We Are Saddened to Report the Passing of Dr. Manfred Schmidt
We Mourn the Loss of Our Scientific Leader, Mentor, and Dear Friend: Dr. Manfred Schmidt
Manfred, age 54, passed away on January 13, 2022. On behalf of the entire ProtaGene team, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife and to his family, friends and colleagues. With deep affection and much respect, we need to say goodbye to an extraordinary person.
About Dr. Manfred Schmidt
Dr. Manfred Schmidt was previously the Co-Founder and CEO of GeneWerk GmbH. He was a true pioneer of cell and gene therapy – with more than 25 years of very successful experience in this field – spanning R&D, clinical medicine, assay development and commercialization.
Academically, his most recent role had been the Section Head of Molecular and Gene Therapy at the German Cancer Research Center, also part of the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Heidelberg, Germany. Manfred was a co-inventor leading to the patents leading to the development of Linear Amplification-Mediated PCR (LAM-PCR) which has allowed the advances of clinical trials of insertional vector systems in critical times, allowing the highly sensitive identification and sequencing of vector integrations in limited tissue amounts.
The application of LAM-PCR and its follow up developments, in which Manfred has been instrumental, have been widely used in preclinical and clinical vector safety assessment of cell and gene therapy. The analysis of the efficiency and safety of vector systems for the clinical gene therapy combined with the application of the high throughput sequencing technologies and the development of project specific bioinformatical analysis and data management systems were his major research area.
Manfred was an author of more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in international high-impact journals. He obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Freiburg, and a Diploma degree in Biology by the University Hohenheim, Germany.
As a Scientific mentor he has played a central role for many of the scientists from the GeneWerk family (now ProtaGene). He helped shape their career and inspired them to push the envelope of technologies towards developing safer gene therapeutics for patients. In more recent times, he has passed on his knowledge and his wealth of experience to the leading employees of the new ProtaGene family. It will be an honor and an obligation for us, to continue with our work in his spirit and to add to the further development of his research field.
Manfred was a brilliant scientist, a thoughtful leader, and a beloved friend who will be greatly missed. If you would like to get in touch with his family, please send an email or card to the following:
Email:
contact@protagene.com
Address:
ProtaGene CGT GmbH
Im Neuenheimer Feld 582
69120 Heidelberg
Germany
