Education
1972
Habilitation and Venia legendi for Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich
1965
Doctorate in Biochemistry (Dr. rer. nat.) Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich
1964
Graduation in Chemistry (Dipl. Chem.), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich
Academic appointments
since 2007 | Senior Professor, LIMES, c/o Kekulé-Institute, University of Bonn |
1979-2007 | Full Professor (and tempoary Director), Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bonn |
1974-1979, and 1965-1972 | Research Assistant/ group leader, Neurochem. Dept., Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Munich |
1976 | Department of Chemical Immunology Weizmann Institute Rehovot, Israel |
1972-1974 | Visiting Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA |
2006 | President of the Assembly of the GDNÄ "From the big bang to the development of consciousness" |
2003-2008 | Vice-president/ president of the GDNÄ (Society of German Scientists and Physicians) |
2000 | Local Director Sciences of the 121st. Assembly of the GDNÄ "Structure, Dynamics, Evolution" Sept. 19-22, 2000, in Bonn |
1992-2000 | Elected referee for biochemistry of the national science foundation (DFG) |
1997-2001 | President and Vice-President of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) |
1992-1996 | Dean and Prodean of the Science Faculty, University of Bonn |
1992-1996 | Member of the International Scientific Panel of the ECSI (E.C. Slater Institute for Biochemical Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) |
1991-2002 | Chairman of the Advanced Research Group (SFB) on Glycoconjugates and Structures of Cell Surfaces |
1990-1992 | Senator of the Science Faculty, University of Bonn |
1985-1990 | Chairman of the European Study Group on Lysosomal Diseases |
Honors and Awards
2019 | Award for a Lifetime of Service to Research and Knowledge of Lysosomal Storage Diseases by Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand |
2017 | 2017 Award for Innvation and Accomplishment in the field of lysosomal disease research and therapy |
2012 | Honorary Member of the Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Neurociencias |
2008 | European Lipid Science Award |
2008 | Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
2006 | Otto Warburg Lecture and Otto Warburg Medal of the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GMB) |
2005 | International Glycoconjugate Organization Award |
2005 | Burckardt-Helferich-Award for Bioorganic Chemistry |
2004 | Robert Pfleger Research Prize |
2001 | Mendel Medal of the German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina |
2001 | Member of the Johns-Hopkins Society of Scholars |
2000 | Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) |
1999 | Member of the German Academy of Scientists Leopoldina |
1999 | Research Award of the Max-Planck-Society |
1998 | K.J. Zülch Prize and Medal of the Max-Planck-Society |
1995 | Member of the Academy: Nordrhein-WestfälischeAkademie der Wissenschaften,2001-2005 member of the board |
1992 | Honorary Member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
1992 | Richard Kuhn Prize and Medal of the German Society for Chemistry (GDCh) |
1988 | Mizuho Nakata Medal of the Brain Research Institute, Niigata University |
1979 | Heinrich Wieland Prize and Medal |
1976 | Carl Duisberg Prize and Medal of the German Society for Chemistry (GDCh) |
1973 | Shield of the Medical Faculty, University of Tokyo |
since 1971 | Use of the eponym "Sandhoff disease" for an inherited neurodegenerative ganglioside storage disorder |
Name- and Opening lectures
2019 | Opening Lecture at the Lysosomal Disorders Symposium, Christchurch, New Zealand |
2016 | Opening Key Note Lecture at the Lipidomics Forum, Dortmund, Germany |
2015 | Opening Lecture at the International Ceramide Conference, Izmir, Turkey |
2014 | EMBO Lecture at the FEBS Meeting 360 degree Lysosome, Izmir, Turkey |
2014 | Opening Lecture at the 2nd International Workshop on Molecular Medicine of Sphingolipids, Kloster Banz |
2014 | Opening Lecture at the 5th International Singapore Lipid Symposium |
2014 | Plenary Lecture at the 8th Workshop “Brains for Brain” in Frankfurt |
2013 | Porcellatti Lecture of the Biochemical Society at the 5th Conference on Advances in molecular mechansims underlying neurological disorders, Bath, UK |
2011 | IUBMB Lecture at the FEBS Workshop Vico Equense, Italy |
2010 | Plenary Lecture at the 8th Intern. Symphosium for “Future Drug Discovery and Medical Care” in Sapporo |
2009 | Plenary Evening Lecture at the 9th Intern. Symposium on Lysosomal Storage Diseases, Frankfurt, Germany |
2008 | Kamal Lecture at Golden Jub. Intern. Science Conf. Dhaka, Bangladesh |
2009 | EMBO Lecture at the FEBS Advanced Course on Lipid Signalling and Disease, Ortona, Italy |
2006 | Opening Lecture at the Gaucher Meeting (EWGGD), Cambridge, UK |
2007 | Convocation Lecture at the 59th Foundation Day and Convocation ceremonies of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria |
2006 | Opening Lecture at the 124th assembly of the GDNÄ, Bremen |
2002 | Opening Lecture at the Royal Society meeting "Glycolipids in cell biology and medicine", London |
1996 | Ranwel Caputto Lecture of the Argentine Society for Neurochemistry (SAN) in Cordobantine Society for Neurochemistry (SAN) in Cordoba, Argentina |
Memberships (inter alia)
since 1992 | Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte (GDNÄ) |
since 1992 | Society for Glycobiology |
since 1979 | German Society of Chemistry (GDCh) |
since 1978 | Study Group on Lysosomal Diseases |
since 1969 | Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) |
since 1967 | International Society for Neurochemistry |
Advisory Committees (inter alia)
since 2015 | Member of the Board of the Max Planck Society for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden |
2007-2011 | Chair of the board of the Heinrich Wieland-Prize |
since 2007 | Member of the Board of the Bayer Science & Education Foundation |
2006-2007 | Selection Committee for Young Researcher Groups in the Max Planck Society |
since 2002 | Scientific Advisory Board of the AraParseghian Medical Research Foundation |
since 2002 | Scientific Advisory Board of the NCL Foundation |
2001-2002 | Rapporteur for the Extended Evaluation of Research Field 4 in the Biology & Medicine Section of the Max Planck Society |
2001-2011 | Board of the curators of the Heinrich Wieland Prize, 2006-2011 chairman |
since 1999 | Board of the Bayer-Studienstiftung |
2000-2002 | Board of the Cohn Minerva Center |
1987-2007 | Board of the Anna Monika Foundation |
1975-2001 | Medical Advisory Board of the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.,NY, USA |
Member of Editorial Boards
since 1999 | Biological Chemistry, 1999 -2012 Executive Editor |
1992-1998 & 2001-2006 | Journal of Biological Chemistry |
1995-2001 | Biochimica et Biophysica Acta |
1997-2003 | Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics |
1977-1985 | Journal of Neurochemistry |
1994-2003 | Editorial Board of "Angewandte Chemie" |