Leitung

Prof. Dr. Dirk Haller
Technical University of Munich
TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan
Chair of Nutrition and Immunology
Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2
D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan
Tel.: +49 (0) 8161-71 2026
Fax: +49 (0) 8161-71 2824
EMail: dirk.haller [at] tum.de
Current Position |
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Chair of Nutrition and Immunology (W3 Professor), TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan; Director of ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich |
Academic Education |
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1990-1997 | Food Technology, University of Hohenheim, Diploma ’summa cum laude’ |
1993-1996 | Nutrition Science, University of Hohenheim, Diploma ’summa cum laude’ |
1999 | Dr. rer. nat. in Microbiology and Immunology ’summa cum laude’ |
’Modulation of the immune response by non-pathogenic bacteria’ |
Postgraduate Positions |
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2014 to date | Director of ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich/Germany |
2008 to date | Full Professor (W3) at the Technical University of Munich/Germany, Nutrion and Immunology (Chair) |
2007-2016 | Head of Department, Nutrition and Food Sciences |
2007 | Declined Full Professorship at ETH Zürich/Switzerland, Nutritional Biochemistry (Chair) |
2006-2008 | Associate Professor (W2) at the Technical University of Munich/Germany, Experimental Nutritional Medicine |
2005 | Declined Associate Professorship at University of Alberta/Canada, Department of Medicine |
2003-2006 | DFG Emmy Noether Group, Technical University of Munich/Germany |
2001-2002 | DFG Emmy Noether research fellow at the University of North Carolina/USA, Department of Medicine |
1999-2000 | Scientist at Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne/Switzerland, Department of Immunology |
Honors/ Awards/ Professional Activities | |
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2019-2022 | Coordinator of the DFG Collaborative Research Center (CRC1371) Microbiome Signatures – Functional Relevance in the Digestive Tract |
2019 | ERC Panel Head, Consolidator Grants |
2017 | ERC Panel Head, Consolidator Grants |
2017 to date | Board of the German Society of Nutrition (DGE) |
2016-2019 | Coordinator of the European Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) Diet-induced Arrangement of the Gut Microbiome (DINAMIC) |
2015 | Main Award from the German Medical Society (DGHM) |
2015 | ERC Panel Head, Consolidator Grant |
2012 to date | Coordinator of the DFG Priority Program (SPP1656) – Intestinal Microbiota |
2011-2017 | Coordinator of the DFG Research Training Group (GRK1482) |
2010 | Scientific Chair of the European Science Foundation (ESF), Forward Look initiative – Gene environment interaction in chronic disease |
2007-2009 | German American Frontiers of Science Alumni at the National Acadamy of Sciences of America and the Humboldt Foundation |
2003-2006 | DFG Emmy Noether Group Leader |
2001-2002 | DFG Emmy Noether Research Fellow |
Research Sketch |
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The main areas of research of Prof. Haller are dedicated to the understanding of gut health and the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Nutrition and the intestinal microbiome play a pivotal role in the development of these complex pathologies and a key question of Prof. Haller and his team is how these environmental factors modulate inflammatory and tumorigenic responses. The intestinal epithelium provides a dynamic interface to sense the metabolic and microbial environment in the gut and is therefore prime target of the research activities. In the past years, Prof. Haller and his team generated a comprehensive and conclusive understanding how complex microbial communities and specific mechanisms of microbe-host interactions affect chronic inflammation and tumor development using germ-free models. In addition, the team developed a variety of novel tissue-specific mouse models and identified an essential role of the cellular metabolism in regulating gut homeostasis. Failure of organelle-specific (endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria) UPR signaling contributes to chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. In addition, and most importantly for his goal to implement translational research, human intervention trials support the mechanistic studies in models and aim at defining the relevance of microbiome signatures in healthy populations (prospective cohort KORA and infants) and patients (IBD and CRC). |
In the past years, Prof. Haller established a comprehensive research program at the national (DFG Priority Program SPP 1656) and local level (DFG Collaborative Research Center CRC 1371) to unravel the role of the gut microbiome in health and disease. Under the Directorship of Prof. Haller this scientific vision is now integrated into the TUM cooperate research center ZIEL – Institute for Food & Health. Novel infrastructure and technology platforms, including microbiome-related next-generation sequencing (NGS) and gnotobiotic mouse housing, are established and allow cutting-edge research at the interface of nutrition science and biomedicine. |
Teaching |
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Basics in Immunology |
Biofunctionality of Food |
Nutrition and Microbe-Host Interaction |
Experimental Immunology |
Food and Health |
Selected Memberships |
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German Society of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene (DGHM) |
German Society of Mucosal Immunology and Microbiome (DGMIM) |
European Network of Excellence on Nutrigenomics |
Member of the reviewer Committee of the Leibniz Society |
Member of the BMBF Road Map Committee |
German American Frontiers of Science at the National Acadamy of Sciences |
ILSI Expert Group on Probiotics |
ILSI Expert Group on Biomarkers of Inflammation |
European Science Foundation Forward Look |
Editor of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) |
European Research Council (ERC) Panel Head |