Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c. Walter Siegenthaler Forsterstr. 61, CH 8044 Zurich Professor Walter Siegenthaler was born in 1923 in Davos, Graubünden, Switzerland. He studied medicine at the University of Zürich from 1942 to 1948. After completing his medical degree, he worked at the Zürich Pathology Insitute. Then he moved to the Medical Clinic of the Zürich Cantonal Hospital. In 1961 Walter Siegenthaler became a lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich. In 1968 he was appointed Full Professor and Director of the Medical Policlinic in Bonn. After two years he was nominated Chairman of the Medical Clinic in Bonn and the same time of the Department of Medicine at the University in Zürich, where he took up his work in 1971. The scientific interests of Professor Walter Siegenthaler were extremely wide. Jointly with his staff he published more than 800 scientific papers. He is also an author of Differential Diagnosis of Internal Diseases" and Clinical Pathophysiology" which have become classics of specialized medical literature. Over the period of 50 years, Walter Siegenthaler became a world famous professor and due to his great range of exceptional achievements he gained several dozen honors, personal distinctions and awards.
Curriculum vitae (short biography) Date and Place of birth: Dec. 14, 1923, Davos, Switzerland Citizenship: Swiss Education: 1948 MD Medical School, University of Zurich Professional Positions: Resident, Medical School, University of Zurich 1949 Pathology 1950-1954 Internal Medicine, Chief Resident 1954 1958 Internal Medicine Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen 1958 1961 Internal Medicine University Hospital Zurich Academic Positions: 1961 Assistant Professor Medical School, University of Zurich Research Fellow: 1961 Stanford Medical School Palo Alto 1962 New York Hospital/Cornell Medical College 1967 Associate Professor Medical School, University of Zurich 1968-1971 Full Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, University of Bonn (Germany) 1971 1991 Full Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, University of Zurich 1991 Professor emeritus Special Positions: 1978-1980 Dean Medical Faculty, University of Zurich 1976-1982 Member of the Faculty Board 1980 1991 Medical Director University Hospital Zurich 1980-1991 Member of the Board of the University Hospital
Research Activities The clinical research in the fifthies started with publications on clinical topics, which at that time were not well understood, like Marfan-Syndrome, Arteriitis temporalis, Lupus erythematodes and also with first experiences with Cortison, Diuretics and Chemotherapeutics. In the sixthies the interest in basic research was concentrated on the Renin-Angiotensin- Aldosterone System (RAAS), especially on the detection of Aldosterone with the Double Isotope Dilution Method first with John Luetscher at Stanford Medical School in Palo Alto and later on with Ralph Peterson at Cornell Medical College in New York. Back in Switzerland installation of one of the first laboratories in Europe with the possibility to determine Aldosterone and Renin, followed by many publications together with collaborators on the significance of the RAAS in hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal diseases, endocrine disorders and so on over the next 30 years. Prof. Siegenthaler s research group also has detected the first Conn-Syndrome in the German speaking countries and has improved and simplified the determination of Aldosterone. Besides the RAAS the research interest was also very much focused on infectious diseases and included clinical and experimental work and other activities in this field like: - detection of the first case of AIDS in Switzerland and becoming the HIV/AIDS-Center in our country - building up the first infectious diseases unit at a University hospital in Switzerland - being 3 times President of the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy and - President of the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy 1977 in Zurich Furthermore in prof. Siegenthaler s Department in 1978 the first percutaneous dilatation of a coronary-artery stenosis worldwide by Dr. Grlintzig has been performed and later on the method has been scientifically intensively evaluated. In this time falls also one of the first percutaneous dilatations of a renallartery stenosis in the world. Teaching activities During the 20 years of prof. Siegenthaler s Chairmanship in Internal Medicine all the specialties of internal medicine have developed their own divisions at the Medical School of the University of Zurich. Of the former collaborators more than 20 hold the position of Professors at Universities, also more than 20 former collaborators are Professors and Chiefs of big medical clinics in Switzerland and abroad. In Zurich and in Bonn prof. Siegenthaler s lectures on Internal Medicine were estimated to be the best lectures at both Medical Schools where he have been teaching more than 10'000 students. He got many student awards for his engagement in teaching. Textbooks Editor of very well known Textbooks on - Differential Diagnosis of Internal Diseases (19th edition 2005) - Clinical Pathophysiology (9th edition 2006) - Textbook of Internal Medicine (3rd edition 1995) - Other books - Many contributions to other books - Many monographs
