Thomas Eschenhagen

Thomas Eschenhagen is Professor and Director of the Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, University of Hamburg. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) since 2011 and was President-elect of the International Society for Heart Research (ISHR) for 2019-2021.

His educational background includes:

• Physician degree from Hannover Medical School (1978-1986)
• Medical thesis (PhD equivalent) from Hannover Medical School (1988)
• Molecular Biology Diploma from University of Hamburg (1992)
• Habilitation from University of Hamburg (1994)
• Specialist in Pharmacology and Toxicology (1995)
• Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology (1997)

Dr. Eschenhagen's research focuses on molecular mechanisms of heart failure, stem cells and tissue engineering, molecular pharmacology of the adrenergic system, and pharmacogenetics. His work bridges basic science with clinical applications in cardiovascular disease, with significant contributions to hiPSC-derived engineered heart tissue for personalized medicine approaches.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards:

• ERC Advanced Grant "IndivuHeart" (2013)
• President's Distinguished Lecture Award from ISHR (2016)
• Outstanding Investigator Award from ISHR (2012)
• Ursula Händel Animal Replacement Award from DFG (2011)
• Fellowships from ISHR, ESC, and AHA
• Membership in National Academy of Science Leopoldina (2011)

Dr. Eschenhagen has secured major research funding including the ERC AG "IndivuHeart," DFG Research Group FOR 604 "Signaling pathways in the healthy and diseased heart," and leadership of the DZHK Partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck. He serves as Associate Editor for Circulation and has organized numerous international conferences including the ESC-HFA Winter Meeting on Translational Heart Failure Research since 2006.

As Chairman of DZHK since 2011, he leads one of Germany's premier cardiovascular research initiatives, coordinating research across multiple institutions to advance translational approaches in heart disease treatment and prevention.