Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer-Hermann participates in RESIST research project B1.

My Research Interest in RESIST

Our research focus in RESIST is the integration of methods from mathematical modelling and artificial intelligence into basic research and clinical translation. These methods are applied to infections including the host response. We aim at supporting the identification and validation of novel antiviral targets and on improving treatment schedules for the benefit of the patients. 

Prof. Meyer-Hermann about his scientific work

Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer-Hermann – Curriculum Vitae

Current Position

  • Since 2010 Full (W3) Professor of Life Sciences at the TU Braunschweig
    Head of the Department of Systems-Immunology at the HZI 

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

  • 1988 – 1994 Studied in Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, and the University Pierre et Marie Curie Paris.

  • 1994 Diploma in Theoretical Physics at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main. 

  • 1997 Ph.D. Theoretical Physics at the Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main 

Academic and Research Posts

  • 1994 – 1998 Scientific collaborator, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main, Germany

  • 1998 – 2003 Head and initiator of the Research group “Theoretical Biophysics at the Dresden University of Technology, Germany

  • 2003 – 2005 Research fellow at the Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, UK

  • 2005 – 2010 Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), Frankfurt, Germany

  • Since 2010 Full (W3) Professor of Life Sciences at the TU Braunschweig
    Head of the Department of Systems-Immunology at the HZI 

Other Scientific Roles

  • 2007 – 2010 Coordinator, EU project MAMOCELL (FP6-2005-NEST-PATH)

  • 2007 – 2011 Editorial board, Advances in Complex Systems

  • Since 2011 Board of directors of “Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology” (BRICS) 

  • 2012 – 2016 Deputy Speaker of the scientific association of the HZI

  • 2015 – 2018 Coordinator, Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP): Cooperation strategy and information processing in and between germinal centre reactions (RGP0033/2015). 

  • 2016-2020 Speaker of the scientific association of the HZI

  • Since 2017 Faculty member, Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine (CiiM) Hannover 

  • Since 2018 Scientific advisory board of the Doctoral Training Unit “Next Generation Immuno- Science” (NEXTIMMUNE) Luxembourg 

  • 2020-2023 Member of various Corona expert advisory boards: Of the Minister of Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony Bernd Althusmann; of the Chancellor Angela Merkel and the head of the Chancellery Helge Braun; of the President of the Robert Koch-Institute Lothar Wieler; of the Helmholtz Association

  • 2020-2023 Member of the Expert commission „Pandemieforschung“ (pandemic research) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

  • 2021-2023 Member of the Corona expert advisory board of the Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Awards and Prizes

  • 1990 – 1994 German National Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) 

  • 1994 Award of the WE-Heraeus-Foundation

  • 2003 EU Marie-Curie Fellowship for a research project with Prof. Dr. P.K. Maini at the Centre for Mathematical Biology, Oxford University, UK

  • 2006 ALTANA-Award for fundamental research in Theoretical Immunology (500k€)

  • 2009 Offer (Ruf): W2-professor at Hans-Knöll-Institute and Jena University

  • 2009 Offer (Ruf): W3-professor at Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Technische Universität Braunschweig 

Recommended Links

For further information about Prof. Meyer-Hermann’s scientific work please check the following links:

10 Selected Publications (of > 100 original publications)

Zhao G, Straub* RH, Meyer-Hermann* M. The transition between acute and chronic infections in light of energy control: A mathematical model of energy flow in response to infection. J Roy Soc Interface 2022 Jun; 19(191):20220206 [*corresponding authors]. PMID 35730176, DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0206

Meyer-Hermann M. Injection of antibodies against immunodominant epitopes tunes germinal centers to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies. Cell Reports 2019 Oct 29; 29: 1066-1073. PMID 31665624, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.058.

Roco JA, Mesin L, Binder SC, Nefzger C, Gonzalez-Figueroa P, Canete PF, Ellyard J, Shen Q, Robert PA, Cappello J, Vohra H, Zhang Y, Schiepers A, Toellner K-M, Polo J, Meyer-Herman M, Victora G, Vinuesa CG. Class-switch recombination occurs infrequently in germinal centers. Immunity 2019 Aug 20; 51: 337-350. PMID 31375460.

Zhao G, Wirth D, Schmitz I, Meyer-Hermann M. A mathematical model of the impact of insulin secretion dynamics on selective hepatic insulin resistance. Nature Commun 2017; 8: 1362. 

Hernandez-Vargas EA, Wilk E, Canini L, Toapanta FR, Binder S, Uvarovskii A, Ross TM, Guzman C, Perelson* AS, Meyer-Hermann* M. The effects of aging on influenza virus infection dynamics. J Virol 2014; 88: 4123-4131 [*shared corresponding author]. 

Zhang* Y, Meyer-Hermann* M, George L, Khan M, Figge MT, Falciani F, Kosco-Vilbois M, Toellner K-M. Germinal centre B cells govern their own fate via antibody feedback. J Exp Med 2013; 210: 457-464. [*shared first author] 

Meyer-Hermann M, Mohr E, Pelletier N, Zhang Y, Victora GD, Toellner K-M. A theory of germinal center B cell selection, division and exit. Cell Reports 2012; 2: 162-174. 

Garin* A, Meyer-Hermann* M, Contie M, Figge MT, Buatois V, Gunzer M, Toellner K-M, Elson G, Kosco- Vilbois MH. Toll-Like Receptor 4 signaling by Follicular Dendritic Cells is pivotal for germinal center onset and affinity maturation. Immunity 2010; 33: 84-95. [*shared first author] 

Victora GD, Schwickert TA, Fooksman DR, Meyer-Hermann M, Dustin ML, Nussenzweig MC. Germinal center selection mechanism revealed by multiphoton microscopy using a photoactivatable fluorescent reporter. Cell 2010; 143: 592-605. 

Meyer-Hermann M, Figge MT, Straub R. Mathematical modeling of the circadian rhythm of key neuroendocrine immune players in rheumatoid arthritis: A systems biology approach, Arthritis & Rheumatism 2009; 60: 2585-2594. 

Contact

  Prof. Dr. Michael Meyer-Hermann
  Systems Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
  Rebenring 56
38106 Braunschweig
  +49 531 391 – 55210
  mhh@
theoretical-biology.de