Prof. Dr. Rolf Altenburger

Prof. Dr. Rolf Altenburger
Head of Evaluation

Permoserstraße 15
04318 Leipzig, Germany

Phone +49 341 6025 1800
E-mail

Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Rolf Altenburger. Foto: André Künzelmann/UFZ

Curriculum vitae


Since 1 September / Head of Evaluation

1 July 2022-31 August 2024 / Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Germany

2017-2022 / Leader of the Research Unit ