Research

His research focuses on the field of cellular and molecular immunology based on animal experiments: elucidation of molecular mechanisms of T-cell-mediated cytolysis, their biological role in bacterial and viral infections, autoimmunity- and tumor diseases; analysis, control and regulation of antiviral, neutralizing antibodies using transgenic mice; research on tolerance of B- and T-cells.

Career

• since 2008 Professor Emeritus
• 1994-2008 Joint Full Professor for Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich and  at the Department of Biology, Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• 1989 Associate Professor for Experimental Pathology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• 1984 State doctorate at University of Zurich, Switzerland
• 1969-1973 Ph.D. Thesis at the Institute of Molecular Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• 1964-1968 Diploma in biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Functions

• since 2009 Vice President of the Symposium Stein am Rhein Foundation
• since 2009 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Cancer Research Foundation, Switzerland
• since 2009 Member of the Bord of Trustees of Helmut Horten Foundation
• since 2009 Member of the Bord of Trustees of Fondazione per l’Istituto di Ricerca in Biomedicina Bellinzona (IRB), Italy
• since 2009 Member of the Bord of Trustees of Promedica Foundation, Chur, Switzerland
• 2005-2009 Member of the Board of the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society
• 2005-2009 Scientific Board, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona, Switzerland
• since 2005 Scientific Board, Venetian Institute of the Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
• since 2004 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Arthur Widmer Foundation
• 2003-2009 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Helmut Horten Foundation
• since 2003 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Think Tank Thurgau (TTT) Foundation
• since 2003 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Vontobel Foundation
• 2001-2007 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the UBS Optimus Foundation
• 2000-2007 Member of the Commitee for the Promotion of Scientific Research Lectures of the Swiss National Fund
• 1999-2007 Member of the Bord of Trustees of the Ernst Jung Foundation, Hamburg, Germany
• 1998-2000 Chairman of the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology
• 1998-2000 Scientific Board, University Ticino, Italy
• 1998-2000 Scientific Board, University Basel, Department Research, Switzerland
• 1997-2003 Scientific Board, Swiss National Fund, Member of the National Research Board
• 1996-2000 Scientific Board, Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland
• 1996-1998 Scientific Board, Helmut Horten Foundation
• 1996-1997 Member of the Research Commitee, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• 1995-2003 Pfizer Prize Commitee
• 1995-2003 Research Committee, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland
• since 1995 Scientific Board, Scuola Superiora d'Immunologia, Napoli, Itay   
• 1988-2011 Organizer of the annual Wolfsberg Meetings

Honors and Memberships

• 2000 Honorary Member of the Mexican Society of Immunology
• 1998 Otto Nägeli Prize, Switzerland
• 1997 Ernst Jung-Preis für Medizin, Deutschland
• 1996 Honorary Member of the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology
• 1988 Cloëtta Prize,  Switzerland
• 1987 Götz Prize, Zurich, Switzerland