Research

Wissenschaftliche Schwerpunkte sind die Regulation des Atmungs- und Herz-Kreislaufsystems durch das Nervensystem, Schutzmechanismen des Körpers gegen Sauerstoffmangel und die Wirkungen des Botenstoffs Azetylcholin außerhalb des Nervensystems („non-neuronale cholinerge Systeme“).

Career

• since 1994 Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Giessen, Germany    
• 2008 Offer to University of Munich (declined)
• 2000 Offer to University of Hamburg (declined)
• 1993 Guest Professor at the Asthma and Allergy Center of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, Section Dr. B. Undem & Dr. A. Myers, NIH-BMBF Exchange
• 1992-1994 Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology (C3), Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Marburg, Germany
• 1991-1992 Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• 1990 Habilitation and Venia legendi for the specialty “Anatomy and Cell Biology“, Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• 1985-1991 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• 1985 Doctoral thesis (“summa cum laude“, Dr. med.), University of Cologne, Germany
• 1977-1983 Study of Medicine at the University of Cologne, Germany

Projects

• since 2012 Speaker of the LOEWE Research Focus Non-neuronal Cholinergic Systems
• since 2011 Faculty Member German Lung Research Center
• since 2009 Faculty Member Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (LOEWE Center)
• since 2006 Faculty Member Excellence Cluster CardioPulmonary System
• 1997-2009 Member of Executive Committee of the SFB 547 Cardiopulmonary Vascular System

Functions

• since 2001 Chair of the Selection Committee of the Feulgen Prize of the Society for Histochemistry
• since 2000 European Representative (2001-2007), Secretary (2007-2011) and Board Member (since 2011) of the International Society of Autonomic Neuroscience
• since 1999 Chair of the Selection Committee of the Chihiro and Kiyoko Yokochi Fund of the Ichiro Kanehara Foundation
• 1995-1997 President of the Society for Histochemistry

Honours and Memberships

• 2011 Pfizer Visiting Professor in Pneumology at the Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, USA
• 2006 Eugen Rehfisch Award, Forum Urodynamicum
• 2002 Friedrich Dost Prize, Medical Society, Giessen, Germany
• 2001 Election to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 1993 Wolfgang Bargmann Prize, Anatomical Society
• 1990 Julius Redel Prize, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Germany
• 1989 Heymans De Castro Neil Award, International Society for Arterial Chemoreception