Heisenberg Programme
Scientists with superior scientific achievements who are eligible for a permanent professorship are funded by the German Research Foundation for a maximum of 5 years through the Heisenberg Programme in order to provide them with the opportunity to enhance their scientific reputation with high-profile projects and to prepare for their scientific leadership position.
Heisenberg Programmes at the MIN Faculty
Prof. Dr. Tobias Lenz
Evolutionary Genetics in Infection and Immunity
Prof. Dr. Tobias Lenz dedicates his Heisenberg Professorship to cutting-edge research on co-evolution between hosts and their parasites as one of the most important drivers of the evolution of genetic diversity. The research focus lies on genomic-level analyses of the evolutionary dynamics of host-parasite associations and their immunogenetic adaptations in natural populations.
Research topics include genetics and genomics of host-parasite coevolution, evolutionary trade-offs that shape individual antigen presentation, and the evolutionary dynamics of the T cell repertoire under natural and experimental conditions.
Prof. Dr. Ina Meier (Start 2020)
Mycorrhizal Control of Biogeochemical Cycles in Forests: The Influence of Tree Diversity and Scale
With her Heisenberg professorship, Prof. Dr. Ina Meier investigates the interaction between forest trees and soil microorganisms. In particular, this concerns interactions with changing climatic conditions, such as increasing atmospheric CO2 and N deposition, the increasing risk of summer droughts and heat waves, and the loss of biodiversity. These critical components of global change can affect the strength of carbon sinks and the nutrient and water cycle of temperate forests.
Prof. Dr. Christian Beer (Start 2018)
Prof. Dr. Christian Beer applies his Heisenberg Professorship for Soil Process Dynamics to research on the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems.
In particular, he explores land-atmosphere interactions, feedback processes, and energy fluxes of Siberian permafrost soils.
On the latter topic he is the lead author of a publication in the journal Nature Scientific Reports entitled "Protection of Permafrost Soils from Thawing by Increasing Herbivore Density".
Prof. Dr. Jochen Liske (Start 2018)
Prof. Dr. Jochen Liske receives a Heisenberg-Förderung since 2018 for his project Structure and galaxy evolution with WAVES.
Recently expired Heisenberg Programmes
Prof. Dr. Jochen Liske (2014 - 2018)
From 2014 to 2018, Prof. Dr. Liske held a Heisenberg professorship in which he researched the evolution of galaxies over the last 5 billion years, along with dark energy and matter using the European Extremely Large Telescope. Imaging and spectroscopic methods at various wavelengths are used for this purpose.
Prof. Dr. Liske also investigates the accelerating expansion of the universe and the development of new astronomical instruments.