Established Institute for Drug Development

The medical faculty of the University of Leipzig has one more institute: the Institute for Drug Development was founded at the beginning of the new year. It is located in the Medical Research Center, Liebigstraße 19, and is intended to bring basic research and clinical application in the field of new active substances in medicine closer together.

For this purpose, computer-aided methods and experimental studies are closely linked. In terms of teaching, the new institute will further develop pharmacy training at the medical faculty.
The director of the new facility is Alexander von Humboldt Professor Prof. Dr. Jens Meier, who is now starting his research and teaching activities at the University of Leipzig. The 45-year-old is one of the world's most renowned researchers in the field of computer-aided drug development. Using digital simulations and artificial intelligence, he models proteins that form attractive starting points for a large number of drugs. At five million euros, the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is Germany's most valuable research award. Prof. Dr. Jens Meiler was awarded it last year. “I am happy to finally be able to get started. This year I would like to put together a powerful team of young scientists in order to be able to tackle the first projects," says Meiler.

Further information: Press and Public Relations of the Medical Faculty, +49 341 97-15300, email

dr Catherine Werneburg

Source: Message from the University of Leipzig on January 21, 2020