Congratulations to Wolfgang Schaper on his 90th birthday

Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schaper, long-standing director of the Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim, celebrated his 90th birthday on 11 January. The Institute's Board of Directors and staff would like to congratulate him on this special day!

Wolfgang Schaper became director of the Max Planck Institute for Clinical and Physiological Research, formerly the William G. Kerckhoff Institute in Bad Nauheim, in 1972.

As head of the Department of Experimental Cardiology, he played a decisive role in shaping cardiovascular research for an entire generation of researchers. He has made major contributions to the understanding of heart disease and its treatment. Among his outstanding achievements is the discovery of key mechanisms that regulate the growth of so-called collateral vessels. These collateral vessels develop when the original vessels become "blocked" and can thus ensure blood supply to the heart even when the coronary arteries are blocked. Professor Schaper has made a significant contribution to the development of innovative therapeutic approaches that are now benefiting people all over the world.

The Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research recognizes not only Wolfgang Schaper's scientific achievements, but also his leadership and commitment to training young scientists. Numerous students and colleagues appreciate his inspiring personality and his tireless efforts to support the next generation of scientists.

At the end of his active time as director, he campaigned passionately and ultimately successfully for the preservation of the Institute's site until his retirement in 2004. He remains closely associated with the successor institute, the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, which was founded in 2005.

From 1976 to 1989, Wolfgang Schaper was honorary managing director of the German Society for Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research. During this time, he modernized the society and opened it up to a new generation of young researchers.

In 2007, the city of Bad Nauheim awarded him honorary citizenship in recognition of his scientific achievements and his commitment to Bad Nauheim as a center of science and medicine. In 2005, Wolfgang Schaper was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research congratulates Professor Dr. Wolfgang Schaper on his 90th birthday and thanks him for his lifelong commitment and pioneering contributions to science.