Hartmut Wekerle - Biography#

Hartmut Wekerle was director and member of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology from 1988 - 2012. From 1999 to 2003 he served as Dean of the Biological/Medical Faculty of the Max-Planck-Society.

In 2012 he was awarded a Hertie Senior Professorship and he led an Extended Emeritus Group. Wekerle's work led to the identification of brain reactive autoimmune T lymphocytes in the immune system, and, using new imaging approaches, to detail their migration into the brain. Most recently, he identified the commensal bacterial gut flora as a factor triggering brain autoimmune disease.

Hartmut Wekerle’s awards include the Jung Prize, Zülch Prize, Koetser Prize, Charcot Award (MS International Federation), Grand Prix Louis D. (Institut de France), and a Koselleck Award (DFG), Jacob-Henle-Medaille (University of Goettingen). He holds an Honorary Professorship of the University of Munich and Honorary Doctorates of the Universities of Hamburg and Wuerzburg. He is a member of the German Academy of Science (Leopoldina), Honorary Member of the Société Française de Neurologie and Honorary Member of the Cuban Neuroscience Society.