Manfred Schartl

Manfred Schartl is a Senior Research Professor at the Medical School, University of Würzburg, with affiliations including the Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center at Texas State University and the Sars-Fang Centre for Molecular Marine Biology in Qingdao. He previously held a Full Professor (C4) position in Biochemistry at the University of Würzburg (1991-2019), Adjunct Professor roles at the University of Bergen, and visiting positions at institutions in Singapore and the USA.

• 1973-1978: Dipl. Biol., University of Gießen
• 1980: Dr. rer. nat., University of Gießen
• 1988: Habilitation, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich

His research spans comparative genomics, sex determination mechanisms, cancer biology, and evolutionary genetics. He has extensively studied molecular evolution in fish models like medaka and swordtails, focusing on tumor biology, hybridization, and genomic innovations such as transposable elements.

Recent publications highlight his work on sex chromosome evolution, cancer-related gene pathways in fish, and the role of genomic duplication in vertebrate land adaptation. His studies integrate developmental biology, functional genomics, and evolutionary theory.

Scientific Awards:

• Heisenberg Awardee (1991, DFG)
• Doctor honoris causa (2004, University of Bergen)
• Prince Hitachi Prize (2007)
• Hagler Institute Faculty Fellow (2016)

He has managed major projects like the EU-FAIR transgenic fish program and NIH-funded Xiphophorus Stock Center. As Editor-in-Chief of Sexual Development, he contributes to scientific discourse on developmental and evolutionary genetics.