Education

• 1970 - 1976 Study of Human Medicine at the University of Heidelberg.
• 1976 Doctoral dissertation, University of Heidelberg.
• 1978 - 1980 Research Activities, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA (Scholarship of the German Research Foundation).
• 1988 Habilitation, University of Heidelberg (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. W. Kübler). Subject: "Diagnostics and determination of the severity of acute myocardial infarction using monoclonal antibodies."

Professional Career

• 1977 - 1978 Assistant Physician, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg.
• 1978 - 1980 Scholarship of the German Research Foundation, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
• 1980 - 1986 Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg.
• 1986 Senior Physician, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Heidelberg.
• 1987 Medical Specialist in Internal Medicine.
• 1987 Habilitation in Internal Medicine.
• 1988 Medical Specialist in Cardiology.
• 1996 - 2002 C4 Professor in Internal Medicine, University Hospital Lübeck, as well as the Head of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology, Pulmonology, Hemostaseology, Psychosomatics.
• Since 2002, C4 Professor and Head of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology at the University Hospital Heidelberg.
• 2002 - 2008 Representative of the network of Centers for Cardiovascular Pathology within the National Genome Research Network.
• Since 2002, President of the Academy of Cardiology.
• Since 2004, Publisher of the Clinical Research in Cardiology (the official scientific journal of the German Society of Cardiology).
• Since 2005, Representative of the Coordination Center of the Departments of Internal Therapy at the Heidelberg University Hospital.
• 2008 - 2010 Representative of the National Network of Genome Research Centers.
• Since 2011, Representative of the German Center for Cardiomyopathy Heidelberg/Mannheim.
• 2012 - 2013 Representative of the National Network of Genome Research Centers.
• 2013 Chairman of the Annual Conference of the German Society of Cardiology.
• 2015 - 2017 Elected President of the German Society of Cardiology.
• Since 2017, President of the German Society of Cardiology.

Scientific Interests in Cardiovascular Medicine

• 1973 - 1976 Experimental Electrophysiology.
• 1976 - 1978 Clinical Hemodynamics (blood pressure measurement, determination of myocardial contraction indicators).
• 1978 Biochemistry, Immunology, Clinical Chemistry (new methods for the diagnostics of cardiomyocyte necrosis, markers of myocardial damage).
• 1985 - 1991 Biochemistry, Physiology, muscle contraction (demyelinated fibers, isoform expression of myofibrillar proteins).
• 1991 Molecular Biology, Molecular, and Clinical Genetics (causes of familial dilated cardiomyopathy, transfer of somatic genes, transgenic animal models).

Important Contribution to Cardiovascular Medicine

• 2001 Foundation of the Academy of the German Society of Cardiology.
• 2004 Foundation of the first Chest Pain Unit in Germany.
• 2012 Foundation of the first in Germany Advanced Heart Failure Unit.

Scientific Awards

• 1995 Innovation Award in the German Economy (Troponin T).
• 1997 Arthur Weber Award of the German Society of Cardiology.
• 1999 Franz Loogen Award of the Essen Society for the Study of the Cardiovascular System.
• 2006 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Clinical Chemistry of the American Society of Clinical Chemistry.
• 2009 Innovation Award, BioRegion, Germany.
• 2011 Paul Morawicz Prize of the German Society of Cardiology.
• 2012 European Inventor Award, nomination: "Troponin blood test for the diagnostics of myocardial infarction."
• 2014 Scientist in Thomson Reuters Science Report.

Patents

• Troponin T, embryonic stem cell differentiation, S100A1 therapy.

Membership in Professional Societies

• Since 1988, the German Society for the Research of Cardiovascular Diseases.
• Since 1988, American Heart Association, Fundamental Science.
• 1989 International Heart Research Society.
• Since 1992, the German Society for General Therapy.
• Since 1998, Member of the European Society of Cardiology.
• Since 2011, Member of the American College of Cardiology.
• Since 2013, Member of the American Heart Association.

Publications

• Over 1340 original articles.
• Over 42 chapters in books.
• Over 33 patents.