel.ThecurrentresearchofProfessorMeyeralsoopensupnewpathsinthetargetedfightagainstinfectionwithSARS-CoV-2,andsignificantlystrengthensthefuturepathofmicrobiomeandinflammationresearchinKiel."
Thedevelopmentofhost-directedtherapyforinfections
Earlyon,Meyeralreadyformulatedtheprovocativehypothesisthatpathogenscanalsobeeliminatedthroughthehost,i.e.byblockingthefunctionofhumancells,andnotonlyaspreviouslydonebypathogen-specificantibioticsorantiviralsubstances.Formanyyears,hestudiedtherolesofhostcomponentsininfectionprocesses,andplayedamajorpartindevelopingtheconceptof"host-directedtherapy."Inadditiontotheuseofvaccinesandantibiotics,thishasnowbecomeathirdpillarinthemodernfightagainstpathogens.Aparticularadvantageisthatthedreadeddevelopmentofresistancecanbeavoided,anditispossibletoalsouseprovenmedicinesforotherdiseases,suchascancer,inthefightagainstinfections.
Theimportanceofpathogensinthedevelopmentofcancer
Thesestudiesgaverisetothequestionofthefateofhostcellswhichhaveundergoneaninfection:arehumancellssobadlydamagedduringaninfectionthattheycancausemorediseasesinthebody?Thepathogen"Helicobacterpylori"isknowntonotonlycausestomachulcers,butcanalsotriggerstomachcancerinthelongterm.Meyersearchedfora"fingerprint",ageneticsignature,toprovideevidenceofacorrelationbetweeninfectionsandpathogenesisofcancer,andsucceeded.Infact,hismostrecentresearchresultsnotonlycorroboratetheimportanceofHelicobacterinthepathogenesisofstomachcancer;theyalsoprovideevidenceoftheeffectofcertainintestinalbacteriawhichdamagethehumangenomewithapoison.AsMeyerfoundoutinhisinvestigations,atoxinfrom"Escherichiacoli"bacteriacausesaspecificpatternofmutationsinthehumangut,whichwasfoundagainyearslaterasafingerprintinthecellsofagroupofpatientswithbowelcancer.Theseobservationsprovidethefirstclearevidenceoftheroleofthepathogeninthedevelopmentofcancerinhumans.
LaboratorytestsystemfordrugsagainstCOVID-19
Backinthe1990s,Meyerbegandevelopingorgan-likestructuresinthelaboratory,usingthemtobetterunderstandinfectionprocessesaswellasthedevelopmentofcancercells.Bynow,Meyer'sresearchteamhasdevelopedtheseso-called"organoids"fromepithelialcellsofvariousorgans,suchasthelungs.Meyerhasalreadyusedthelungtestsystemsforstudiesoninfluenzaviruses.Sincethesecellsexpresstheso-calledACE-2receptor,whichservesastheentrygateforthenovelcoronavirusSARS-CoV-2intothehumanlung,MeyerisnowusingthemtotestpotentialdrugsagainstCOVID-19.
VitaofProf.ThomasF.Meyer
ThomasF.MeyerstudiedbiologyatHeidelbergUniversityandgraduatedwithaDiplomdegreeinmicrobiology,genetics,biochemistryandchemistryin1977.Twoyearslater,hereceivedhisdoctoratethereinnaturalsciences,graduatingwithdistinction('summacumlaude').In1980,hemovedtoColdSpringHarborLaboratoryinNewYorkasapost-doc,thenundertheleadershipofJamesD.Watson,whereheteamedupwithMagdalenaSotoinitiateaprojectforresearchingthemolecularmechanismsoftheantigenicvariationofbacterialsurfaceproteins.Hecontinuedthishighly-acclaimedworkatthePublicHealthResearchInstituteofNewYorkCityin1981,undertheleadershipofRichardP.Novick,andthenfrom1982onwardsattheMaxPlanckInstituteforMedicalResearchinthedepartmentledbyHartmutHoffmann-Berling.In1983,ThomasMeyertookonthepositionofgroupleaderatthenewly-foundedCenterforMolecularBiologyatHeidelbergUniversity(ZMBH),andin1985wasappointedasresearchgroupleaderattheMaxPlanckInstituteforDevelopmentalBiologyinTbingen.Therehecontinuedhisground-breakingdiscoveriesonthemolecularpathogenesisofmicroorganisms.Soonhereceivednumerousoffersfromrenownedinstitutes,amongotherstobeheadoftheBernhardNochtInstituteforTropicalMedicineinconjunctionwithaprofessorshipattheUniversittHamburg(UniversityofHamburg),ordirectoroftheInstituteofMolecularBiologyattheHannoverMedicalSchool.In1990,hewasappointeddirectoroftheindependentDepartmentofInfectionBiologyattheMaxPlanckInstituteforDevelopmentalBiologyinTbingen,whichheleduntiltheyear2000.HisfascinationwithresearchfinallyledThomasMeyertoBerlinin1994,wherehewasfoundingdirectorofthenewMaxPlanckInstituteforInfectionBiology(MPIIB)inBerlin,asheadoftheMolecularBiologyDepartment.Heisinvolvedinvariousorganizations,includingservingasanelectedmemberoftheEuropeanMolecularBiologyOrganization(EMBO)since1989andtheGermanNationalAcademyofSciencesLeopoldinasince2001.FromSeptember,Meyerwillcontinuehisresearchasaseniorprofessorathisfutureprimarylocation,KielUniversity.
