Professor Dr. Katja Becker
President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Professor Dr. Katja Becker
Born 7 March 1965
in Heidelberg
Career History
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| Since 2000 | Full (C4/W3) Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Giessen |
| 2005-2006 | 6-month research visit to Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, Proteomic Mass Spectrometry Lab, Prof. John Yates III |
| 1999-2000 | Junior Group Leader at the Research Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg |
| 1999 | Associate professor (C2) at Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center |
| 1998 | Medical specialisation in Biochemistry |
| 1996 | Habilitation in Biochemistry, Heidelberg University |
| 1994 | 6-month research visit to Institute of Pathology, Prof. N. H. Hunt, University of Sydney, Australia |
| 1993 | Licence to practise medicine |
| 1993-1999 | Research associate at Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center |
| 1992-1993 | Medical assistant at Heidelberg University Children's Hospital. 3 months of clinical and research work in Nigeria |
| 1990-1991 | Practical year at University Hospital Basel (internal medicine), Heidelberg University Hospital (surgery) and John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford (paediatrics) |
| 1988-1989 | Postdoctoral researcher at Institute of Pathology, University of Sydney; clinical work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Katherine, NT, Australia |
| 1986-1988 | Dissertation with Prof. Heiner Schirmer at Institute of Biochemistry II, Heidelberg University; title: "Glutathione reductase and its apoenzyme: contributions to the chemotherapy of malaria and the diagnosis of FAD deficiencies" (summa cum laude) |
| 1984-1991 | Studies in human medicine, Heidelberg University |
Offices and Roles in the Research System
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| Since 2020 | President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) |
| 2014-2019 | Vice President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) |
| 2009-2012 | Vice President for Research and Early Career Support, University of Giessen |
| 2007-2014 | Spokesperson for the Bioresources and Biotechnology Section, Giessen Graduate Center for the Life Sciences |
| 2004-2005 | Spokesperson for the interdisciplinary Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (IFZ), University of Giessen |
| 2018-2019 | Spokesperson for LOEWE centre DRUID (Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases), part of an initiative by the state of Hesse to promote scientific and economic excellence |
| 2014-2019 | Spokesperson for DFG Priority Programme 1710 "Dynamics of Thiol-based Redox Switches in Cellular Physiology" |
Review and Advisory Activities
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | Member of the German government round table on Internationalisation of Education, Science and Research |
| 2016-2017 | Involvement in the drafting of the statement on Improving Global Health by the Leopoldina for the G20 summit 2017 |
| 2015-2017 | German representative on the Scientific Committee of the EU COST programme |
| Since 2016 | Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Research Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg |
| 2015 | Member of the delegation accompanying Bundesrat President Volker Bouffier on a visit to South Africa and Mozambique |
| 2014-2015 | Involvement in the drafting of the statement on Neglected Tropical Diseases by the Leopoldina for the G7 summit 2015 |
| Since 2013 | Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Kerckhoff Heart Research Institute, Bad Nauheim |
| 2013 | Member of the delegation accompanying Minister President Volker Bouffier to South America |
| 2007-2010 | Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Center for International Development and Environmental Research |
| Since 2010 | Mentor for female early career researchers through ProProfessur and SciMento |
Honours and Awards
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Rudolf Leuckart Medal of the German Society for Parasitology |
| Since 2009 | Member of the Leopoldina, Germany's National Academy of Sciences |
| 2003/2004 | Carus Medal of the Deutsche Akademie für Naturforscher Leopoldina/Carus Prize of the city of Schweinfurt |
| 2000-2005 | Member of the Junge Akademie of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina |
| 2003 | Funding for the congress "Redox Metabolism in Malaria: From Genes to Drugs", Bellagio, Italy, from the Rockefeller Foundation |
| 1994 | Boehringer Mannheim research fellowship |
| 1989 | Ludolf Krehl Prize (dissertation prize) of the Southwest German Society for Internal Medicine |
| 1984 | Award in the state of Baden-Württemberg schools competition in Ancient Languages; followed by funding from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes |
Memberships of Learned Societies
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
German Society for Parasitology
German Society for Tropical Medicine and Global Health
German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
International Society for Free Radical Research