Christian Ulrichs

Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Ulrichs serves as Professor and head of the 'Urban Ecophysiology of Plants' department at Humboldt University of Berlin's Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences within the Faculty of Life Sciences. Since 2009, he has led research on plant adaptation to urban environments with emphasis on secondary metabolites that determine food quality, shelf life, and health benefits.

His research spans agricultural and horticultural sciences with strong practical applications. Ulrichs investigates how secondary plant metabolites provide natural pest defense while influencing nutritional value of produce. He explores cultivation techniques including variety selection and stress management to enhance bioactive compounds. His work bridges laboratory research with real-world implementation, particularly in systematic enrichment of health-promoting plant metabolites for sustainable food systems.

Notable projects include rediscovering forgotten grape varieties (with red Riesling now marketed as 'Humboldt wine'), therapeutic cannabis research, and the interdisciplinary 'CUBES Circle' initiative developing modular urban agriculture systems. The CUBES project creates standardized, stackable container units for cultivating plants, fish, and insects in closed-loop systems that minimize waste while maximizing resource efficiency.

• Brain City Ambassador

Ulrichs actively promotes knowledge transfer from academia to practice and emphasizes community engagement in research. Through the Berlin University Alliance, he collaborates across diverse fields from product development to clinical studies. He advocates for Berlin as a scientific destination, advising young researchers to pursue early funding opportunities and build networks within the city's dense research ecosystem. Having returned to Berlin in 2003 after international work in Taiwan, Philippines, and US, he values the city's unique urban-nature blend and its status as a cultural melting pot that fuels innovation.