Prof Dr Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner becomes President of the MHH

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‘Outstanding research personality": Minister Falko Mohrs (right) presented Professor Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner as the new MHH president today, together with Professor Michael Manns. | Quelle: Sven Appel | Copyright: Sven Appel/MWK | Download

It is now official: Prof Dr Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner will be the new President of Hannover Medical School (MHH). The state government of Lower Saxony officially confirmed the appointment yesterday. The 63-year-old biologist will return to Hanover on 1 January 2025 to succeed Prof. Dr Michael Manns, who will retire at the age of 73 at the end of his term of office in December 2024, but will remain at MHH as Senior Professor.

Second woman at the head of the MHH

Professor Hilfiker-Kleiner will be the second woman to head the university. Professor Dr Ellen Schmidt was Rector of the MHH from 1977 to 1979. Professor Hilfiker-Kleiner is currently Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Philipps University in Marburg. She is now returning to Hanover: Born in Switzerland, she came to the MHH in 1997 from Emory University in Atlanta, USA, with a stopover at the University of Zurich. She completed her habilitation at MHH in 2006 and was appointed Professor of Molecular Cardiology in the Department of Cardiology and Angiology in 2008. She was Dean of Research at MHH from 2013 to 2020.

‘Outstanding research personality’

‘Prof. Dr Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner is a recognised expert in the field of genetics, developmental biology and translational medical research in the field of cardiovascular diseases,’ said Lower Saxony's Science Minister Falko Mohrs today at the presentation of the new MHH President in Hanover. ‘With her extensive scientific expertise, including on the German Science Council, in various specialist societies, on the Supervisory Board of Charité and as full-time Dean of Philipps University Marburg, she has earned a great reputation in the medical world. With her, the Hannover Medical School is gaining an outstanding research personality and scientist. I warmly congratulate Prof Dr Hilfiker-Kleiner and look forward to working with her in the future.’

‘Academically brilliant and experienced as a leader’

‘The Senate and the University Council have made an excellent decision,’ explained Professor Manns. ‘Prof Dr Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner is not only an outstanding scientist. As a member of the Science Council and the Supervisory Board of Charité in Berlin and as full-time Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Philipps University Marburg, among other things, she has also acquired the necessary skills that she needs as President of MHH. She was also Dean of Research at MHH from 2013 to 2020. I am extremely pleased to have a successor who is scientifically brilliant and experienced as a leader. I wish her every success.’

‘Joining forces to make MHH fit for the future’

‘I would like to thank you for the trust you have placed in me. As President of MHH, I am taking on a great responsibility,’ said Professor Hilfiker-Kleiner. ‘I am very much looking forward to my return to Hanover. The MHH stands for excellent teaching, research and patient care. Many thousands of highly motivated people study, teach, research, heal and work here for a common goal, namely to recognise, prevent, alleviate and cure diseases. We are in a time of change, also in the healthcare sector, with major challenges and opportunities. These include new construction and hospital reform, digitalisation and AI, as well as new research directions and career paths, to name but a few. The R-CUBE, Hearing4all and RESIST excellence initiatives, which are currently under review, will point the way forward for the MHH. Making the university fit for the future can only be achieved by joining forces, i.e. with the involvement of all committees and members of MHH and the other universities in Lower Saxony and in close cooperation with the city, region and politics. It is a great privilege to be able to lead MHH into the future, which I will do with all my strength together with Vice President Prof Dr Frank Lammert and Vice President Martina Saurin.’