Markus Gerhard, MD

The research work of Professor Gerhard (b. 1968) explores how pathogens interact with the host in gastrointestinal infections. Professor Gerhard’s research group investigates the mechanisms that suppress the immune response of the host to allow the establishment of chronic infection as well as inflammatory factors involved in the development of cancer, in order to leverage this know how for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Professor Gerhard studied medicine in Heidelberg and Hamburg and earned his MD in 1996. From 1997 to 2004 he completed his medical training leading to German medical board certification in internal medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Klinikum rechts der Isar. From 2004 to 2006 he worked at the Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology in the research group of Professor Hans Clevers. From 2006 he headed a research group in the Department of Internal Medicine at TUM, where he also acquired his postdoctoral teaching qualification (habilitation) in internal medicine in 2009. In 2010 he was appointed associate professor of medical microbiology and immunology at the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, a unit within TUM.