Gerd Walz

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Gerd Walz (born January 10, 1957 in Gelsenkirchen ) is a German nephrologist . He is the Medical Director of the Clinic for Internal Medicine IV (nephrology and general medicine) at the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg im Breisgau .

Walz studied 1976-1983 medicine in Berlin and Tübingen and was in Berlin 1984 doctorate . After completing specialist training in Berlin, he was a post-doctoral student at Harvard Medical School in Boston from 1987 to 1992 in the field of immunology and molecular biology . In 1992 he completed his habilitation in Berlin and from 1992 to 1995 he completed specialist training at Harvard Medical School in internal medicine with a focus on nephrology. He was then attending physician there from 1995 and assistant professor from 1996 . Since 1999 he has been Professor and Medical Director of the Medical Clinic IV in Freiburg.

He is particularly concerned with the cyst kidney and its genetic causes. He uses roundworms , frogs, zebrafish , mice and human cell lines as model organisms . His working group has so far identified around 20 genes that play a role in the development of the disease. This also gave rise to therapeutic approaches: the protein mTOR is increasingly expressed in cyst kidneys and in animal models , deactivation of the protein showed a positive therapeutic effect. A corresponding drug (which is already used as an immunosuppressant ) is in clinical testing in Freiburg (2007). In this context, he is also researching cilia , the malformation of which plays a role in the pathogenesis of the cyst kidney.

In 2008 he received the Ernst Jung Prize . He has been a member of the Leopoldina Scholars' Academy since 2009 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ CV Walz, Gerd, accessed on September 30, 2015
  2. ↑ Freiburg nephrologist Gerd Walz appointed member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina. In: Medizin-aspekte.de. March 17, 2010, accessed September 30, 2015 .
  3. ↑ Petra Völzing: Education & Knowledge: BZ series "Bright Heads": Gerd Walz from the University Clinic: Detective work on the kidney. In: badische-zeitung.de. August 1, 2015, accessed September 30, 2015 .
  4. ^ Member entry by Gerd Walz (with picture) at the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina , accessed on July 15, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Walz, Gerd
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German medic
DATE OF BIRTH January 10, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH Gelsenkirchen