Since its foundation in 2009, Prof. Rolf Müller leads the HIPS as its Managing Director. Since 2019, Dr. Stephanie Thomas is in charge of the institutes administrative processes.
Prof Dr Rolf Müller - Managing Director
Rolf Müller studied pharmacy in Bonn, where he also obtained his PhD in 1994. After a two-year research scholarship at the University of Washington in Seattle, he became junior group leader at the Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung in Braunschweig. In 2003, he was appointed professor for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University. He became founding director of the new Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in 2009. Since then he is in charge of the HIPS management and leads the department for Microbial Natural Products. Rolf Müller is elected member of both acatech and Leopoldina as well as honorary professor of the Shandong University joint Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, which has recently been recognized as Helmholtz International Laboratory for Antiinfectives.
Dr Stephanie Thomas - Head of Administration
Dr. Stephanie Thomas has been working at the HIPS as Head of Administration since September 2019. In this role, she is responsible for managing all non-scientific processes at HIPS and coordinates the administrative processes between HIPS in Saarbrücken and HZI in Braunschweig. Due to her former work in the science department of the State Chancellery of Saarland, Dr. Stephanie Thomas has profound knowledge of the German science system, as well as many years of experience in the supervision and promotion of scientific institutions. As head of the Department of Non-University Research and Technology Transfer, Dr. Thomas was instrumental in the coordination and project development for the innovation strategy of the Saarland.
Dr. Stephanie Thomas holds a diploma in business administration and a doctorate in business informatics.
Prof Dr Rolf Müller - Managing Director
Rolf Müller studied pharmacy in Bonn, where he also obtained his PhD in 1994. After a two-year research scholarship at the University of Washington in Seattle, he became junior group leader at the Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung in Braunschweig. In 2003, he was appointed professor for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Saarland University. He became founding director of the new Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) in 2009. Since then he is in charge of the HIPS management and leads the department for Microbial Natural Products. Rolf Müller is elected member of both acatech and Leopoldina as well as honorary professor of the Shandong University joint Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, which has recently been recognized as Helmholtz International Laboratory for Antiinfectives.
Dr Stephanie Thomas - Head of Administration
Dr. Stephanie Thomas has been working at the HIPS as Head of Administration since September 2019. In this role, she is responsible for managing all non-scientific processes at HIPS and coordinates the administrative processes between HIPS in Saarbrücken and HZI in Braunschweig. Due to her former work in the science department of the State Chancellery of Saarland, Dr. Stephanie Thomas has profound knowledge of the German science system, as well as many years of experience in the supervision and promotion of scientific institutions. As head of the Department of Non-University Research and Technology Transfer, Dr. Thomas was instrumental in the coordination and project development for the innovation strategy of the Saarland.
Dr. Stephanie Thomas holds a diploma in business administration and a doctorate in business informatics.
Our Administrative Team
We ensure a smooth operation of administrative processes at HIPS and support our scientists by providing professional technical and IT support.
Birgitta Lelarge
Assistant of Institute Management
+49 681 98806 3022 Birgitta.Lelarge@helmholtz-hips.de
Dr Yannic Nonnenmacher
PR Manager and Scientific Assistant to the Managing Director
+49 681 98806 3021 hips.media@helmholtz-hips.de
Scientific advisory Board
Altmann, Karl-Heinz, Prof. Dr.
ETH Zürich
Boland, Wilhelm, Prof. Dr. (Präsident)
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Dailey, Lea Ann, Prof. Dr.
Universität Wien
Gilbert, Ian, Prof.
University of Dundee
Göpferich, Achim, Prof. Dr.
Universität Regensburg
Holzgrabe, Ulrike, Prof. Dr. (Vizepräsidentin)
Universität Würzburg
Klebe, Gerhard, Prof. Dr.
Universität Marburg
Knolle, Percy, Prof. Dr. med.
TU München
Leadlay, Peter, Prof. Dr.
University of Cambridge
Piel, Jörn, Prof. Dr.
ETH Zürich
Steinbeck, Christoph, Prof. Dr.
Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena
van der Donk, Wilfred, Prof. Dr.
University of Illinois
Vollmar, Angelika, Prof. Dr.
LMU München
Walker, Suzanne, Prof. Dr.
Harvard University
Scientific Advisory Board Guests
Hammann, Peter, Prof. Dr.
Sanofi Aventis Pharma GmbH
Heinz, Dirk, Prof. Dr.
HZI Braunschweig
Schmitt, Manfred, Prof. Dr.
Saarland University
Wiestler, Otmar D., Prof. Dr.
Helmholtz Association Berlin