The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, which was founded in 1759, is one of the largest and oldest academies in Germany. It perceives itself as a community of scholars, a non-university research institute, and a space for vibrant scientific dialogue with society and the political sphere.
This year, Matthias Tschöp was elected to this prestigious, interdisciplinary circle of scientists. “The election to the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities provides access to a fantastic network of outstanding researchers, among other things” says the Director of the Helmholtz Diabetes Center and the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus. “It is a particular pleasure for me to follow in the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt in this way.”
Having worked for many years in the USA, in 2012 Matthias Tschöp was the first medical doctor to be appointed to an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Along with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Alexander von Humboldt and his brother William were members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Professor Tschöp’s team is currently working in collaboration with physicians, engineers, and chemists on the development of innovative approaches for the personalized prevention and treatment of obesity and diabetes.
As well as holding the positions of Professor at the TUM and Adjunct Professor at Yale University, Professor Tschöp is Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Diabetes Center and the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus. His scientific achievements have been acknowledged with numerous other awards and honors, including an ERC Advanced Grant, the Erwin Schrödinger Prize, the Paul Martini Prize, the Hansen Family Award, the Innovation Award of the Endocrine Society, the Outstanding Scientific Achievement Awards of the American Diabetes Association and the Obesity Society, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Leipzig. Matthias Tschöp was also recently conferred with the Carus Medal by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina for his outstanding research.