The Falk Foundation is sustained by its members
As independent members, the following experts in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology support the Falk Foundation in its mission of promoting communication between the medical and pharmaceutical professions
Dr. Martin Falk
(Chairman)
»I feel both obliged and honored to uphold the legacy of my father, Dr. Dr. Herbert Falk, through my work for the Falk Foundation e.V. Being able to provide physicians comprehensive, up-to-date resources and support on digestive and metabolic medicine requires close and open communication with many stakeholders from medicine and science. The dedicated support provided voluntarily by the members of the Falk Foundation underpins and ensures this communication.«
Director of the Falk Foundation e.V.
Falk Foundation e.V.
Leinenweberstr. 5
79108 Freiburg
Germany
Until 1999
Studied chemistry with minor in biochemistry in Mainz and Freiburg, Germany - Doctorate at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology in Freiburg, Germany
2004–2009
Managing Director of Dr. Falk Pharma and Director of the Falk Foundation e.V.
2009–2022
Managing Partner of Benevi Med
Since 2017
Member of the Board and active Partner of Dr. Falk Pharma
Since 2020
Reappointment as Director of the Falk Foundation e.V.
Prof. Dr. Dieter Häussinger
(Deputy Chairman)
»The scientific symposia and continuing education events supported by the Falk Foundation are well-known for their high quality and timeliness, and represent an important communication platform for physicians and scientists in hepatology and gastroenterology.«
Prof. Dr. Dieter Häussinger is a retired professor who was most recently Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases at the University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Germany.
1991
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
1994–2020
Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases at the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany
2010
Founder and, until 2020, Director of the Hirsch Institute of Tropical Medicine in Ethiopia
Spokesman of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 575 “Experimental Hepatology” (2000–2011) and SFB 974 “Communication and System Relevance in Liver Injury and Regeneration” (2012–2021) as well as the Clinical Researcher Group KFO 217 “Hepatobiliary Transport and Hepatic Disorders” (2009–2017)
German Federal Cross of Merit, 1st class (2010) and State Order of Merit for North Rhine-Westphalia (2021)
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schölmerich
(Deputy Chairman)
»For many decades, the Falk Foundation has helped me handle the information overload in the life sciences and keep in contact with colleagues around the world at its symposia.«
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schölmerich was the Medical Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University Hospital of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, until his retirement in 2016.
1991
Appointed as Director of Department of Medicine I at the University of Regensburg, Germany
2004
Elected Vice President of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Since 2009
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
2010
Director of the Germany Society of Internal Medicine
2010–2016
Medical Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University Hospital of Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Prof. Dr. Raja N. Atreya
»In collaborating with the Falk Foundation, my goal is to enhance the translational character of the scientific events and continue to inform young scientists about the opportunities available to participate in the events.«
Senior physician
Department of Medicine 1 - Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine and Endocrinology
University Hospital of Erlangen
Internal Medicine Center (INZ)
Ulmenweg 18
91054 Erlangen
Germany
2013
Appointed senior physician, Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Division and the University Hospital outpatient center, Department of Medicine 1, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
2014
Recipient of the Theodor Frerichs Prize, Germany Society of Internal Medicine
2015
Recipient of the Paul Ehrlich Prize and the Ludwig Darmstädter Young Scientist Prize, Paul Ehrlich Foundation
2016
Appointed Heisenberg professor for translational immune research into inflammatory bowel disease, Department of Medicine 1, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
2020
Recipient of the International Award, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
Prof. Dr. Axel Dignass
»The Falk Foundation enjoys a long tradition of promoting independent continuing scientific education in gastroenterology. As a scientific convener of numerous national and international symposia, I especially appreciate that it does not exert any influence over the program, speakers, and organizers, making it possible to conduct fully independent continuing scientific education.«
Head Physician
Department of Medicine I
Agaplesion Markus Hospital
Wilhelm-Epstein-Str. 4
60431 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
2011–2019
Member of the Board of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
2013–2015
Education Officer and Governing Board Member of ECCO
Since 2014
Member of the International Organisation for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOBD)
Since 2015
Honorary Member of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO)
2020–2021
President of the UEG (United European Gastroenterology)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Fichtner-Feigl
»The Falk Foundation plays a unique role by building lasting bridges between translational science and continuing medical education at the highest level.«
Medical Director
Department of General and Visceral Surgery
Department of Surgery
University of Freiburg Medical Center
Hugstetter Str. 55
79106 Freiburg
Germany
2011
Heisenberg professor for chronic immunopathology
2016
Medical Director of the Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Germany
2018
Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg, Germany
Prof. Dr. Verena Keitel-Anselmino
»Using its wide range of educational platforms and international symposia, the Falk Foundation has promoted both active interaction between physicians and scientists as well as continuing medical education in gastroenterology and hepatology for many years.«
Director
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases
University Hospital of Magdeburg
Leipziger Str. 44, Haus 60a
39120 Magdeburg
Germany
2015
Professor for the physiology of hepatobiliary transport
2015–2018
Scientific Secretary of the German Association of the Study of the Liver (GASL)
2021
Professor for gastroenterology, hepatology and infectious diseases at the Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany, and Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases
2021
Member of the Educational Committee of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
2021
Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
Dr. Dagmar Mainz
