Rainer Friedrich

Rainer Friedrich is a Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Basel and a Senior Group Leader (tenured) at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. He has held prestigious positions throughout his career, including Research Group Leader (C3) at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, and postdoctoral roles at Caltech and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology.

Education:

• Diplom (MSc) in Biology, University of Freiburg (Germany) and Brock University (Canada), 1989–1995
• PhD in Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany, 1995–1998

Research Interests:
Friedrich’s work spans neuronal computation, olfaction, neurophysiology, and neuronal circuits. His expertise in high-resolution imaging and optogenetics has advanced understanding of neurogenetics in zebrafish models. His research integrates computational approaches with experimental neuroscience to dissect brain function at the circuit level.

Scientific Awards & Honors:

• Academia Europaea Member (2014)
• EMBO member (2014)
• Bonus of excellence, Swiss National Science Foundation (2013)
• Delwart Foundation Research Prize (2012)
• James Heinemann Research Award (2003)
• Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society (1998)
• Attempto Award of the University of Tübingen (1998)
• Fellowship of Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (1995)
• Member/fellow, German National Academic Foundation (1993)