In silent remembrance of Rolf Hilgenfeld
It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to our long-standing and highly esteemed colleague Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Rolf Hilgenfeld, born on April 3, 1954, who passed away on June 19, 2025.
Prof. Hilgenfeld was Director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Universität zu Lübeck from 2003 to 2020 and, since his retirement, continued as Senior Professor at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University and the Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein. At the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Prof. Hilgenfeld worked in the research area Emerging Infections at the Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems partner site.
"Rolf Hilgenfeld was an outstanding pioneer of German structural biology. With his groundbreaking work on SARS, MERS-CoV, Zika, and SARS-CoV-2, he provided fundamental impetus for the development of antiviral drugs in the research area Emerging Infections. His interdisciplinary approach, which combined biochemistry, virology, and drug discovery, has had a lasting impact on the work of the Emerging Infections research area at the DZIF. His enthusiasm for science was inspiring and contagious. We have lost a highly esteemed collaborator and an exceptional scientist whom we will miss greatly," said Prof. Dr. Marylyn Addo, DZIF coordinator of the research area Emerging Infections.
Prof. Rolf Hilgenfeld was a renowned and internationally acclaimed scientist in the field of coronavirus research and, as one of the "Highly Cited Researchers 2024", was one of the world's most influential researchers in his field.
Prof. Hilgenfeld received special recognition with the award of the Carl Hermann Medal in 2023. His commitment to preserving the Medical Faculty of the Universität zu Lübeck in 2010 will also be remembered as a sign of his attitude and dedication to science and society.
Rolf Hilgenfeld combined high scientific standards with a joy in collaborative work and human warmth. We express our deepest sympathy to his family, colleagues, and companions.
The German Center for Infection Research
Sources: Press release from the Universität zu Lübeck, Obituary from the Institute of Biochemistry at the Universität zu Lübeck.
