Harald von Boehmer

Harald von Boehmer

Harald von Boehmer (born 30 November 1942) is a German immunologist known for his significant contributions to the field of immunology, particularly in the area of T cell development and function. He has held various academic and research positions throughout his career and has been recognized with numerous awards for his work.

Early Life and Education

Harald von Boehmer was born in Germany. He pursued his higher education in medicine and obtained his medical degree from the University of Munich. He later completed his doctoral studies in immunology at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Career

Von Boehmer began his career as a researcher at the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland. He later joined the faculty at the University of Paris, where he continued his research on T cell development. In 1996, he moved to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and became a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Research Contributions

Harald von Boehmer's research has focused on the development and function of T cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system. His work has provided insights into the mechanisms of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and the processes of positive selection and negative selection in the thymus. These processes are essential for the development of a functional and self-tolerant T cell repertoire.

One of his notable contributions is the discovery of the role of pre-T cell receptor (pre-TCR) in early T cell development. This finding has had a significant impact on the understanding of how T cells mature and differentiate.

Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Harald von Boehmer has received numerous awards and honors, including:

• The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
• The Robert Koch Prize
• Membership in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Personal Life

Harald von Boehmer is married and has children. He continues to be active in the scientific community, contributing to various research projects and mentoring young scientists.

See Also

• Immunology
• T cell
• T cell receptor
• Thymus
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Harvard Medical School