»Our clinical practice encompasses a wide range of activities which require us to be up-to-date in all areas of gastroenterology and hepatology. While continuing medical education must cover both scientific and practical aspects, we also especially value exchange with our colleagues. For over 20 years, the Falk Foundation has met all of these needs with its “Gastroenterology Roundtable”, a continuing medical education format designed specifically for gastroenterologists in private practice. The Foundation let us develop the content according to our needs.«
Gastroenterology Private Practice
Lisdorfer Str. 14
66740 Saarlouis
Germany
Prof. Dr. Julia Mayerle
»Postgraduate continuing medical education in one’s field is essential for maintaining optimal care for our patients and is especially important to me. Together with the Falk Foundation, we are able to make a contribution to this cause at the national and international levels. I am happy to take part in this process and to help develop content on appealing topics that is scientifically grounded and tailored to the specific audience.«
Director of the Department of Internal Medicine II; Gastroenterologist, Endocrinologist, Diabetes Specialist
Department of Internal Medicine II - Gastroenterology and Hepatology
University Hospital of Munich - Grosshadern
Marchioninistr. 15
81377 Munich
Germany
2007
Fritz and Hildegard Berg Foundation Junior Professor for molecular gastroenterology
2011
Professor for molecular gastroenterology
2016
Professor for gastroenterology and hepatology at the Ludwig Maximilian University conferring leadership of the Department of Internal Medicine II at the LMU Hospital Munich, Grosshadern and Downtown Campus, Germany
2021
Chair of the Scientific Committee of the UEG (United European Gastroenterology), Member of the Council
2022
Member of the Academia Europaea
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Rogler
»I gave my first international talk at an international Falk symposium. The Falk Foundation has bolstered the careers of numerous young scientists by providing them a platform alongside their more experienced colleagues. When preparing symposia and talks, we were always motivated by the Falk Foundation’s mission to deliver the most up-to-date information from clinical and basic research in a clear and evidence-based manner relevant to daily practice.«
Director of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Director of the Center for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery
University Hospital Zurich
Rämistr. 100
8091 Zurich
Switzerland
2000–2002
Heisenberg scholarship from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
2002–2007
Head of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Department of Internal Medicine I of the University of Regensburg, Germany, professor
2013
Award from the Swiss Society of Gastroenterology
Since 2014
Member of the International Organisation for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOBD)
2014–2017
Full professor of gastroenterology and hepatology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2016–2019
Scientific Officer and Governing Board Member of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO)
Since 2017
Director of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Since 2019
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
Prof. Dr. Britta Siegmund
»The Falk Foundation provides us complete freedom to develop the contents of clinical and scientific events. This not only ensures that the continuing medical education is of excellent quality, but also promotes scientific exchange at the national and international levels, which has resulted in vibrant and growing networks.«
Medical Director CC 13
Medical Director
Medical Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology (including Nutritional Medicine)
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF)
Hindenburgdamm 30
12200 Berlin
Germany
2012
Heisenberg professor
2013
Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology (including Nutritional Medicine), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Germany
2017–2022
Member of the Board of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
Since 2017
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
2019
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
Since 2019
Vice President of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Since 2020
President-Elect of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO)
Prof. Dr. Frank Tacke
»The Falk Foundation provides an excellent platform both for continuing medical education and for the exchange of scientific knowledge about gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders.«
Department Head
Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK) and Campus Charité Mitte (CCM)
Augustenburger Platz 1 (Location on campus: Mittelallee 11, 1st floor)
13353 Berlin
Germany
2012
Professor for hepatology and gastroenterology, University Hospital of Aachen, Germany
2014–2019
Member of the Governing Board of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
2019
Appointed Head of the Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
2019
Co-editor of the Journal of Hepatology (impact factor > 25)
2020–2021
Highly Cited Researcher 2021 (cross-field), Web of Science
Prof. Dr. Robert Thimme
»Falk Foundation events always stand for excellent clinical and scientific education and friendly personal exchanges with leading experts.«
Medical Director
Department of Internal Medicine II - Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases
University of Freiburg Medical Center
Hugstetter Str. 55
79106 Freiburg
Germany
1996–2013
Resident and Senior Physician at the Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Germany
2009
Appointed Heisenberg professor for hepatology, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg
Since 2013
Medical Director of the Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Freiburg Medical Center
Since 2014
Editor of the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift and the Falk Gastro-Kolleg
Since 2020
Member of the German National Academy of Science, Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Germany
Prof. Dr. Heiner Wedemeyer
»Scientific discourse and high-quality continuing medical education are more important than ever in our rapidly changing field. The Falk Foundation makes this possible by acting quickly and flexibly!«
Director
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology
Center for Internal Medicine
Hannover Medical School
Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1
30625 Hannover
Germany
2009–2011
General Secretary of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
Since 2014
Managing Director of the Leberstiftungs-GmbH Deutschland and Coordinator of the German Hepatitis C Registry
2018–2020
Professor and Director of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Essen University Hospital, Germany
Since 2019
Member of the Board of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)
2020
Professor and Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology at the Hannover Medical School, Germany