Professorships of 2025
In 2025, the Faculty of Medicine appointed the following professors* to the University of Bonn:
Prof. Kaan Boztug
Prof. Dr. Kaan Boztug is head of the newly established Clinic for Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB). The 47-year-old expert in rare diseases of the immune system and blood formation aims to establish a center for congenital immunodeficiencies there, offering diagnostics and treatment, including immune and stem cell therapies. As part of his ERC grant-funded research, he has described more than 20 immune deficiencies for the first time and deciphered the underlying disease mechanisms. Prof. Boztug has just arrived from Vienna, where he served as director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, senior physician at St. Anna Children's Hospital, and scientific director of St. Anna Children's Cancer Research, among other positions.
There are a variety of congenital disorders of the immune system, but with a wide range of possible infections. “The trick is to recognize when children with infections or autoimmune diseases may actually have an underlying congenital immune deficiency,” says Prof. Boztug. Almost all of these are rare diseases for which modern therapies can be developed on a tailor-made basis. To this end, he relies, among other things, on very close networking with pediatric hematology and oncology as well as other pediatric departments at the UKB's Parent-Child Center (ELKI). "Immunology is a key discipline. In recent years, we have gained a better understanding of how, for example, chronic inflammatory bowel disease in early childhood can be caused by an immune deficiency, or that some immune deficiencies are associated with a risk of developing tumors. That is why interdisciplinary networking is of critical importance here," says Prof. Boztug, who has many years of clinical experience in pediatrics with a focus on immunology, hematology, and oncology. He also sees opportunities for close interaction with the Center for Rare Diseases (ZSEB), where he will establish a priority program for congenital immune deficiencies, as well as with rheumatology in the transition from pediatric to adult medicine.
Like looking for a needle in a haystack
Around 3,000 genes are responsible for the human immune system. “The key question of which gene is responsible for a particular trait is usually answered by the people affected themselves,” says Prof. Boztug. “Because if a gene mutates in a person and this has a negative effect, then it is obviously essential and therefore relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.” As part of his diagnostic and research work on congenital disorders of the immune system, he will be collaborating particularly closely with the Department of Human Genetics at the UKB.
The pediatric immunologist has the following dream for his field: to better understand how immune defects arise and what environmental influences play a role in this. With this knowledge, he wants to develop better therapies: “Can the gene responsible for the immune defect or the associated protein be modulated in such a way that we can correct or at least mitigate the immune dysfunction?”
First-class immunology research as a magnet for Bonn
The ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn is a particular appeal for Prof. Boztug: “The future-oriented research cluster was a major motivation for my decision to come to Bonn, and I am delighted to be able to help shape research into immune-dependent diseases as a new member.” In addition, for Prof. Boztug, who grew up about 50 miles from Bonn, it is also a little like coming home. “I am used to the open and friendly Rhineland way of life, which makes my first few days in my new creative environment much easier.”
Prof. Anne-Katrin Pröbstel
The University Hospital Bonn (UKB) is pleased to introduce Prof. Anne-Katrin Pröbstel as the new director of the Department of Neuroimmunology. Together with Prof. Ulrich Herrlinger, director of the Department of Neuro-Oncology, she will serve as managing director of the overarching Center for Neurology. With her international clinical experience and outstanding scientific expertise, she will strengthen the UKB as one of the leading centers for neuroimmunology in Germany and further optimize care for patients with diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The Clinic for Neuroimmunology at the UKB's Center for Neurology is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune neurological diseases and to neurointensive care within the interdisciplinary Neurointensive Care Unit (NICU). Neuroimmunological diseases can affect various parts of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, and cause a wide range of symptoms. We treat both autoimmune diseases of the peripheral nervous system, such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and diseases of the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), autoimmune encephalitis, neurosarcoidosis, and neurolupus. MS is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases in young adults. It mainly affects people between the ages of 20 and 40, with more than 250,000 people affected in Germany.
Scientific career
Prof. Anne-Katrin Pröbstel originally comes from near Frankfurt and, at just 38 years of age, is one of the youngest clinic directors in Germany. She completed her medical studies at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich with semesters abroad in Boston and Paris and simultaneously earned her doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, where she conducted research on MS and discovered new antibodies. During residencies in New York and Sydney, she deepened her knowledge of inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. Her scientific interests include the mechanisms of MS and related neuroimmunological diseases and the question of why the immune system attacks the body itself, damaging the myelin sheaths in the brain and spinal cord.
