Siegenthaler

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c.
Walter Siegenthaler
Forsterstr. 61, CH 8044 Zurich
Professor Walter Siegenthaler was born in 1923 in Davos, Graubnden, Switzerland. He

studied medicine at the University of Zrich from 1942 to 1948. After completing his medical
degree, he worked at the Zrich Pathology Insitute. Then he moved to the Medical Clinic of
the Zrich Cantonal Hospital.
In 1961 Walter Siegenthaler became a lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the Medical Faculty of
the University of Zrich. In 1968 he was appointed Full Professor and Director of the Medical
Policlinic in Bonn. After two years he was nominated Chairman of the Medical Clinic in
Bonn and the same time of the Department of Medicine at the University in Zrich, where he
took up his work in 1971.
The scientific interests of Professor Walter Siegenthaler were extremely wide. Jointly with his
staff he published more than 800 scientific papers.
He is also an author of Differential Diagnosis of Internal Diseases" and Clinical
Pathophysiology" which have become classics of specialized medical literature.
Over the period of 50 years, Walter Siegenthaler became a world famous professor and due to
his great range of exceptional achievements he gained several dozen honors, personal
distinctions and awards.
Curriculum vitae (short biography)

Date and Place of birth:
Citizenship:
Education:
1948
Dec. 14, 1923, Davos, Switzerland

Swiss
Professional Positions:
1949
1950-1954
1954 1958
1958 1961
Resident, Medical School, University of Zurich

Pathology
Internal Medicine,
Chief Resident
Internal Medicine Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen
Internal Medicine University Hospital Zurich
Academic Positions:
1961
Assistant Professor Medical School, University of Zurich
Research Fellow:
1961
1962
1967
1968 - 1971
MD Medical School, University of Zurich
1991
Stanford Medical School Palo Alto

New York Hospital/Cornell Medical College
Associate Professor Medical School, University of Zurich
Full Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine,
University of Bonn (Germany)
Full Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine,
University of Zurich
Professor emeritus
Special Positions:
1978 - 1980
1976 - 1982
1980 1991
1980-1991
Dean Medical Faculty, University of Zurich

Member of the Faculty Board
Medical Director University Hospital Zurich
Member of the Board of the University Hospital
1971 1991
Research Activities
The clinical research in the fifthies started with publications on clinical topics, which at that time
were not well understood, like Marfan-Syndrome, Arteriitis temporalis, Lupus erythematodes and
also with first experiences with Cortison, Diuretics and Chemotherapeutics.
In the sixthies the interest in basic research was concentrated on the Renin-AngiotensinAldosterone System (RAAS), especially on the detection of Aldosterone with the Double Isotope
Dilution Method first with John Luetscher at Stanford Medical School in Palo Alto and later on
with Ralph Peterson at Cornell Medical College in New York. Back in Switzerland installation of
one of the first laboratories in Europe with the possibility to determine Aldosterone and Renin,
followed by many publications together with collaborators on the significance of the RAAS in
hypertension, congestive heart failure, renal diseases, endocrine disorders and so on over the next
30 years. Prof. Siegenthalers research group also has detected the first Conn-Syndrome in the
German speaking countries and has improved and simplified the determination of Aldosterone.
Besides the RAAS the research interest was also very much focused on infectious diseases and
included clinical and experimental work and other activities in this field like:
- detection of the first case of AIDS in Switzerland and becoming the HIV/AIDS-Center in our
country
- building up the first infectious diseases unit at a University hospital in Switzerland
- being 3 times President of the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy and
- President of the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy 1977 in Zurich
Furthermore in prof. Siegenthalers Department in 1978 the first percutaneous dilatation of a
coronary-artery stenosis worldwide by Dr. Grlintzig has been performed and later on the method
has been scientifically intensively evaluated. In this time falls also one of the first percutaneous
dilatations of a renallartery stenosis in the world.
Teaching activities
During the 20 years of prof. Siegenthalers Chairmanship in Internal Medicine all the
specialties of internal medicine have developed their own divisions at the Medical School of the
University of Zurich.
Of the former collaborators more than 20 hold the position of Professors at Universities, also
more than 20 former collaborators are Professors and Chiefs of big medical clinics in Switzerland
and abroad.
In Zurich and in Bonn prof. Siegenthalers lectures on Internal Medicine were estimated to be
the best lectures at both Medical Schools where he have been teaching more than 10'000 students.
He got many student awards for his engagement in teaching.
Textbooks
Editor of very well known Textbooks on
- Differential Diagnosis of Internal Diseases (19th edition 2005)
- Clinical Pathophysiology (9th edition 2006)
- Textbook of Internal Medicine (3rd edition 1995)
- Other books
- Many contributions to other books
- Many monographs
Honors
-
Ernst von Bergmann plaque of the German medical association 1972

