Curriculum Vitae of Participating Researchers
Werfel, Thomas
D.o.B.
26-4-1959
Current Position
Since 2008
Allergy, MHH
Full (W3) Professor of Dermatology, Dept. of Dermatology and
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training
1978 – 1985
1987
1996
1994
1995
Medical School in Göttingen and London
Medical Doctorate (Dr. med.; Supervisor Prof. Dr. med. O. Götze)
Habilitation in Dermatology and Venereology
Certificate of Completed Specialist Training in Dermatology and Venereology
Certificate of Completed Specialist Training in Allergology
Academic and Research Posts
1985 - 1987
1987 - 1989
1989 - 1994
1996 – 2001
2001 - 2008
Since 2008
Postgraduate Trainee, Dept. Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine,
Hannover Medical School
Postgraduate Trainee, Institute of Immunology, Göttingen University
Postgraduate Assistant, Dept Dermatology and Venereology, Hannover Medical
School
University Lecturer, Dept. Dermatology and Venereology, Hannover Medical School
Full (W3) Professor, Dept. Dermatology and Venereology, Hannover Medical School
Full (W3) Professor of Dermatology, Head of Division Immunodermatology and
Allergy Research and Vice Director of Dept. of Dermatology and Allergy, MHH
Other Scientific Roles
2006 - 2012
2012 – 2017
Since 2011
Since 2015
Since 2012
Since 2016
Speaker, DFG Graduiertenkolleg 1441
Section Editor of the J Invest Dermatology
Section Editor Skin Allergy of Curr Opinion Allergy Clin Immunology
Board member of the European Society of Dermatological research (ESDR)
Advisory board of the DFG (Fachkollegium)
President of the German Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI)
Awards and Prizes
1978 - 1985
1996
1998
2003
Recipient of a grant from the Evangelisches Studienwerk
Herbert-Herxheimer-Gedächtnispreis, German Society of Allergology and Clinical
Immunology
Scientific-Hans-Storck-Award, Technische Universität Zürich, Switzerland
Fujisawa Research Award “Immunomodulation in Dermatology“ (Major Award)
10 Selected Publications (of 219 original publications)
Kopfnagel V, Wagenknecht S, Harder J, Hofmann K, Kleine M, Buch A, Sodeik B, Werfel T.RNase 7 strongly
promotes TLR9-mediated DNA sensing by human plasmacytoid dendritic cells. J Invest Dermatol. 2017 (epub
ahead of print).
Traidl S, Kienlin P, Begemann G, Jing L, Koelle DM, Werfel T, Roesner LM.Patients with atopic dermatitis and
history of eczema herpeticum elicit herpes simplex virus-specific type 2 immune responses. J Allergy Clin
Immunol. 2017 (epub ahead of print).
Roesner LM, Heratizadeh A, Wieschowski S, Mittermann I, Valenta R, Eiz-Vesper B, Hennig C, Hansen G, Falk
CS, Werfel T.α-NAC-Specific Autoreactive CD8+ T Cells in Atopic Dermatitis Are of an Effector Memory Type and
Secrete IL-4 and IFN-γ. J Immunol. 2016; 196: 3245-52.
Curriculum Vitae of Participating Researchers
Werfel T, Heratizadeh A, Niebuhr M, Kapp A, Roesner LM, Karch A, Erpenbeck VJ, Lösche C, Jung T, Krug N,
Badorrek P, Hohlfeld JM.Exacerbation of atopic dermatitis upon grass pollen exposure in an environmental
challenge chamber. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015; 136: 96-103.
Roesner LM, Heratizadeh A, Begemann G, Kienlin P, Hradetzky S, Niebuhr M, Eiz-Vesper B, Hennig C, Hansen
G, Baron-Bodo V, Moingeon P, Werfel T.Der p1 and Der p2-Specific T Cells Display a Th2, Th17, and Th2/Th17
Phenotype in Atopic Dermatitis. J Invest Dermatol. 2015; 135: 2324-27.
