Forschung

Hauptarbeitsgebiete: Isolierung und Charakterisierung der bei der metabolischen Aktivierung potentieller Kanzerogene beteiligten Enzyme aus verschiedenen Spezies (z. B. mikrosomale Epoxidhydrolase, Dihydrodioldehydrogenase, Glutathion-S-Transferasen; Isolation, physikochemische und biochemische Charakterisierung solcher Enzyme, Untersuchungen zum Einfluss dieser Enzyme auf die Kontrolle reaktiver Stoffwechselprodukte); Mutagenität (quantitative Erfassung des Einflusses verschiedener Enzyme auf die Kontrolle reaktiver Stoffwechselprodukte); Testsysteme und ihre Aussagekraft; Studium der metabolischen Aktivierung (u. a. von Metaboliten des Benzo(a)pyrens); Regulation der Aktivität von Cytochrom-P-450-Isoenzymen (spezifische Phosphorylierung, Einfluss verschiedener Nahrungskomponenten); Kompartimentierung von Zellen und deren Konsequenzen für gentoxische Risiken; biochemische Basis der Kanzerogenese (neue Wege des Metabolismus, neue karzinogene Metaboliten; Veränderung der Expression kanzerogenmetabolisierender Enzyme; Auslösung von Krebs durch nicht-gentoxische Stoffe, u. a. Lipidsenker; Studium von Zellmembrankomponenten, die die normale Zellproliferation kontrollieren)

Career

• since 1981 Professor (C4) of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mainz, Germany
• 1983-2004 Director, Institute of Toxicology, University of Mainz, Germany
• 1981-1983 Chairman, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Mainz, Germany
• 1974-1981 Professor (C3) of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Head, Section on Molecular Pharmacology, University of Mainz, Germany
• 1973 Habilitation at the University Basel, Switzerland; PD for Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Basel, Switzerland
• 1972-1974 Senior Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology, Biocenter of the University of Basel, Switzerland
• 1969-1971 Fellow of the Visiting Program of the US Health Service, NIAMD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
• 1965-1969 Junior (65-66), then Senior (66-69) Assistant at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• 1969 Promotion an der Universität Fribourg, Switzerland; Ph.D., University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• 1961-1969 Studies of Chemistry and Biology at the University Fribourg, Switzerland

Projects

• 2003-2004 Chairman of the Research Group „Susceptibility factors of tumorigenesis“
• 1996-2002 Chairman of the Center Grant „Organ and cell type specificity of tumorigenesis“
• 1984-1995 Chairman of the Center Grant SFB 302 „Control factors of tumorigenesis“

Honours and Memberships

• 2012 Poulsson Medal and Annual Lecture Award of the Norwegian Society of Pharmacology  and Toxicology
• 2008 Election to the National Academy of Medicine of France
• 2002 Salk Lecture, Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA
• 2000 Werner Heisenberg-Medaille
• 2000 Gerhard Zbinden Memorial Lecture Award
• 1999 Prize for Scientific Innovation of the State Rheinland-Pfalz , Germany
• 1999 Election to the National Academy of Sciences of Germany Leopoldina
• 1998 Keynote Review, International EAPCCT Congress, Zurich, Switzerland
• 1998 Keynote Lecture, European Workshop on Drug Metabolism, Kopenhagen, Denmark
• 1997 IEM Lecture, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• 1996 International Union Against Cancer Roll of Honour
• 1995 MDC-Lecture, Max Delbrück Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany
• 1994 Novum Lecture, Karolinska Institute, Novum-Stockholm, Sweden
• 1993 International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics Award
• 1992 Otto Warburg Memorial Lecture, Berlin, Germany
• 1992 Election to the Academia Europea
• 1991 Keynote Lecture, International ISSX Meeting, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 1990 German Cancer Price
• 1989 Prize of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Academy of Sciences, Germany
• 1986 The Biochemical Society 75th Anniversary Symposium Honoured Lecture, London, UK
• 1985 GUM Prize
• 1983 Walter Straub Memorial Lecture, Munich, Germany
• 1982 Robert Koch Prize
• 1977 Professor Max Cloetta Prize