Year of birth: 1938

Wikipedia

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Volker Diehl is Director emeritus for Internal Medicine at the University of Cologne, Germany. Amongst numerous positions he was Founder and Chairman of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) for 30 years, he is now the Honorary Chairman of this group. He was the Founding Director of the National Cancer Center in Heidelberg in 2004-2005.

His major scientific achievements are the first immortalization of umbilical cord blood cells to long term lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL); the first demonstration that EBV causes infectious mononucleosis; the first establishment of Hodgkin-Reed Sternberg cell lines in vitro; the co-discovery of the CD30 antigen and the co-development of associated monoclonal antibodies.

His Clinical achievements are the foundation of the GHSG; the design and implementation of six generations of consecutive Hodgkin trials within the GHSG; the design and implementation of the BEACOPP principle for advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma; the inauguration and establishment of the International Prognostic Index for Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma, together with Dirk Hasenclever; the foundation of the European Task Force for Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma, together with Harald Stein; - the inauguration of the BEACOPP and help to start the BrECADD scheme.

His achievements have been recognized through the awarding of numerous prizes, among others:

2001: the Salvatore Prize Lugano 2005: the José Carreras Prize of the EHA
2006: the Hamilton Fairley Award of the ESMO,
2007: the Award of the German Cancer Aid 2008: the German Federal Cross of Merit , first class 2009: the ASH Award: Pioneer of Hematology 2010: the ASH-Coulter Award for Life Time Achievements