Honors - Ernst von Bergmann plaque of the German medical association 1972 - Visiting Professor at Baylor Medical College Houston 1981 - Named to Academy "Naturforscher" Leopoldina 1981 - Fellow American Academy of Microbiology 1981 - Fellow Infectious Diseases Society of America 1983 - Ludwig Heilmeyer Gold medal of the Society for progress in Internal Medicine (Cologne/Germany) 1984 - Medal of the University Helsinki (Finnland) 1990 - Dr. honoris causa, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany 1991 - Honorary member of the Swiss Society of Infectious Diseases 1991 - Honorary member of the German Society of Internal Medicine 1992 - Honorary member of the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine 1993 - Honorary member of the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy 1994 - Gold medal for medicine of the Jung Foundation for Science and Research Hamburg (Germany) 1997 - Crystal of Davos 1998 - Honorary Medal of the Charite University Berlin 1999 - Walter Siegenthaler Prize founded by the German Medical Journal 2000 - Gustav von Bergman Gold Medal of the German Society of Internal Medicine 2000 - Honorary member of the Association of German Internists 2001 - Hippocrates Award of the Hellenic Society of Internal Medicine 2002 - Honorary member 2003 of the Association of American Physicians (AAP) 2003 - Walter Siegenthaler Award founded Springer Publisher, Switzerland 2004 - Honorary President of the Society for Honorary member of the German Society for Endocrinology 2005 - Honorary member of the Swiss Research climate and medicine 2005 - Centenary Medal of the Polish Society of Internal Medicine 2006 - Excellence Award of the Swiss Society of infectious diseases 2008 Editor or Member of the Board of medical journals 1. Dtsch. med. Wschr. (Schriftleitung) Thieme Verlag Stuttgart 1964 2. Der Internist (Mitherausgeber) Springer Verlag Heidelberg bis 2004 3. Schweiz. Rundschau Med. (PRAXIS) (Redaktion/Beirat) Hallwag Verlag Bern 4. Arzneimittelforschung (Redaktion/Beirat) Editio Cantor Aulendorf 5. Clin. Nephrol. (Editorial Board/Honorary Board) Dustri Verlag Munchen-Deisenhofen Honorary Board Member ab 1989 6. Infection (Beirat) MMW Verlag Munchen 1980-2000 7. Europ. J. clin. Pharm. (Beirat) Springer Verlag Heidelberg bis 1986 8. Antimicrob. Agents Chemoth. (AAC) (Board of Editors) Amer. Soc. Microbiology, Washington bis 1985 9. J. Inf. Dis. (JID) (International Board of Editors) Amer. Soc. Inf. Diseases, Washington bis 1989 10. Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) (International Board of Editors)
Member of Foundations - Stiftung fur Fortschritte in der Medizin (LudwigGesellschaft Koln), Prasident 1990-2004 - Stiftung Schweizerisches Forschungsinstitut fur Hochgebirgsklima und Medizin Davos, Prasident 1992-2004 - EMDO-Stiftung Zurich - Stiftung fur wissenschaftliche Forschung an der Universitat Zurich Jubilaumsspende der Universitat Zurich - OPO Stiftung Zurich - Kantonale Krebskommission Zurich Th. Jucker Stiftung Zurich Hartmann Muller Stiftung Zurich - Jung-Stiftung fur Wissenschaft und Forschung Hamburg (Germany) Muller-Grocholski Stiftung, Zurich - Walter und Gertrud Siegenthaler Stiftung, Medizinische Fakultat der Universitat Zurich Member of Societies - Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin Schweiz. Forschungskommission fur allg. Medizin - Schweiz. Akademie der medizinischen Wissenschaften - Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie - Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Infektiologie - Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Angiologie - Schweiz. allg. Bundesverwaltung (Obergutachter) Rekurskommission IKS/Swiss Medic - Schweiz. Arzneimittelkommission - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin (Prasident 1983/84) Deutsche Prufungskommission - Paul Ehrlich Gesellschaft fur Chemotherapie (Prasident 1969-71, 1973-75, 1975-77) - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Endokrinologie Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kardiologie - Rhein. Westfalische Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin - Frerichs Preis Komitee der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin 1980-1982 - Deutsche Arzneimittelkommission - American Society of Microbiology - American Academy of Microbiology - American Society of Infectious Diseases British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy - Councillor of the International Society of Chemotherapy International Society of Chemotherapy (Congress President 1977) International Society of Hypertension - Mitgestalter der Internationalen Aerzte-Fortbildungskongresse Davos