Visiting Professor at Baylor Medical College Houston 1981
Named to Academy "Naturforscher" Leopoldina 1981
Fellow American Academy of Microbiology 1981
Fellow Infectious Diseases Society of America 1983
Ludwig Heilmeyer Gold medal of the Society for progress in Internal Medicine
(Cologne/Germany) 1984
Medal of the University Helsinki (Finnland) 1990
Dr. honoris causa, Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany 1991
Honorary member of the Swiss Society of Infectious Diseases 1991
Honorary member of the German Society of Internal Medicine 1992
Honorary member of the Swiss Society of Internal Medicine 1993
Honorary member of the Paul Ehrlich Society for Chemotherapy 1994
Gold medal for medicine of the Jung Foundation for Science and Research Hamburg
(Germany) 1997
Crystal of Davos 1998
Honorary Medal of the Charite University Berlin 1999
Walter Siegenthaler Prize founded by the German Medical Journal 2000
Gustav von Bergman Gold Medal of the German Society of Internal Medicine 2000
Honorary member of the Association of German Internists 2001
Hippocrates Award of the Hellenic Society of Internal Medicine 2002
Honorary member 2003 of the Association of American Physicians (AAP) 2003
Walter Siegenthaler Award founded Springer Publisher, Switzerland 2004
Honorary President of the Society for Honorary member of the German Society for
Endocrinology 2005
Honorary member of the Swiss Research climate and medicine 2005
Centenary Medal of the Polish Society of Internal Medicine 2006
Excellence Award of the Swiss Society of infectious diseases 2008
Editor or Member of the Board of medical journals

1. Dtsch. med. Wschr. (Schriftleitung)
Thieme Verlag Stuttgart 1964
2. Der Internist (Mitherausgeber)
Springer Verlag Heidelberg bis 2004
3. Schweiz. Rundschau Med. (PRAXIS) (Redaktion/Beirat)
Hallwag Verlag Bern
4. Arzneimittelforschung (Redaktion/Beirat)
Editio Cantor Aulendorf
5. Clin. Nephrol. (Editorial Board/Honorary Board)
Dustri Verlag Munchen-Deisenhofen
Honorary Board Member ab 1989
6. Infection (Beirat)
MMW Verlag Munchen 1980-2000
7. Europ. J. clin. Pharm. (Beirat)
Springer Verlag Heidelberg bis 1986
8. Antimicrob. Agents Chemoth. (AAC) (Board of Editors)
Amer. Soc. Microbiology, Washington bis 1985
9. J. Inf. Dis. (JID) (International Board of Editors)
Amer. Soc. Inf. Diseases, Washington bis 1989
10. Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) (International Board of Editors)
Member of Foundations
-
Stiftung fur Fortschritte in der Medizin (LudwigGesellschaft Koln), Prasident 1990 - 2004
Stiftung Schweizerisches Forschungsinstitut fur Hochgebirgsklima und Medizin Davos,
Prasident 1992 - 2004
EMDO-Stiftung Zurich
Stiftung fur wissenschaftliche Forschung an der Universitat Zurich Jubilaumsspende der
Universitat Zurich
OPO Stiftung Zurich
Kantonale Krebskommission Zurich Th. Jucker Stiftung Zurich Hartmann Muller Stiftung
Zurich
Jung-Stiftung fur Wissenschaft und Forschung Hamburg (Germany) Muller-Grocholski
Stiftung, Zurich
Walter und Gertrud Siegenthaler Stiftung, Medizinische Fakultat der Universitat Zurich
Member of Societies
-
Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin Schweiz. Forschungskommission fur allg. Medizin
Schweiz. Akademie der medizinischen Wissenschaften
Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie
Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Infektiologie
Schweiz. Gesellschaft fur Angiologie
Schweiz. allg. Bundesverwaltung (Obergutachter) Rekurskommission IKS/Swiss Medic
Schweiz. Arzneimittelkommission
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin (Prasident 1983/84) Deutsche Prufungskommission
Paul Ehrlich Gesellschaft fur Chemotherapie (Prasident 1969-71, 1973-75, 1975-77)
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Nephrologie Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Endokrinologie Deutsche
Gesellschaft fur Kardiologie
Rhein. Westfalische Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin
Frerichs Preis Komitee der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Innere Medizin 1980-1982
Deutsche Arzneimittelkommission
American Society of Microbiology
American Academy of Microbiology
American Society of Infectious Diseases British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Councillor of the International Society of Chemotherapy International Society of
Chemotherapy (Congress President 1977) International Society of Hypertension
Mitgestalter der Internationalen Aerzte-Fortbildungskongresse Davos

Siegenthaler

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Siegenthaler

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. h. c.

Professor Walter Siegenthaler was born in 1923 in Davos, Graubnden, Switzerland. He

Curriculum vitae (short biography)

Dec. 14, 1923, Davos, Switzerland

Resident, Medical School, University of Zurich

Assistant Professor Medical School, University of Zurich

MD Medical School, University of Zurich

Stanford Medical School Palo Alto

Dean Medical Faculty, University of Zurich

Ernst von Bergmann plaque of the German medical association 1972

Editor or Member of the Board of medical journals

You might also like