Volker Roelcke

Volker Roelcke is a historian of medicine and biomedical sciences with a focus on the 20th century. His work includes studies on the history of brain research conducted by the German Kaiser Wilhelm Society (now Max Planck Society) on victims of Nazi persecution, as well as the intersection of eugenics and medical genetics.

• Former co-chair (until September 2021) of the Lancet Commission on Medicine, Nazism, and the Holocaust
• Specializes in historical and ethical analysis of biomedical practices during the Nazi era

His research addresses the legacy of unethical human subject research and its implications for modern bioethics. He has contributed to understanding the ideological and scientific connections between eugenics and medical genetics in early-to-mid 20th century Europe.