Research

Since 1997, Klaus-Michael Debatin has been Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Ulm. Providing maximum care in all relevant fields of Pediatrics, the Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine under his leadership has become a state of the art University Hospital and has earned an excellent reputation both nationally and internationally.

Since the late 1980s, the focus of Debatin’s research has been on the role of apoptosis and apoptosis signalling in diseases and possible mechanisms to analyse and modify cell death signalling for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. His lab has made major contributions to the field of apoptosis research. Also, the lab has actively contributed to developing novel putative anticancer agents that sensitize and/or induct apoptosis and, by doing so, improve radiation therapy.

Career

• 2013-2015 Medical Director, University Medical Center Ulm
• 2010-2014 Vice President Medicine, Ulm University
• 2010-2013 Deputy Medical Director, University Medical Center Ulm
• 2004-2010 Dean, Medical Faculty, Ulm University
• 2002-2004 Vice Dean, Medical Faculty, Ulm University
• since 1997 Chairman, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center Ulm
• 1995-2004 Head, Division of Molecular Oncology, German Cancer Research Center
• 1997 Visiting Professor, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis
• 1994-1997 Head, Hematology/Oncology Section, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg
• 1991-1994 Heisenberg fellow of the German Research Council (DFG) at National Cancer Institute, USA (Fogarty Fellow), German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg and Hôpital Necker, Paris
• 1990-1991 Research fellow of the German Research Council (DFG) and "Fogarty fellow",  National Cancer Institute Bethesda, USA
• 1990 Habilitation in pediatrics, University of Heidelberg
• 1989 Visiting scientist, National Cancer Institute (Metabolism Branch, Dr. T.A. Waldmann), Bethesda, USA
• 1989 Visiting scientist, Institute Mario Negri and Section Hematology, University Children’s Hospital, Milan
• 1987-1990 Head of Laboratory of Immunology and Hematology and Acting Head, Oncology/Immunology Section, University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg
• 1986 Visiting Scientist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston und Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York
• 1984-1990 Guest scientist, Division of Immunogenetics; German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg
• 1983-1990 Clinical fellow and research fellow (Oncology/Immunology Section) University Children's Hospital, Heidelberg
• 1979-1982 Research fellow, Institute of Immunology University of Heidelberg and Max-Planck-Institute for Immunobiology, Freiburg
• 1979 Doctorate degree (PhD: magna cum laude), University of Heidelberg
• 1971-1978 Medical School, Universities of Ulm, Freiburg and Heidelberg

Projects

• since 2011 Chair  Boehringer Ingelheim Ulm University BioCenter (BIU)
• since 2011 Principal Investigator  Else Kröner Research College Ulm „Stem Cells, Aging and malignant transformation: From experimental models to clinical application“
• since 2012 Deputy Coordinating PI SFB1074 Experimental Models and Clinical Translation in Leukemia
• 2007-2015 Speaker  of the Clincial Research Group 167 „Regulation of Apoptosis and its Dysfunction in human diseases“
• 2007-2013 Co-Coordinator BMBF Collaborative Project "Targeting Apoptosis for Cancer Therapy: preclinical and clinical evaluation of betulinic acid derivate BA10 as a novel mitochondriotoxic anticancer drug"
• 2007-2011 Co-Coordinator Marie Curie Research Training Network “ApopTrain” (EU FP6)
• since 2006 Principal Investigator International Graduate School in Molecular Medicine Ulm
• 2002-2006 Member EU Consortium “Apoptosis Pathways in Cancer and AIDS”

Functions

• since 2011 Member Senate German Research Council (DFG)
• since 2010 Member Steering Committee, Dr. Mildred Scheel Foundation
• since 2009 Member Advisory Board, Association of German University Hospitals (VUD)
  Member Advisory Board, Dr. Mildred Scheel Foundation (German Cancer Aid)
  Member Steering Committee, Association of Medical Universities, Germany (MFT)
• since 2004 Member Scientific Advisory Board, German Cancer Society (Chairman  since 2009)
• since 2001 Member Scientific Advisory Board, Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Vienna
  Member of the Executive Board and Head of the University commission German Society for Pediatrics
• 2001-2014 Member Scientific Advisory Board, Georg-Speyer-Haus, Research Institute Frankfurt
• since 1997 Member Steering Committee, Tumor Center Ulm
• since 1994 Founding Member and Member Executive Committee, European Cell Death Organization (ECDO)
• since 1992 Member Committee on Biology and Diagnosis IBFM-Study group

Honours and Memberships

• 2012 German Cancer Aid Award 2011
• 2011 Elected member: European Academy of Cancer Sciences (ECCO)
• 2011 Career Award (European Cell Death Organization)
• 2007 Descartes Research Prize 2006 (European Science Fund)
• 2005 Elected member: Heidelberg Academy of Sciences
• 2002 German Cancer Award
• 2001 Elected member: German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 1998 Wilhelm Warner Award for Cancer Research
• 1997 SmithKline Beecham Award for Clinical Research
• 1991 Kind Philipp Award of the Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology