Status: 01/31/2023 10:34 am
The outgoing head of the Robert Koch Institute, Wieler, is moving to the Hasso Plattner Institute. He will be spokesman for the Digital Health department. Wieler was the most important political adviser during the corona pandemic.
After retiring as President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler will move to the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) in Potsdam on April 1. He will be spokesman for the Digital Health division, which deals with the digitization of medicine and healthcare, as announced by the HPI and the Hasso Plattner Foundation.
After eight years at the head of the RKI, Wieler said he was looking forward to the opportunity to bring his experience from the health sector and the fight against pandemics to the HPI. “This pandemic will not be the last, but we can better prepare for the next one by drawing the right conclusions and investing in research now.”
Exploring digital technologies
Since 2017, the HPI has had the Digital Health area, which is now to be expanded. Wieler should “optimally supplement our existing know-how in the field of digital technologies with his scientific expertise and experience in the field of public health,” explained HPI Managing Director Tobias Friedrich.
The HPI is a privately funded IT institute that researches practical and applied topics in digital technologies. The founder and namesake of the institute is the founder of the software group SAP, Hasso Plattner.
Central information broker during the pandemic
Wieler announced three weeks ago that he would be leaving the RKI on April 1 of his own volition in order to be able to devote himself to “new tasks in research and teaching”. The 61-year-old has headed the RKI since 2015.
Especially with the corona pandemic, the expert, who was previously known in specialist circles, became one of the most important advisors to politicians on health issues in Germany. At the same time, his press conferences have made him a key player in conveying information about the pandemic.