"A Permanent Fixture in University Medicine"

Bavaria's Minister of Science Markus Blume described Professor Matthias Frosch, who was honoured with the Pro Meritis Scientiae et Litterarum award from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts on Friday, 30 June 2023, as the "founding father of Universitätsmedizin Bayern e.V.".

Shaping the Successful Course of the Faculty of Medicine

"The strategic decisions made by your long-standing Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine have shaped and continue to shape its successful course. Networking is a particular concern of yours as Dean, also with regard to non-university research institutions," said Science and Art Minister Markus Blume in his tribute, emphasising the professor's impressive achievements. "Your contribution to university medicine has not stopped at national borders and your work has also left its mark internationally."

About the Person

Professor Matthias Frosch was Head of the Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) from 1996 to 2021. In addition to his research activities, he is characterised by his commitment to science policy: Initially as Dean of Studies from 2002 to 2006, he has now been committed to the doctors of tomorrow as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at JMU since 2006 and has been re-elected seven times; he has been doing this full-time since 2021. For over 15 years, he has made and continues to make a significant contribution to the excellence of Bavarian university medicine beyond the borders of the university.

In his area of responsibility as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, strategic alliances with other academic institutions, the targeted establishment of strategically important new chairs and institutes and the consistent promotion of young talent were of particular concern to him.

Profile-building Centres of Cutting-edge Research

The profile-building centres established during Frosch's time in office are a decisive locational advantage in national and international competition. One milestone was the founding and establishment of the "German Centre for Heart Failure", in which researchers and clinicians from various disciplines have been working together to combat heart failure since 2011. The internationally unique centre has developed into an important hub for research, teaching, patient care and training.

Thanks to high-calibre cooperation partners, Würzburg has also been able to attract outstanding figureheads of cutting-edge medical and life science research.

Founding Father of University Medicine Bavaria

Matthias Frosch is also regarded as the "founding father" of Universitätsmedizin Bayern e.V. Through his work in setting up the organisation and as Deputy Chairman, Chairman and Past Chairman, he has repeatedly provided decisive impetus for the further development of university medicine in patient care, science, research and teaching.

Through his work as Vice President of the Medical Faculty Association from 2016 to 2019 and as President since 2019, the honouree also represents the interests of research and teaching in medicine at federal level. Frosch is particularly interested in strengthening young scientists in medicine and the discussion about a stronger focus on competences and their implementation in medical studies.

His work has also left its mark internationally through the revival of the existing town twinning between Würzburg and Mwanza, Tanzania through a teaching and research cooperation and he also works as an expert and consultant for numerous organisations through his diverse voluntary work.

The Pro Meritis Scientiae et Litterarum Award

Since 2000, the State Ministry of Science and the Arts has presented the Pro Meritis Scientiae et Litterarum award to outstanding personalities for their services to science and the arts, since 2008 in the form of a bronze relief. In addition to honouring these personalities, the aim of this award is to understand culture as a unity: Science and art should be recognised as two sides of the same coin. In principle, only up to eight honours are awarded each year.