Harald von Boehmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harald von Boehmer
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| Born | November 30, 1942 Guben, Germany
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| Died | June 24, 2018 (aged 75) |
| Occupation | Immunologist |
| Awards | Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (1990) |
Harald von Boehmer (born November 30, 1942 – died June 24, 2018) was a famous German-Swiss scientist. He was an immunologist, which means he studied the body's immune system. He was best known for his important work on special cells called T lymphocytes, or T cells. These cells are like tiny soldiers that protect your body from sickness.
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Harald von Boehmer's Scientific Journey
Harald von Boehmer earned his medical degree in Munich, Germany, in 1968. He then got his Ph.D. from Melbourne University in Australia in 1974. He spent many years working at the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland. He also worked at universities in Paris, France, and at Harvard Medical School in the United States. Later, he became a professor at the University of Florida.
Understanding T Cells
Dr. von Boehmer spent his career studying T lymphocytes, or T cells. These are a key part of your immune system. They help your body fight off infections and diseases.
He especially looked at how T cells recognize invaders. He studied the T cell receptor (TCR), which is like an antenna on the T cell. This antenna helps T cells find and recognize harmful things.
How T Cells Learn and Grow
Dr. von Boehmer also studied how T cells develop in a special organ called the thymus. In the thymus, T cells learn to tell the difference between healthy body cells and dangerous invaders. This process is called "selection." It makes sure T cells attack only what's harmful, not your own body.
He used special mice called "TCR transgenic mice" for his research. These mice helped him understand how T cells become either CD8 killer cells or CD4 helper cells. Killer cells directly destroy infected cells. Helper cells guide other immune cells.
Preventing Autoimmune Diseases
A big part of his work was on "regulatory T cells." These special T cells help control the immune system. They stop it from attacking healthy body parts by mistake. This is important for preventing autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks itself. Dr. von Boehmer hoped his work could help treat these conditions.
Awards and Retirement
Harald von Boehmer received many important awards for his discoveries. In 1990, he won the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine. He also became a senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France in 1997. In 2002, he received an honorary medical degree from the University of Technology, Munich.
He retired at the end of 2012. After that, he was a guest professor at the Institute for Immunology in Munich. In 2013, he received the Helmholtz International Fellow Award for his excellent work in immunology. Harald von Boehmer passed away on June 24, 2018, at the age of 75.
Awards and Honors
- 1990 Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (Geneva)
- 1990 Elected member of the Academia Europaea (London)
- 1990 Avery-Landsteiner-Prize of the German society for immunology (Aachen)
- 1993 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (Frankfurt)
- 1997 Körber European Science Prize (Hamburg)
- 1997 Elected member of the Institut Universitaire de France
- 2002 Honorary doctor in Medical degree of the Technical University of Munich
- 2003 Elected member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (Halle)
- 2003 NIH Merit Award (Washington D.C.)
- 2004 Sherman Fairchild Foundation award
- 2013 Helmholtz International Fellow Award
