A thinker of the future
01.02.2011 12:55
Germany's youngest medical professor becomes the new director of the institute.
The Institute for Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Goethe University has had a new director since October 2010. Prof. Dr. Dr. David Groneberg is the successor to Prof. Dr. Gine Elsner and will realign the clinical and scientific research work at the institute in the future. His research focuses on clinical and experimental occupational medicine, as well as social and environmental medicine issues in infectiology, pneumology and allergology. In addition to his qualifications as a specialist in occupational medicine, he is also an environmental, occupational and sports doctor.
To person
The Frankfurt native studied human medicine from 1993 to 2000 at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen and at the University of Cambridge (Great Britain). He completed his doctorate in 2001 with the award 'Summa cum laude' and received the doctoral award from the Hessian State Medical Association and the German Lung Foundation the following year. In 2002, at the age of 28, he was appointed the youngest medical professor in the Federal Republic.
In 2004, Prof. Groneberg completed his habilitation at the Charité Berlin on the subject of peptidergic mediators and their contribution to the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases. After accepting a call to the Pulmonology Department at the Center for Internal Medicine at the Hannover Medical School in 2006, his path soon led back to Berlin. From 2007 to 2010 he was director of the Institute for Occupational Medicine at the Charité. In 2003, the award-winning physician was awarded an honorary doctorate and an honorary professorship from the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (China). The Fujian College of Medicine also awarded Prof. Groneberg an honorary doctorate in 2008. He was also awarded the GSK Pulmonology Research Prize from the German Respiratory League and the Research Prize from the German Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases, among others.
In addition to his role as director of the Institute for Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Prof. Groneberg is editor of the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology and chief editor of the Central Journal for Occupational Medicine, Occupational Safety and Ergonomics. As a member of the editorial board, he is involved in the publication of numerous other specialist journals.
Research priorities
The business magazine Capital counts Prof. Groneberg among the 'new German scientific elite' and sees him as one of the '40 thinkers of the future'. His research work in the field of occupational medicine and health protection at work is expected to continue to increase in importance: “In view of the demographic change in our society, occupational medicine will face a number of challenges in the future. We have to prepare for a shortage of workers. Retiring at 67 also requires better strategies for workplace health promotion.
Occupational medicine can make a decisive contribution here,” reports Prof. Groneberg. Another central research field of Prof. Groneberg is the impact of a wide variety of environmental factors, such as urban particulate matter pollution, on humans. The institute now has a special measuring vehicle for this purpose. When the top is closed, the specially equipped vehicle allows fine dust levels in the interior to be measured, while an open roof corresponds to the situation of pedestrians and cyclists.
The Goethe University is the only university in Hesse with a professorship for occupational, social and environmental medicine. This professional focus and the opportunity to work with companies based in the economic metropolis of Frankfurt were crucial for the occupational health specialist
for a move from the Spree to the Main: “No other location in Germany has so many nationally and internationally respected companies. Because the age structures in companies are changing rapidly
change, they want to actively promote research in this area,” says Prof. Groneberg.