Hanns Möhler - Curriculum Vitae#

Present Position

Vice-director, Swiss National Centre of Neuroscience Research
University and ETH Zurich

University studies

• 1959 - 1962 Study of Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany
• 1962 - 1966 Study of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Germany
• 1968 Ph.D. in Biochemistry, University of Freiburg, Germany
• 1978 Habilitation, University of Freiburg, Germany

Positions in industry

• 1973 - 1988 Research Department, Hoffmann-La Roche, Basle, Switzerland
• 1980 - 1986 Group chief, Hoffmann-La Roche, Basle, Switzerland
• 1986 - 1988 Vice-director (science), Hoffmann-La Roche, Basle, Switzerland

Positions in academia

• 1967 - 1968 Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
• 1968 - 1971 Department of Biochemistry, University of Freiburg, Germany
• 1972 - 1973 Senior Research Scientist, Medical Research Council, London, UK
• 1977 - 1984 Assistant Professor (Privatdozent), University of Freiburg, Germany
• 1984 - 1988 Associate Professor of Biochemistry (Extraordinarius), University of Freiburg, Germany
• since 1988 Full Professor of Pharmacology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• Full Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
• 1988 - 2005 Director, Institute of Pharmacology, University of Zurich
• 2001 - 2005 Director, Swiss National Centre of Neuroscience, Zurich, NCCR “Neural Plasticity and Repair”
• 2003 - 2005 Director, Centre of Competence in Experimental and Clinical Pharma-Sciences, University and University Hospital of Zurich
• since 2004 Fellow, Collegium Helveticum, University and ETH Zurich
• since 2005 Vice-director, Swiss National Centre of Neuroscience Research
• NCCR "Neural Plasticity and Repair", University and ETH Zurich

Honorary Lectures

• 2008 Plenary Neuroscience Lecture, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
• 2007 Wyeth Lecture, University of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, USA
• 2006 Plenary Lecture, University of Auckland, Medical School, Auckland, New Zealand
• 2006 Plenary Lecture, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Florida, USA
• 2005 Plenary Lecture, International Society of Neurochemistry, Biannual Congress, Innsbruck, Austria
• 2004 Elected Fellow, Collegium Helveticum, Zurich, Switzerland
• 2004 Gary Price Memorial Lecture, British Pharmacological Society Meeting, University of Newcastle, UK
• 2003 Honorary Lecture on the occasion of the Kraepelin Award, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
• 2002 Biology Lecture, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• 2002 Neuroscience Award Lecture, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), Barcelona, Spain
• 2001 Neuroscience Award, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• 2001 Plenary Lecture, International Conference on Radiopharmacy, Interlaken, Switzerland
• 2001 Biology Lecture, Kansas University, Kansas City, USA
• 1999 Plenary Guest Lecture, World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry, Florence, Italy
• 1998 Plenary Guest Lecture, British Association for Psychopharmacology, Cambridge, UK
• 1998 Department Lecture, University of California Medical School, Los Angeles, USA
• 1997 Plenary Lecture, Symposium National Research Program, Bern, Switzerland
• 1997 Plenary Lecture, International Symposium, Membrane Receptors, Signal Transduction and Drug Action, Sapporo, Japan
• 1996 Plenary Lecture, Methodology in Receptor Research, Meiringen, Switzerland
• 1996 Plenary Lecture, Swiss Society of Biological Psychiatry, Berne, Switzerland
• 1995 Paul Turner Memorial Lecture, British Pharmacological Society, Brighton, UK
• 1995 Biological Science Lecture, Kansas University, Kansas City, USA
• 1995 Boehringer Lecture, University of Mainz, Germany
• 1987 Plenary Lecture, International Congress of Pharmacology, Sydney, Australia

Awards

• 2003 Golden Kraepelin Medal, Max-Planck-Society, Munich, Germany
• 2002 Théodore-Ott-Prize of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, Switzerland
• 2001 Wachter Prize for Medical Research, University of Innsbruck, Austria
• 2001 Neuroscience Award, European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• 2000 Prize of the Foundation Forum Engelberg, Switzerland

Citation ranking

Ranked among the ISI Highly Cited Researchers, which comprises the 250 most cited scientists in the entire Neurosciences over the last 25 years.

His work has been published in top line journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Neuroscience and PNAS.

Member of academies

• European Academy of Sciences (Academia Europaea), elected member since 1991
• Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, Member of the Board (1996-2008)

Member of national research boards

• Swiss Foundation for Excellence and Talent in Biomedical Research (since 2008)
• Roche Research Foundation, Basle (1993-2008)
• Research Commission, ETH Zürich (1996-2000)
• Saurer Foundation, Zürich (since 1993)

Member of international research review committees

• German Science Foundation
• Austrian Science Foundation
• Anna Monika Foundation, Dortmund, Germany
• School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK
• Research Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), Berlin, Germany
• RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako-shi, Japan
• Max-Planck-Society, Katz Minerva Center, Jerusalem, Israel

Member of Prize Committees

• Dargut and Milena Kemali Foundation, Naples, Italy (since 2004)
• Heinrich Wieland Prize Committee, Munich, Germany (since 2003)

Member of editorial boards

• Channels (Editorial board since 2007)
• Biochemical Pharmacology (Editorial board since 2004)
• Neurodegenerative Disorders (Editorial board since 2003)
• Current Opinion in Pharmacology (Editorial board 2000-2004)
• Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (Associate Editor since 1998)
• Archives of Pharmacology (Editorial board 1991 - 2002)
• European Journal of Pharmacology (Editorial board since 1991)
• Molecular Neuropharmacology (1990 - 1994)

Member of professional societies

• American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP, elected 2008)
• Society for Neuroscience, USA
• New York Academy of Sciences, USA
• European Neuroscience Association
• Society of Physiological Chemistry, Germany
• Pharmacological Societies, Germany and Switzerland
• European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

Recent activities in industry

• Newron AG, Bresso (I), Board of Directors (since 2008)
• Evotec AG, Hamburg (D), Scientific advisory board (since 2004)
• HBM Bioventures, Zug (CH), Scientific advisory board (2002-2009)

Research objectives

Hanns Möhler`s research interest is focused on the Therapeutic Neuroscience of mental and neurological disorders. They include sleep disturbances, anxiety disorders, memory deficits, schizophrenia and pain. The analysis involves all levels of biological organization ranging from genetics, cell biology and morphology to neurophysiology and behavior, in order to identify molecular control elements of emotion and cognitive behavior. His research has become the basis for a new pharmacology of psychiatric and neurological disorders, based on the modulation of selective neuronal circuits characterized by specific GABAA receptor subtypes. These discoveries permit the rational design of novel hypnotics, non-sedative anxiolytics, cognition enhancers for schizophrenia and pain suppressants. Clinical studies in anxiety disorders and schizophrenia validate this approach.