Schönheimer Medal
Rudolf Schönheimer (*May 10, 1898, Berlin; † September 11, 1941, New York) was a German-American biochemist who emigrated to the United States in 1933 after studying medicine in Berlin and working at the universities of Leipzig and Freiburg.
In 1933, Schönheimer published a groundbreaking study on cholesterol metabolism. Using an animal model, he demonstrated that cholesterol homeostasis is subject to strict feedback regulation dependent on dietary intake (Schoenheimer, R., and F. Breusch. 1933. Synthesis and destruction of cholesterol in the organism. J. Biol. Chem. 103: 439–448). These early experiments anticipated by many years the classic studies by Jacob and Monod on negative feedback mechanisms in bacteria and laid important foundations for understanding cholesterol as a risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis.
In his honour, the
German Society for Atherosclerosis Research (DGAF) awards the
Schönheimer Medalannually.
Award Recipients
2026
Ralf Kinscherf (Marburg)
2025
Christoph Bode (Freiburg)
2024
Nikolaus Marx (Aachen)
2023
Meinrad Gawaz (Tübingen)
2022
Karl Lackner (Mainz)
Not awarded in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019
Hans Dieplinger (Innsbruck)
Horst Robenek (Münster)
2018
Winfried März (Mannheim)
2017
Arnold von Eckardstein (Zürich)
2016
Jürgen Schäfer (Marburg)
2015
Harry W. Hahmann (Isny)
2014
Wolfgang König (Ulm)
2013
Helmut Heinle (Tübingen)
2012
J. Thiery (Leipzig)
2011
G. Utermann (Innsbruck)
2010
Gerd Schmitz (Regensburg)
G. Kostner (Graz)
2009
G. Siest (Nancy)
S. Bhakdi (Mainz)
2008
U. Beisiegel (Hamburg)
L. G. Braun (Melsungen)
2007
J. Senges (Ludwigshafen)
2006
L. Klein (Oy-Mittelberg)
A.Weizel (Mannheim)
G. Assmann (Münster)
2005
W. Schneider (Berlin)
2004
G. Siegel (Berlin)
2003
M. Hanefeld (Dresden)
W. Jaross (Dresden)
2002
E. Buddecke (Münster)
K. Oette (Köln)
2001
Hans-Ekkart Schaefer (Freiburg)
2000
H.K. Breddin (Frankfurt)
H. Kaffarnik (Marburg)
1999
K. Lichtwer (Berlin)
E.L. Betz (Tübingen)
1998
A. Merckle (Blaubeuren)
