Events

Events for various target groups take place regularly at the HZI campus and the HZI locations. Here you find a regularly updated list with information about upcoming events such as lectures, scientific symposia, award ceremonies and events for the general public.

Public
25
October
2024
7.30 pm | HZI wide
Concert
Host: HZI Campus
Scientific
08
November
2024
8.00 am | Saarbrücken
Scientific
29
November
2024
12.00 pm | HZI wide
Workshop
Host: HZI Campus
Event building

HZI Forum

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research opened the HZI Forum in 2000 as a meeting place for lectures, seminars, events and symposia on campus. The rooms can also be rented by external companies, associations and other interested parties with a scientific background.

There is a hall with a stage (X0.13), two large seminar rooms (X0.13a, X1.04) and a small seminar room (X1.01) as well as a foyer, a gallery and a green outdoor area. Here you can find room plans with basic seating and alternative seating arrangements.

If you are interested in renting one or more of the rooms, please contact us.

Christine Bentz
Christine Bentz
Events | Visitors | HZI Forum
Prizes and Awards

Research Awards

Inhoffen Medal

Group photo of the Inhoffen Lecture
Laudator Prof. Thomas Carell (Head of the Institute of Chemical Epigenetics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich), Chairman of the HZI Friends of the HZI Prof. Klemens Rottner, Inhoffen Prize Laureate Prof. Stephan A. Sieber, TU President Prof. Angela Ittel and Prof. Thomas Pietschmann (Deputy Scientific Director of the HZI).

In memory of the chemist Prof. Hans Herloff Inhoffen, who died in 1992, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Technical University (TU) Braunschweig annually organize the Inhoffen lecture and award the Inhoffen Medal since 1994. The prize is endowed with 5000 Euros. The Inhoffen Medal is one of the most prestigious German prizes within the area of natural compound chemistry.

From 1946 to 1974, Inhoffen taught at the TU Braunschweig and served as its rector from 1948 to 1950. In 1965, he founded the "Institute of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics", the precursor of the "German Research Centre for Biotechnology" and today´s HZI.

The Inhoffen Medal is awarded by the Friends of the HZI, who sponsor the prize money amounting to 8,000 Euro.

The award winner for 2024 is Prof Stephan A. Sieber from TU München.

AWARD WINNERS INHOFFEN MEDAL:

  • 2024: Stephan A. Sieber, TU München
  • 2023: Jörn Piel, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2022: Sarah Reisman, California Institute of Technology, USA
  • 2020: Christian Hertweck, Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie – Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI) Jena
  • 2019: Phil Baran, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA
  • 2018: Rolf Müller, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland
  • 2017: Helma Wennemers, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2016: Thomas Carell, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
  • 2015: Hiroyuki Osada, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Japan
  • 2014: Alois Fürstner, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung
  • 2013: Christopher T. Walsh, Harvard Medical School, USA
  • 2012: Peter Leadlay, Abteilung für Biochemie, Universität Cambridge, GB
  • 2011: Peter Seeberger, Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung, Potsdam
  • 2010: Herbert Waldmann, Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Dortmund
  • 2009: William H. Fenical, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA
  • 2008: Steven V. Ley, Universität Cambridge, GB
  • 2007: François Diederich, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2006: Gerhard Höfle und Hans Reichenbach, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig
  • 2005: Wilhelm Boland, Max-Planck-Institut, Jena
  • 2003: Manfred T. Reetz, Mülheim an der Ruhr
  • 2002: Horst Kessler, Universität München
  • 2001: Pierre Potier, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
  • 2000: Rudolf Wiechert, Berlin
  • 1999: Carl Djerassi, Universität Stanford, USA
  • 1998: Ekkehard Winterfeldt, Universität Hannover 
  • 1997: Sir Alan R. Battersby, Universität Cambridge, GB
  • 1996: Kyriacos C. Nicolaou, Scripps Institute, La Jolla, USA
  • 1995: Albert Eschenmoser, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 1994: Gerhard Quinkert, Universität Frankfurt 

Jürgen Wehland Award

Stephanie Pfänder, winner of the Jürgen Wehland Award 2023.
Stephanie Pfänder, winner of the Jürgen Wehland Award 2023

The Jürgen Wehland Award is given in honour of the former Scientific Director of the HZI, who passed away unexpectedly in 2010 after just one year in office. 2023 marks the ninth time the award has been granted by the HZI and the Friends of the HZI.

Virologist and Jun Prof Stephanie Pfänder has been awarded the Jürgen Wehland Award 2023. A scientist in the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, her research focuses on so-called emerging viruses, in particular coronaviruses. She received the award during a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Braunschweig, Anke Kaphammel, and guests from science and the alumni network of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). This is already the ninth time that the HZI has awarded the Jürgen Wehland Award, which is endowed with 5,000 euros, to honour young scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the field of infection research. The award ceremony took place at the HZI Forum event centre in Braunschweig.

