Obituary: Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Rolf Hilgenfeld (University of Lübeck, Germany)
June 20, 2025
The PANVIPREP consortium expresses its profound sadness at the passing of one of its principal investigators, a long-standing collaborator, and a dear friend to many of us: Rolf Hilgenfeld.
Born in 1954, Rolf Hilgenfeld was a distinguished biochemist, structural virologist, and medicinal chemist with a truly remarkable scientific legacy. He led the Institute of Biochemistry at the University of Lübeck from 2003 to 2020 and subsequently held a senior professorship at the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Lübeck.
Over the course of his career, Rolf made major contributions to the study of several virus families, gaining particular recognition for his pioneering work on viral proteases, including those of HIV, enteroviruses, flaviviruses, and coronaviruses. His highly cited research seamlessly combined fundamental structural and functional analysis with the translational goal of rational antiviral drug design. In 2023, his outstanding achievements were recognized with the Carl-Hermann Medal, awarded by the German Society for Crystallography, for his broad and lasting impact on the field, and the Thomas-Fredenhagen-Preis of the Kaufmannschaft zu Lübeck, for his exemplary successes in knowledge and technology transfer.
Beyond his scientific accomplishments, Rolf was a steadfast leader and driving force behind numerous German and European antiviral research initiatives. For many PANVIPREP partners, these collaborations spanned more than two decades and included ground-breaking projects such as VIZIER, SILVER, SCORE, and CARE. These efforts repeatedly brought us to Lübeck, where we experienced his generous hospitality.
Rolf was a passionate advocate for the role of basic science as the engine behind antiviral drug development. He had a rare talent for bridging deep scientific insight with strategic vision—whether in shaping the next grant proposal, organizing a conference, or co-authoring a high-impact paper. Rolf could be a formidable discussion partner at times, but always with humor—his unmistakable sonorous laughter never far away. Moreover, it was always clear that his inspiration was a commitment to excellence and meaningful scientific impact—both in his own lab and in every collaboration he joined.
Rolf Hilgenfeld’s absence will be deeply felt within PANVIPREP and beyond. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues in Lübeck as we remember a brilliant scientist, a generous collaborator, and a truly exceptional human being.
Eric Snijder
PANVIPREP coordinator,
on behalf of the PANVIPREP Executive Board and all PANVIPREP Partners
PANVIPREP
Developing broad-spectrum antiviral drugs for pandemic preparedness
As highlighted recently by the COVID-19 pandemic, known and emerging RNA viruses continue to pose a major public health threat, due to a combination of societal, ecological and economic factors. In addition to vaccines, which take many months to develop and produce, our preparedness toolbox for future virus outbreaks should also include potent and safe antiviral drugs. Small-molecule compounds targeting essential functions in virus replication offer an important but underappreciated possibility for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention. Drugs with confirmed broad(er)-spectrum activity against a given virus genus or family, can be stockpiled to be available for immediate distribution in a crisis situation. However, such directly-acting antiviral drugs are currently available for only a few virus families.
The PANVIPREP consortium incorporates 14 European partners with complementary expertise in virology, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and machine-learning approaches. Together, they aim to contribute to antiviral pandemic preparedness by piloting and progressing antiviral drug development, in particular through
- developing and advancing broad(er)-spectrum antiviral compounds targeting five selected RNA virus families with high epidemic or pandemic potential;
- delivering novel RNA virus knowledge and tools, including molecules that block novel molecular targets in the viral replication cycle;
- implementing technological innovations to accelerate antiviral drug discovery and development.