After completing her medical studies, she continued her specialist training in neurology and scientific work at one of the largest MS centers at the University Hospital of Basel. With a scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the American MS Society, she spent three years at the University of California, San Francisco, where she studied the role of intestinal bacteria in inflammatory processes. Back in Basel, she established the encephalitis outpatient clinic (for the treatment of inflammation of the brain) and her research group as a senior physician and SNF Eccellenza professor.
UKB Center of Excellence in Neuroimmunology
Prof. Pröbstel's particular passion lies in combining research and patient care, which led her to Bonn. At the UKB, she will further expand the immunological and neuroscientific center of excellence and intensify the immunological examination of patient samples. "It is a great honor for me to serve as managing director of the Center for Neurology and the Clinic for Neuroimmunology at the University Hospital Bonn. With my expertise in neuroimmunological research and neurological patient care, I want to work with my colleagues to bring new ideas and keep improving treatment options for autoimmune diseases of the nervous system. The UKB, located in close proximity to the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), offers me the ideal platform to develop innovative therapies that benefit patients and shape the future of medicine through close interdisciplinary collaboration."
Expansion of outpatient clinics and innovative therapies
Prof. Pröbstel is focusing on the expansion of outpatient clinics and the establishment of a day clinic, which is expected to be completed by 2026 at the UKB's Center for Neurology. Special consultation hours are also planned for rare neuroimmunological diseases such as MOGAD, NMOSD, rheumatic diseases such as neurolupus, and inflammatory neuropathies. An interdisciplinary clinical immunology board will be established to promote close cooperation between the disciplines involved. The neuroimmunology expert is focusing on collaborations with neuroradiology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, the eye clinic, the pediatric clinic, the clinic for internal medicine, and rheumatology at the UKB, among others. In addition, she will be conducting studies on new therapeutic approaches, including research into intestinal bacteria and CAR-T cell therapies, which have previously been used in cancer treatment, and will be offering regular patient information events. Among other things, she will be providing information on the topic of “Inflammation of the nerves and brain” at the UKB patient colloquium on May 22.
“Our vision is to further develop neurology and neuroimmunology at the UKB in a future-oriented manner and to set standards in both clinical practice and research. Through interdisciplinary cooperation and innovative research approaches, such as the study of intestinal bacteria and CAR-T cell therapies, we want to ensure holistic and future-oriented care for our patients.” With her move to the UKB, Prof. Pröbstel brings not only her impressive expertise, but also her vision for interdisciplinary and internationally networked neurology and neuroimmunology. Her goal is to set new standards in the treatment of neurological diseases through innovative research and excellent clinical care.
Prof. Dr. Richard Wierichs
After several years in Switzerland, he is returning to his old domain: Prof. Richard Wierichs, MHBA, has taken over as head of the newly structured Polyclinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB). The 38-year-old dentist succeeds Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Søren Jepsen, MS, and has also been appointed to the Chair of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn.
The internationally recognized expert in minimally invasive and prevention-oriented dentistry brings with him extensive clinical and scientific experience. Most recently, he worked as a senior physician at the Dental Clinics of the University of Bern, where he habilitated in 2020 and was appointed associate professor in 2023. Prior to that, he worked for several years at the Clinic for Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology, and Preventive Dentistry at RWTH Aachen University, where he also completed a rotation scholarship at the NRW Center of Excellence “Biohybrid & Medical Textiles.”
“Returning to Bonn is something very special for me,” says Prof. Wierichs. “This is where I studied, earned my doctorate, and discovered my passion for dental conservation. Now, being able to head the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology is not only a professional milestone for me, but also a return to my dental home.”
Research and care working hand in hand
His clinical focus is on minimally invasive treatment for patients of all ages—from pediatric dentistry and modern root canal treatment to cosmetic and periodontal therapies. Prof. Wierichs' scientific work focuses in particular on cariology in older age, the prevention and inactivation of root caries, and practice-oriented healthcare research.
“I am interested in how we can transfer scientific findings directly into everyday practice,” explains the new clinic director. “We want to develop therapies that are gentler, more durable, and more individually tailored to people's needs – thereby improving oral health in the long term.”
One example of this aspiration is the Bern Practice Network for Health Services Research, which he co-founded and which investigates clinical issues in real-life practice situations, thus bridging the gap between research and patient care.
New ideas for dental care in Bonn
Prof. Wierichs has a clear plan for the future of the Bonn Polyclinic: prevention, digitalization, and interdisciplinary collaboration. He wants to keep building on the existing focus on periodontology while also strengthening pediatric and adolescent dentistry and practical research.
