Hans-Jörg Rheinberger

Hans-Jörg Rheinberger is a renowned historian of science and the Max Kade Distinguished Visiting Professor of German at Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences. He served as Director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin (1997-2014) and holds honorary professorships at TU Berlin. His research focuses on the history and epistemology of experimentation, molecular biology, and protein biosynthesis. Rheinberger's work bridges philosophy, biology, and laboratory practices, emphasizing the role of 'experimental systems' and 'epistemic things' in scientific development.

Education: Studied philosophy, linguistics, and biology at the Universities of Tübingen, Free University of Berlin, and Technical University of Berlin. Earned a Master's in philosophy (1973), biology diploma (1979), and PhD in molecular biology (1982). He has held visiting roles at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins, and ETH Zurich.

Research interests include the materiality of science, improvisation in research, and the interplay between technical objects and epistemic inquiries. His awards include the cogito Prize (2006) and Marsilius Medal (2014). He has authored over 20 books and numerous articles on science history, philosophy, and interdisciplinary studies.

Labs/Teams: Former director of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science; affiliated with Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Leopoldina.