Alexander Kekulé life and biography

Alexander Kekulé is a German Physician, doctor and biochemist . He is the Director of Institute for Biosecurity Research, a professor in Virology and Microbiology and former German Fed Govt adviser on disease control.

Kekulé's research focuses on infectious diseases, biological civil protection and bioethics . In 1992, in search of the molecular causes of liver cancer , he and his team were able to show that the X gene of the hepatitis B virus activates a signaling cascade in the liver cell that is also responsible for the development of cancer by certain chemicals. He also discovered his research group the pre-S / S transactivator, a novel regulatory gene of the hepatitis B virus. Another focus of his work is influenza - pandemic planning

During the Coronavirus COVID 2020 pandemic, Kekulé made several public statements that Germany was not sufficiently prepared for a possible epidemic. While he initially believed that the virus was not a major threat, he later called for significantly stricter measures to combat the epidemic, such as interventions at German airports. With the beginning of the epidemic in Germany, Kekulé emphatically represented his demand for two-week "Corona Holidays" for schools and kindergartens, which was also implemented from Monday, March 16, 2020. Large events should all be canceled and domestic German trips reduced to a minimum. However, he also warned of "super horror scenarios" regarding the spread of the corona virus in Germany. The MDR produces the podcast Kekulés Corona compass every working day.

Professional career of Alexander Kekulé:

1979-1980: Civilian service as a paramedic and instructor for the emergency services
1981-1987: Studies: Medicine (state examination), biochemistry (diploma) and philosophy (master's degree) at the Free University of Berlin and the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich
1988: Management consultancy McKinsey & Co., Inc., New York
1988-1993: Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried:
Biochemical dissertation (Dr. rer. Nat., FU Berlin, scl) on molecular-biological mechanisms of carcinogenesis by hepatitis viruses
Medical dissertation (Dr. med. LMU Munich, mcl) on the Mechanism of the immune response against hepatitis viruses
Head of the working group Hepatitis B virus and liver carcinogenesis
Habilitation in the field of medical microbiology / virology (Dr. med. Habil., TU Munich)
1993-1994: Assistant year in internal medicine with Prof. J. Eisenburg, Hospital of the Barmherzigen Brüder, Munich
1994-1996: Group leader at the Max von Pettenkofer Institute at the Ludwig Maxilimians University in Munich
1996: Specialist in microbiology and infection epidemiology (from 2006: specialist in microbiology, virology and infection epidemiology)
1996: Specialist in laboratory medicine
1997-1998: Lecturer and deputy head of the Virology Department, Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen
Since 1999: Full professor (C4) and director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

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