Dr Klaus Cichutek

President, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut

Biography

Klaus Cichutek is Former President of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Germany, and extra-ordinary (apl.) Professor of Biochemistry at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main.

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is a research and science driven Medicines Agency (veterinary and human vaccines, human biomedicines) reporting to the German Federal Ministry of Health and providing regulatory services to the European Medicines Agency EMA, EDQM, WHO and others.

Professional career:

  • 1976 to 1984: studies of and Ph.D. in biochemistry
  • 1985 to 1988: postdoctoral scientist at the Molecular Biology and Virus Laboratory, University of California in Berkeley, U.S.A., on fellowships of the DFG (German Research Foundation) and the Univ. of California
  • 1988 to 1994: head, 'Molecular Biology' Research Group, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen
  • 1994 to 2011: head, Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen
  • 1999 to 2009: Vice President, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen
  • 2009 to 2023: President, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen

Research interests:

Retrovirology and gene therapy (> 150 publications). Early research on oncogenic Harvey sarcoma virus was followed by a characterisation of the apathogenic infection of African green monkeys with SIVagm and of the development of HIV-1 virus variants from a single biological virus clone in patients. In gene therapy, he generated a variety of retro- and lentiviral vectors and vector pseudotypes and he demonstrated the feasibility of cell targeting in vitro and in vivo.

Current committee and board memberships (selection):

  • "WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization" (ECBS) (elected (co-)chair in 2016 to 2024),
  • “WHO Product Development for Vaccines Advisory Committee" (PD-VAC),
  • founding member of the German Center for Infection Research DZIF, and member/coordinator of DZIF´s Product Development Unit • Loewe Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy Frankfurt/Main,
  • reviewer of research proposals for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Foundation DFG, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz Association and the European Commission
  • advisory board member of academic research institutions