In Memory of Professor Dr. Angelika A. Noegel - Distinguished scientist and mentor

The Faculty of Medicine, the Center for Biochemistry, and the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) at the University of Cologne and the University Hospital of Cologne are deeply saddened upon the death of Prof. Dr. Angelika A. Noegel, long-time director of the Institute of Biochemistry I, who passed away on January 19, 2025.

The CMMC community, along with the University of Cologne, the Faculty of Medicine and the Center for Biochemistry conveys their most sincere condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.

Professor Noegel made immeasurable contributions to the field of cell biology and molecular medicine. Her dedication to the CMMC spanned many years, leaving a lasting impact. As a member of the CMMC Executive Board from 1997 to 2017, she with great foresight played a key role in shaping and advancing the CMMC. She was known for her keen analytical insights and her ability to engage in thoughtful discussions, always considering different perspectives. 

Born on February 2, 1952, in Bamberg, she studied biology in Würzburg with a scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Würzburg in 1979, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Goebel, with a thesis on "Investigations on the function of hemolytic plasmids in Escherichia coli".

From 1979 to 1983, she was a postdoctoral fellow at The Rockefeller University in New York. She then worked as a research associate and group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, in Martinsried near Munich, until 1997. That same year, she was appointed C4 Professor at the Center of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne.

Prof. Noegel was internationally highly visible and recognized and in 2000 she was elected as member of EMBO and served as a reviewer for the ERC, EMBO, DFG, and other research organizations. She was also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Cell Science.

For more than 30 years, her research focused on the unicellular amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, generating significant new insights into the cytoskeleton, signal transduction, and genomics. Her involvement in the multinational Dictyostelium genome project was crucial to its success. As director of the Institute of Biochemistry, she successfully expanded her research into the protein complexes linking the nucleus to the cytoskeleton and the genetic causes of microcephaly in humans. 

She was a highly respected scientist, colleague, mentor, and advocate for women in research. She was known for her absolute integrity and always collegial attitude. She taught medical biochemistry to generations of aspiring young physicians. Here she was following her conviction that an in depth understanding of cell biology is essential for the practice of modern medicine

Her passion for science and commitment to the CMMC, Faculty of Medicine, and Center for Biochemistry will live on in our community. 

We will remember her with deep gratitude and honor.

The CMMC Executive Board on behalf of the CMMC Community

Prof. Dr. Thomas Benzing (Chair) - Prof. Dr. Sabine Eming (Vice Chair) - Prof. Dr. Guenter Schwarz (Vice Chair) 

Prof. Dr. Stephan Baldus - Prof. Dr. Georg Bareth - Prof. Dr. Jens C. Brüning - Prof. Dr. Reinhard Büttner - Prof. Dr. Claus Cursiefen - Prof. Dr. Gereon R. Fink - Dr. Debora Grosskopf-Kroiher - Prof. Dr. Michael Hallek - Prof. Dr. Matthias Hammerschmidt- Prof. Dr. Florian Klein - Prof. Dr. Jens. P. Klußmann - Prof. Dr. Tatiana Korotkova - Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas Krieg - Prof. Dr. Martin Krönke - Prof. Dr. Carien M. Niessen - Prof. Dr. Mats Paulsson - Prof. Dr. Michael-Ruth Schweiger - Prof. Dr. Dr. Dres. h.c. Wilhelm Stoffel - Prof. Dr. Olaf Utermöhlen - Prof. Dr. Brunhilde Wirth