Neuherberg, 12.10.2011. Professor Matthias Tschöp has been named a recipient of one of the four Alexander von Humboldt Professorships. Professor Tschöp will head the Institute of Diabetes and Obesity at Helmholtz Zentrum München, which is a member of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD). At the same time, he has been appointed Chair of Diabetes Research / Insulin Resistance of Technische Universität München. Professor Tschöp comes from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA and is an internationally renowned expert for metabolic diseases.

The Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is the most highly endowed research award in Germany. One of the four awards announced today will go to Munich. Professor Tschöp will head the Institute of Diabetes and Obesity at Helmholtz Zentrum München and will at the same time hold the Chair for Diabetes Research / Insulin Resistance at Technische Universität München (TUM). The two institutions are jointly establishing a research focus area on diabetes prevention and therapy concepts to meet this enormous medical challenge. In 2006, as first non-infectious disease, diabetes mellitus was declared a worldwide threat to health by the World Health Organization of the United Nations.
“The appointment of Professor Tschöp shows how attractive Munich is as a location. Through the partnership with TUM as member of the Excellence Initiative, we are creating the conditions to assume a leading role in diabetes research,” said Professor Günther Wess, CEO of Helmholtz Zentrum München. “This is a crucial step in attracting the best people engaged in diabetes research to our center and thus facilitating synergy.” The goals of Helmholtz Zentrum München are to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetes mellitus and to derive new targets for diagnosis, therapy and prevention.