Robert Koch Gold Medal for MPIIB Director Thomas F. Meyer
The Robert Koch Medal honours Thomas F. Meyer for his scientific life work. The Robert Koch Foundation bases the decision on Thomas F. Meyer's ground-breaking research in the field of infection biology - his scientific achievements are "far ahead of time when it comes to setting landmarks in the research of infection biology, even reaching out towards discoveries on the origins of cancer.” His ability to innovate was especially lauded: He has repeatedly opened up new fields of research and today, many of his discoveries are textbook knowledge.
Thomas F. Meyer is the director and co-founder of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, where he heads the Department of Molecular Biology since 1994. His manifold topics included the systematic investigation of infection mechanisms in pathogenic Neisseria, the development of host cell targeted therapies for infectious diseases and the establishment of organoids, artificial organ-like structures that can be used to track the course of infections. In his current project, Thomas F. Meyer and his team are investigating the relationships between bacterial infections and cancer development.
The award ceremony will take place on 13 November 2020 in Berlin, where Shimon Sakaguchi will also receive the Robert Koch Prize 2020.