I Did It My Way: From Medicine to the Lab and Beyond

I am a Professor of Nephropharmacology at the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Frankfurt/Main and an Adjunct Research Professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. I have an active and well-funded laboratory specialized in research related to matrix biology and proteoglycans. In addition to being a researcher, I am a physician with expertise in internal medicine and nephrology. Currently, I am the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. I am the Past President of the Histochemical Society and the Vice-Chair of the FASEB’s Publication Committee. My editorial and society obligations find equivalent priority to that of my academic career. In research, visibility is paramount, and as I look back on my journey, I am grateful for those opportunities that have played a vital role in advancing science beyond the walls of the laboratory. This chapter unravels my challenging journey through an academic profession in life, together with a focus on activities outside the academia that helps contribute to science.