Klaus Cichutek

Klaus Cichutek (born 26 February 1956 in Recklinghausen) is a German biochemist and the current President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI). He is also professor of biochemistry at the Goethe University Frankfurt.

Early life and education
Cichutek completed his studies of chemistry in 1981 and earned a doctoral degree in biochemistry in 1984, both at the University of Münster.

Career
From 1985 to 1988 Cichutek was affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology and Virus Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been employed by the Paul Ehrlich Institute since 1988; he became the institute's vice president in 1999 and its president in 2009.

In addition to his role at PEI, Cichutek chaired the Bundesärztekammer's commission on somatic gene therapy from 2000 to 2010, and the Gene Therapy Working Party of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from 2003 to 2010. Since 2020, he has been an ex-officio member of a working group on COVID-19 vaccines established by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Awards

 * 2024 Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany