CSTP Ministerial 2004 (Home)
Home: CSTP Ministerial 2004 > 

Heidi Diggelmann, MD

Send Send Print print

Curriculum Vitae
HEIDI DIGGELMANN, MD

Born December 3, 1936 in Bern, Switzerland, of Swiss Nationality

Education

Städtisches Gymnasium Bern, Maturität, 1955
1955-1961: Medical School of the University of Bern, Switzerland
December 1961 : MD, state examination

Employment

  • 1962: Internship in Internal Medicine, District Hospital Thun, Switzerland
  • 1963-1964: Institute for Clinical Research on Proteins (Prof. G.Riva), Tiefenauspital, Bern, Switzerland  MD Thesis on "Determination of the total clearance of gammaglobulins", research assistant
  • 1965-1966: Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland, Department of Virology (Prof. R.Weil), Postdoctoral Research Assistant
  • 1966-1967: Department of Biophysics, University of Chicago, USA, (Prof. E.P. Geiduschek), Research Associate
  • 1968-1970: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Zürich, Switzerland (Prof. Charles Weissmann), in charge of research unit on retroviruses
  • 1971-1976: Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland, Department of Virology (Prof. B. Hirt), in charge of research unit on retroviruses
  • 1977-1991: Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Epalinges/Lausanne, Switzerland, head of Department of Molecular Biology
  • 1983-1990: Associate professor of the Medical Faculty of the University of Lausanne
  • 1991-2001: Full professor of the Medical Faculty of the University of Lausanne
    Director of Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne
  • Since Sept. 2001: Honorary Professor of the Medical Faculty of the University of Lausanne

Present responsibilities

  • President of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation since 1 January 1997
  • President of the Foundation “Pierre Mercier pour la Science” since 2003
  • Memberships Individual member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences
  • Member of the Foundation Science-et-Cité
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation

Awards

1976: Friedrich Miescher Award
1984: Max Cloetta Award
1992: Otto Naegeli Award of the Bonizzi-Theler Foundation
2002: Prix de l’Etat de Berne of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland
2003: Doctor honoris causa of the University of Basel, Switzerland

Research interests

Fundamental research on retroviruses, regulation of viral gene expression, viral aetiology of cancer, mechanisms of malignant transformation of cells, interaction of viruses with the immune system of their host, vaccine development.

Public perception of science and technology (animal experimentation, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, stem cell research)

Past responsibilities

  • Member Committee of the Swiss Academy of Medicine on Experimental Genetics from 1976 to 1986
  • Swiss Committee of Molecular Biology (SKMB): Exec. Secretary 1978-1982, President 1983-1986
  • President of the Swiss Society of Cellular and Molecular Biology, 1981 and 1982
  • Member of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Fund, 1983-1989
  • Member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee of the Tropical Disease Program (TDR) of WHO from 1986-1989
  • Member of the Swiss Co-ordination Committee for Biotechnology (SKB), 1986-1990
  • Member of the Council of the Swiss Federal Universities (ETH-Rat), from September 1990 to December 1996, vice-president from February 1993 to June 1995, president ad interim from January to June 1995
  • President of the Swiss Committee for Biological Safety (SKBS) from October 1990 to October 1995
  • Member of the Roche Research Foundation from 1991 to 1993, Vice-president from 1993 to 1996
Top of page
Don't miss