Rolf Zettl appointed new Executive Board member at Berlin Institute of Health

Berlin, 24 November 2015 - Managing Director of the Helmholtz Association Rolf Zettl has been appointed Administrative Director and member of the Executive Board at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH).

"I congratulate Mr Zettl on being appointed to the BIH's Executive Board and wish him every success for the future," says Otmar D. Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres. Wiestler completely understands Zettl's decision: "Transferring to the BIH is the next natural step in his career, and I am sure that Mr Zettl will cope extremely well with the challenges he faces in his new role. At the same time, I am sorry to be losing such a valuable addition to the Helmholtz Association. With his expertise and extreme dedication, Mr Zettl has played an important role in the successful and dynamic development we have experienced over the past years. The Helmholtz Association is extremely grateful to Mr Zettl for all his hard work." Zettl has been Managing Director of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres since 2008.

Zettl, who holds a PhD in Biology, has already acquired a great deal of experience in research management over the years. "The Berlin Institute of Health is one of the most ambitious projects in the field of life sciences, on both the national and international levels, and offers unparalleled creative freedom," says Zettl, going on to mention the institute's high level of innovation and extremely sophisticated research environment. This is down to the fact, he says, that the institute is a model project that shows how university and non-university research institutions can work together in Germany. Zettl states that he is looking forward to bringing his experience and expertise to the BIH's Executive Board.

"However, my decision to leave the Helmholtz Association was not an easy one to make," says Zettl. "I am certain that Helmholtz will continue on its successful path over the years to come." He mentions Otmar D. Wiestler, who assumed office as President of the Helmholtz Association this year, as one of the main reasons behind this certainty. "Mr Wiestler can also rely on the professionalism of an excellent team in the Helmholtz head office when facing the exciting challenges ahead. I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to my head office colleagues who have given me so much invaluable support and intelligent advice over the past years."

The Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) was founded in 2013 as a new biomedical research institute. In April 2015, the BIH became an autonomous Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts (corporation under public law). The MDC and the Charité remain separate legal entities with full independence. The central focus of the BIH's work is to learn how research findings in life sciences can be translated into faster and more targeted medical diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and how clinical observations can be transferred to basic research.