Krug N, Hohlfeld JM, Kirsten AM, Kornmann O, Beeh KM, Kappeler D, Korn S, Ignatenko S, Timmer W, Rogon
C, Zeitvogel J, Zhang N, Bille J, Homburg U, Turowska A, Bachert C, Werfel T, Buhl R, Renz J, Garn H, Renz
H.Allergen-induced asthmatic responses modified by a GATA3-specific DNAzyme. N Engl J Med. 2015; 372:
1987-95.
Hradetzky S, Roesner LM, Balaji H, Heratizadeh A, Mittermann I, Valenta R, Werfel T.Cytokine effects induced
by the human autoallergen α-NAC. J Invest Dermatol. 2014; 134: 1570-8.
Hradetzky S, Balaji H, Roesner LM, Heratizadeh A, Mittermann I, Valenta R, Werfel T.The human skinassociated autoantigen α-NAC activates monocytes and dendritic cells via TLR-2 and primes an IL-12dependent Th1 response. J Invest Dermatol. 2013; 133: 2289-92.
Balaji H, Heratizadeh A, Wichmann K, Niebuhr M, Crameri R, Scheynius A, Werfel T.Malassezia sympodialis
thioredoxin-specific T cells are highly cross-reactive to human thioredoxin in atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin
Immunol. 2011; 128: 992-3.
Niebuhr M, Scharonow H, Gathmann M, Mamerow D, Werfel T.Staphylococcal exotoxins are strong inducers
of IL-22: A potential role in atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010; 126: 1176-83.
Research Interest in RESIST
Thomas Werfel is the Head of the Research-Division of Immunodermatology and Allergy Research
(W3, Full Professorship) and in addition Deputy Director of the Department of Dermatology and
Allergy at Hannover Medical School since 2008. His research interests focus on chronic inflammatory
skin diseases including atopic dermatitis (role of allergens, microbial antigens and autoantigens,
immunological mechanism, new therapeutical approaches). During the last years, he contributed
knowledge regarding different trigger factors, inflammatory signaling and cellular and humoral
responses. He investigated patients at risk regarding pathogen infections which can lead to lifethreatening complications and described mechanisms how pathogens act as driving forces of atopic
dermatitis. In RESIST, he aims to expand the knowledge on pathogens that represent a threat for
patients suffering from inflammatory skin and other diseases driven by severe type 2 immune
responses, especially Herpes viruses. Recruiting different cohorts of patients at risk, he will
investigate susceptibility factors from a genetic as well as an immunological point of view and will
contribute to projects investigating pathogen infection and inflammation mechanisms.
Research Interest in RESIST
Ich leite seit 2008 Leiter die Forschungsabteilung Immunodermatologie und Allergieforschung und
bin stellvertretender Direktor der Abteilung für Dermatologie und Allergie an der MHH. Meine
Forschungsinteressen konzentrieren sich auf chronisch entzündliche Hauterkrankungen
einschließlich atopischer Dermatitis (Rolle von Allergenen, mikrobiellen Antigenen und
Autoantigenen, immunologische Mechanismen, neue therapeutische Ansätze). In den letzten Jahren
steuerte ich Wissen über verschiedene Triggerfaktoren, entzündliche Signale sowie zelluläre und
humorale Reaktionen bei. Ich untersuchte Risikopatienten hinsichtlich Erregerinfektionen, die zu
Curriculum Vitae of Participating Researchers
lebensbedrohlichen Komplikationen führen können, und beschrieb Mechanismen, wie Erreger als
treibende Kräfte der atopischen Dermatitis wirken. In RESIST will ich das Wissen über
Krankheitserreger erweitern, die eine Bedrohung für Patienten darstellen. Es geht dabei um
Patienten, die an entzündlicher Haut und anderen Krankheiten leiden, die durch schwere Typ-2Immunreaktionen ausgelöst werden, insbesondere durch Herpesviren. Ich rekrutiere verschiedene
Kohorten von Risikopatienten, untersuche Suszeptibilitätsfaktoren sowohl aus genetischer als auch
aus immunologischer Sicht und trage zu Projekten zur Erforschung von Infektions- und
Entzündungsmechanismen bei.