Jörg Hacker
Jörg Hinrich Hacker (born 13 February 1952) is a German microbiologist.
He served as president of the Robert Koch Institute from 2008 to 2010 and
of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina from 2010 to 2020. He is
the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Medical Microbiology.
Early life and education
Born in Grevesmühlen, Mecklenburg, Hacker studied biology from 1970 to
1974 at the Martin Luther University in Halle and obtained his PhD in 1979.
Jörg Hinrich Hacker
Career
From 1980 to 1988 Hacker worked as a junior researcher at the University of Würzburg, where he
obtained his habilitation in microbiology in 1986.
From 1988 until 1993, Hacker was professor of microbiology at the University of Würzburg. In 1993 he
moved to the chair for Molecular Infection Biology, which he held until 2008. From 2003 to 2009, he was
vice president of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.[1] From March 2008 to March 2010, he
succeeded Reinhard Kurth as president of the Robert Koch Institute.[2]
On 1 October 2009, Hacker was elected president of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The
solemn inauguration ceremony took place on 26 February 2010 and his official starting date was 1 March
2010. In 2020, he was succeeded by Gerald Haug.[3][4]
In 2011, Hacker was appointed by Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Federal Government’s Ethics
Commission on a Safe Energy Supply, co-chaired by Matthias Kleiner and Klaus Töpfer.[5] In 2017, he
was part of the selection committee chaired by Jules A. Hoffmann that chose Stewart Cole as director of
the Institut Pasteur.[6] From 2017 until 2019, he was a member of the German Ministry of Health’s
International Advisory Board on Global Health, chaired by Ilona Kickbusch.[7] In 2022 he received the
Robert Koch Medal in Gold.[8]
Work
Hacker's main research interests are the molecular analysis of bacterial pathogens, their spread and
variability, as well as their interactions with host cells.[9][10] From 2001 to 2008 he served as co-
coordinator of the BMBF programs PathoGenoMik and PathoGenoMik Plus. Hacker is responsible for
coining the term "pathogenicity island" to describe a region of a bacterial genome that encodes disease
causing traits.[11]
Other activities
University of Würzburg, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2013)[12]
German Cancer Aid, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2012)[13]
Free University of Berlin, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2012)[14]
Leibniz Association, Member of the Senate[15]
Robert Koch Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors (since 1998)[16]
Centre Virchow-Villermé, Member of the International Advisory Board[17]
Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Member of the Scientific Advisory Board[18]
Deutscher Zukunftspreis, Member of the Board of Trustees[19]
World Health Summit, Member of the Council[20]
Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board (2014–2017)[21]
Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Member of the Board of
Trustees (2013–2017)[21]
Institut Pasteur, Member of the Scientific Council (2007‐2015)[21]
University of Marburg, Member of the Board of Trustees (2006–2016)[21]
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Member of the Supervisory Board (2005–2013)[21]
References
1. "DFG gratuliert Jörg Hacker zur Wahl als Leopoldina-Präsident" ([Link]
presse/pressemitteilungen/2009/pressemitteilung_nr_51/[Link]) (in German). Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
2. "Jörg Hacker ist neuer Präsident des Robert Koch-Instituts" ([Link]
ews249174) (in German). IDW. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
3. Gerald Haug elected President of the Leopoldina ([Link]
ws/gerald-haug-elected-president-of-the-leopoldina/) National Academy of Sciences
Leopoldina, press release of December 11, 2019.
4. Joachim Müller-Jung (December 11, 2019), Leopoldina wählt Gerald Haug: Klimaforscher
wird die Nationalakademie führen ([Link]
[Link]) Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
5. Jörg Hacker in die neu gebildete Ethikkommission „Sichere Energieversorgung“ berufen (htt
ps://[Link]/presse-1/nachrichten/joerg-hacker-in-die-neu-gebildete-ethikkommi
ssion-sichere-energieversorgung-berufen/) Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, press release
of April 7, 2011.
6. Launch of the recruitment process for the Director of the Institut Pasteur ([Link]
[Link]/en/research-journal/news/launch-recruitment-process-director-institut-pasteur) Institut
Pasteur, press release of May 2, 2017.
7. Four new members complete the International Advisory Board on Global Health ([Link]
[Link]/english-version/press/2018/international-advisory-boar
[Link]) Federal Ministry of Health, press release of July 2, 2018.
8. Robert Koch Medal in Gold 2022 ([Link]
ationen)
9. Hacker, Jörg; Dobrindt, Ulrich (5 March 2007). Pathogenomics: Genome Analysis of
Pathogenic Microbes ([Link] John Wiley &
Sons. ISBN 978-3-527-60751-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
10. Hacker, J. (29 April 2002). Pathogenicity Islands and the Evolution of Pathogenic Microbes
([Link] Springer. p. 8. ISBN 978-3-
540-42681-3. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
11. Miller, Robert; Day, Martin (2004). Microbial Evolution. USA: American Society of
Microbiology press. p. 252. ISBN 1-55581-271-6.
12. Board of Trustees ([Link]
University of Würzburg.
13. Board of Trustees ([Link]
German Cancer Aid.
14. Board of Trustees ([Link]
n/kuratorium/[Link]) Free University of Berlin.
15. Senate, as on 7 February 2019 ([Link]
downloads/Evaluierung/Senat-Mitglieder%C3%BCbersicht-Stand_Februar_2019.pdf)
Leibniz Association.
16. Board of Directors ([Link]
Robert Koch Foundation.
17. International Advisory Board ([Link]
Centre Virchow-Villermé.
18. Scientific Advisory Board ([Link]
eder_wiss_beirat_node.html) Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
19. Board of Trustees ([Link] Deutscher
Zukunftspreis.
20. Council ([Link] World Health
Summit.
21. "Curriculum Vitae Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Jörg Hacker" ([Link]
dmin/redaktion/Mitglieder/CV_Joerg_Hacker_D.pdf) (PDF). [Link]. Halle: National
Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
External links
Literature by and about Jörg Hacker ([Link]
&cqlMode=true&query=idn%3D128960280) in the German National Library catalogue
Retrieved from "[Link]