WINNERS OF THE JÜRGEN WEHLAND AWARD:

  • 2023: Jun Prof Stephanie Pfänder, Ruhr-University Bochum
  • 2020: Dr Kilian Schober, TU München
  • 2018: Dr Katherine Beckham, EMBL European Molecular Biology Laboratory Hamburg
  • 2016: Dr Luciana Berod, TWINCORE Hannover
  • 2015: Dr Sabrina Schreiner, TU München und Helmholtz-Zentrum München
  • 2014: Prof Andreas Müller, Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg
  • 2013: Dr Andrea Ablasser, Bonn University
  • 2012: Dr Stephanie Bertram, Deutsches Primatenzentrum
  • 2011: Dr Eike Steinmann, TWINCORE Hannover

PhD Award

Group photo of Matthias Bruhn, Stephan A. Sieber and Blondelle Matio Kemkuignoi
HZI doctoral award winners 2024: Dr. Matthias Bruhn and Dr. Blondelle Matio Kemkuignou (with Prof. Stephan Sieber, winner of the Inhoffen Medal 2024).

The Friends of the HZI donate yearly two PhD Awards in order to support young scientists. The awards honour excellent PhD theses from the field of life sciences at a partner university of the HZI.

The PhD Award is endowed with 1.000 Euros, each, and is presented during the Hans Herloff Inhoffen Lecture, which takes place once a year.

The award winners for doctorates completed in the year before will be selected upon receipt of applications.

PHD AWARD WINNERS:

  • 2024: Dr Matthias Bruhn, Dr Blondelle Matio Kemkuignou
  • 2023: Dr Alaa Alhayek, Dr Chunlei Jiao, Dr Bernard C. Silenou
  • 2022: Dr Chantal Bader, Dr Birthe Reinecke
  • 2021: Dr Silke Rath, Dr Matthias Schaks
  • 2020: Dr Adrian Kordes, Dr Markus Stempel
  • 2019: Dr Katharina Borst, Dr Andreas Martin Kany
  • 2018: Dr Frieda Kage, Dr Daniel Todt
  • 2017: Dr Tobias Bock, Dr Islam Ahmed Mohamed El-Awaad
  • 2016: Dr Stephanie Pfänder, Dr Eric Kuhnert
  • 2015: Dr Michaela Annemann, Dr Michael Storz
  • 2014: Dr Stefanie Kristin Wöhl-Bruhn, Dr Christian A. Citron
  • 2013: Dr Cornelia Chizzali, Dr Christian Mayer
  • 2012: Dr Christina Ziegler, Dr Nick Quade
  • 2011: Dr Julia Bitzegeio, Dr Leonor da Gama Cavalho Norton
  • 2010: Dr Judith Becker, Dr Jan Hänisch
  • 2009: Dr Jacek Puchalka
  • 2008: Dr Thomas Wollert, Dr Pablo Becker
  • 2007: Dr Roland Adden, Dr Raimo Franke
  • 2006: Dr Silke Wenzel, Dr Annika Steffen
  • 2005: Dr Oliver Goldmann, Dr Jibin Sun
  • 2003: Dr Simone Bergmann, Dr Philipp Hartmann
  • 2002: Dr Nicole Glaser, Dr Edelweiß Markworth, Dr Andreas Toman
  • 2001: Dr Oliver Pabst, Dr Stefan Hüttelmaier
  • 2000: Dr Armin Bauer, Dr Ursula Deiters

Paper of the Month

An internal committee selects one publication per month for the HZI Paper of the Month Award (POM). The award is a gift voucher for the first author, accompanied by a certificate. The award ceremony takes place quarterly following the last Friday Lunch Seminar of each month, excluding vacations and vacations.

Current Award Winners

January 2023
Carsten E Seyfert, Christoph Porten, Selina Deckarm /HIPS/ Gruppe: Mikrobielle Naturstoffe
Darobactins Exhibiting Superior Antibiotic Activity by Cryo-EM Structure Guided Biosynthetic Engineering
Doi: 10.1002/anie.202214094

February 2023
Sangeun Lee /HIPS/
Proteoid biodynamers for safe mRNA transfection via pH-responsive nanorods enabling endosomal escap
Doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.12.018

March 2023
Eva Zahorska /HIPS/
Neutralizing the Impact of the Virulence Factor LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Human Cells with New Glycomimetic Inhibitors
Doi: 10.1002/anie.202215535

April 2023
Arne Bublitz /HZI/
The natural product chlorotonil A preserves colonization resistance and prevents relapsing Clostridioides difficile infection
Doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.04.003

May 2023
Katarzyna M Sitnik /HZI/
Fibroblasts are a site of murine cytomegalovirus lytic replication and Stat1-dependent latent persistence in vivo
Doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38449-x

June 2023
Philipp C Münch /HZI/
Pulsed antibiotic treatments of gnotobiotic mice manifest in complex bacterial community dynamics and resistance effects
Doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.013