“My goal is to make the clinic a place where research, teaching, and patient care are closely interlinked,” emphasizes Wierichs. “We want to offer evidence-based, sustainable, and patient-oriented treatment concepts—while at the same time providing the best possible training for the next generation of dentists and preparing them for future challenges in clinical practice and research.”
From the outset, students should learn to view the oral cavity not in isolation, but in the context of general health. In this way, the Münsterland native is continuing the approach of his predecessor and aims to contribute to the further development of dentistry toward “oral medicine.”
In addition, the new director is committed to the comprehensive modernization and digitization of the clinic. In addition to implementing legal requirements such as electronic patient records, new digital workflows are intended to noticeably improve processes for patients and employees.
About Richard Wierichs
Prof. Dr. Richard Wierichs, MHBA, was born in North Rhine-Westphalia in 1987 and studied dentistry at the University of Bonn, where he also earned his doctorate. After working in private practice, at RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Bern, he was offered chairs in conservative dentistry at the University Hospitals of Düsseldorf (declined) and Bonn (accepted) in 2025.
He has received several scientific awards, including the Basil G. Bibby Young Investigator Award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the Dental Innovation Award.
The father of two now lives in Bonn again with his wife and two daughters. In his free time, he enjoys running along the Rhine—on the same bridge circuit that accompanied him as a student.
Prof. Dr. Martina C.
Herwig-Carl
Prof. Dr. med. Martina C. Herwig-Carl was appointed to the W2 professorship for ophthalmopathology at the Eye Clinic of the University Hospital Bonn on February 15, 2025. At the same time, she will also take over as head of the newly founded “Ophthalmopathology” section.
After studying human medicine and obtaining her doctorate at Ruhr University Bochum, she began her specialist training in ophthalmology at the University Eye Clinic in Bonn. Parallel to her specialist training, she trained in ophthalmopathology and in 2010 went to the Ophthalmopathology Laboratory at Emory Eye Center, Atlanta, USA, on a DFG research fellowship. After returning to Bonn and obtaining her specialist certification and certification in ophthalmopathology in 2012, she established her first working group on ocular tumors. She subsequently expanded her surgical repertoire in the field of eyelid, tumor, and corneal surgery.
Her research focuses on the tumor microenvironment, intratumoral heterogeneity, and epigenetic changes in choroidal melanoma, as well as the entire spectrum of ophthalmopathology. In addition, she is researching the development of the eye based on a biobank of more than 1,000 fetal eyes that she has established. As a clinician-scientist, she primarily pursues translational approaches and also focuses intensively on clinical-pathological correlations of ophthalmological disease patterns and interventions in order to optimize conservative and microsurgical therapy through an improved understanding of wound healing and pathophysiology.
Her research goals are to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for ophthalmic tumor diseases and to advance the digitization of ophthalmopathology using artificial intelligence. In addition, she is committed to innovative teaching formats and has already developed an interactive “ophthalmopathology quiz” on eCampus. “I look forward to further expanding ophthalmopathology in Bonn and exploiting the potential of digitalization and artificial intelligence for diagnostics, teaching, and research,” said Prof. Herwig-Carl. “The direct connection between research, patient care, and teaching is particularly important to me.”
Prof. Dr. Maxmilian Pfau
Prof. Dr. Maximilian Pfau has held the W3 professorship for Retinology and Digital Imaging at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Ophthalmology since August 1, 2025. He is an internationally recognized expert in degenerative retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and rare diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt's disease. He completed his medical studies as a scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation at the University of Heidelberg, where he also earned his doctorate in basic science in biochemistry. He completed his specialist training in ophthalmology at the University Hospital in Bonn. His clinical and academic career has been shaped by scientific positions at leading international institutions such as Stanford University and the National Eye Institute in the USA, funded by the German Research Foundation. Most recently, until his appointment at the University of Bonn, he was senior physician in charge of consultations for rare retinal diseases at the University Hospital of Basel and, at the same time, was involved in the development of innovative therapies as Senior Principal Medical Director at Hoffmann-La Roche.
Prof. Dr. Maximilian Pfau works on developing super-sensitive eye tests and modern imaging techniques for early diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the most common cause of blindness in industrialized countries. The goal is to make future therapy studies possible in the earliest stages of the disease to preserve vision as early as possible. In addition, he is establishing innovative progression parameters and functional testing procedures for hereditary retinal diseases. In close collaboration with international consortia, he is involved in pioneering therapy and gene therapy studies for common and rare genetic retinal disorders.