Prof. Claus-Michael Lehr is Professor at Saarland University as well as cofounder and head of the department “Biological Barriers and Drug Delivery” at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS). HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University. Lehr is being recognized in part for his long-standing engagement with CRS, which began in 1995 with the co-founding of the German Local Chapter—an initiative that also held its inaugural meeting in Saarbrücken. That same year marked the launch of the Biological Barriers conference series, which continues to take place biennially.
Further activities highlighted by CRS include the Galenos Euro-PhD program (2004–2008), an early European doctoral training initiative in pharmaceutical sciences, and the recently established COFUND project TALENTs, which supports international postdoctoral researchers in drug delivery and related fields.
In March 2026, HIPS will host a joint meeting of the 30th CRS German Local Chapter Meeting and the 14th Biological Barriers Conference, reflecting the continuity and relevance of these long-term efforts.
Two Former Doctoral Students Also Honored
Alongside the Distinguished Service Award, two of Lehr’s former doctoral students were also recognized by CRS in 2025:
- Dr. Hagar Labouta, University of Toronto, received the Rising Women in Science Award.
- Dr. Ana Melero, University of Valencia, received the Transdermal Delivery Kydonieus Foundation Award.
These awards acknowledge early- and mid-career contributions in the areas of nanomedicine and transdermal drug delivery, respectively.
