Rohini & Thomas Kuner
Thomas and Rohini are renowned researchers who have made significant contributions to their respective fields and continue to educate and inspire the next generation of young researchers.
Prof. Dr. Rohini Kuner
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Prof. Dr. Rohini Kuner’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of chronic pain. Rohini’s group implements innovative techniques and approaches to unravel neural pathways of pain transmission and synaptic plasticity. Rohini Kuner studied pharmaceutical biotechnology at the University of Mumbai and earned her doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1994. She completed postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and later worked at BASF-Lynx (Axaron AG). In 2002, she led a DFG-funded Emmy Noether group at Heidelberg University's Institute of Pharmacy, completing her habilitation in 2005. She became a Professor of Pharmacy and Toxicology in 2006. Among her many accolades is the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant, awarded in 2011 and most recently the Leibniz Prize. Rohini Kuner is currently the Director of the Department of Molecular Pharmacology at the Pharmacological Institute of the Heidelberg Medical Faculty.
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Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kuner
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Thomas Kuner and his team focuses on understanding the structure and function of presynaptic nerve terminals, the molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and are also interested in neuron-glioma communication. Thomas obtained his medical degree in 1998 from Heidelberg University where he also completed his doctoral thesis at the Center for Molecular Biology. Thomas conducted his postdoctoral research at Duke University Medical Center and the Marine Biological Laboratory in the USA. His academic journey includes being a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, obtaining habilitation in physiology in 2003 to being a professor at the Department of Medical Cell Biology. Since 2012, Thomas has been a recipient of Heidelberg University's Annual Price for Exceptional Achievements. Additionally, he has secured several prestigious DFG grants, further cementing his contributions to the field. Thomas Kuner is currently the Director of the Department of Functional Neuroanatomy at Heidelberg University.
