Joachim Jose

Professor Joachim Jose serves as Chair for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Münster's Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, he previously held positions at Saarland University and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, where he was Head of the Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry from 2008. His academic journey began with biology studies at Saarland University, followed by doctoral research on bacterial ureases, and postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute where he co-discovered the autotransporter protein family.

Jose's research primarily focuses on the application of 'autodisplay' technology, which his group developed based on the autotransporter secretion mechanism. His work encompasses expression of human target enzymes for inhibitor testing, evolutionary drug design through library expression and HT screening, biocatalytic synthesis of drugs and building blocks, and biosensor development. His publications reveal strong emphasis on protein kinase CK2 research, with particular attention to inhibitor development for cancer therapeutics. Recent work demonstrates expansion into vaccine development, diagnostic tools, and novel therapeutic approaches for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Among his notable scientific achievements are the co-founding of two startup companies: Pharmacelsus (2000) for drug absorption screening and Autodisplay Biotech (2008) for biocatalytic synthesis. His research group has maintained consistent productivity with over 50 doctoral dissertations and numerous master's theses completed under his supervision. The group's work bridges fundamental biochemical research with practical pharmaceutical applications, particularly in kinase inhibitor development and surface display technologies.

• GDCh/DPhG Innovation Award in Medicinal Chemistry (1998)
• SaarLB Science Award (2004)
• Medal of the Faculty for Biology and Pharmacy of University Claude Bernard, Lyon (2013)
• Corresponding member of French National Academy of Pharmacy (2009)
• Phoenix Pharmazie Wissenschaftspreis (2023)
• Elsevier's most tweeted Biotech article in 2012

Professor Jose has demonstrated strong leadership in academic administration, serving as Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy from 2020-2022 and currently as a member of the Tenure Board at the University of Münster. His research group maintains active collaborations across Europe, particularly with institutions in France and Korea, and regularly hosts international guest scientists. The group's current work shows increasing focus on translational research with direct clinical applications, particularly in cancer therapeutics and diagnostic development.