AbouttheRobertKochFoundation
TheRobert-Koch-Stiftunge.V(RobertKochFoundation)isanon-profitfoundationestablishedin1907forthepromotionofmedicalprogress,withheadquartersinBerlin.Itsupportsfundamentalscientificresearchinthefieldofinfectiousdiseases,aswellasexemplaryprojectstoaddressmedicalandhygienicproblems.Eachyear,theFoundationawardsanumberofprestigiousscientificprizes:theRobertKochGoldMedal,theRobertKochPrize,threeawardsforyoungscientists,andthePrizeforHospitalHygieneandInfectionPrevention.
Contact:
Prof.JoachimThiery
DeanoftheCAUsFacultyofMedicine
+49431-50014422
 thiery@med.uni-kiel.de
TheRobertKochFoundationawardstheRobertKochGoldMedalannuallytohonortheoutstandinglife'sworkofscientists.ManyprizewinnershavesubsequentlybeenawardedaNobelPrize.
ProfessorThomasF.Meyer,futureseniorprofessorattheFacultyofMedicineatKielUniversity,isthisyear’sRobertKochGoldMedalrecipientforhisoutstandingscientificlife'swork.
AbouttheClusterofExcellencePMI
TheClusterofExcellence"PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"(PMI)isbeingfundedfrom2019to2025throughtheGermanExcellenceStrategy(ExStra).Itsucceedsthe"InflammationatInterfacesCluster,whichwasalreadyfundedintwoperiodsoftheExcellenceInitiative(2007-2018).Around300membersfromeightinstitutionsatfourlocationsareinvolved:Kiel(KielUniversity,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH),MuthesiusUniversityofFineArtsandDesign,KielInstitutefortheWorldEconomy(IfW),LeibnizInstituteforScienceandMathematicsEducation(IPN)),Lbeck(UniversityofLbeck,UniversityMedicalCenterSchleswig-Holstein(UKSH)),Pln(MaxPlanckInstituteforEvolutionaryBiology)andBorstel(ResearchCenterBorstel-LeibnizLungCenter).
Thegoalistotranslateinterdisciplinaryresearchfindingsonchronicinflammatorydiseasesofbarrierorganstohealthcaremoreintensively,aswellastofulfilpreviouslyunsatisfiedneedsofthepatients.Threepointsareimportantinthecontextofsuccessfultreatment,andarethereforeattheheartofPMIresearch:theearlydetectionofchronicinflammatorydiseases,thepredictionofdiseaseprogressionandcomplications,andthepredictionofindividualresponsestotreatment.
Pressoffice
fbuhse@uv.uni-kiel.de+49(0)431/8804682https://precisionmedicine.de
ClusterofExcellence "PrecisionMedicineinChronicInflammation"
ScientificOffice
Head:Dr.habil.SusanneHolsteinPostal
Christian-Albrechts-Platz4,24118Kiel,Germany
Contact:SonjaPetermann
 +49(0)431880-4850,fax:+49(0)431880-4894
spetermann@uv.uni-kiel.de
Twitter:PMI@medinflame
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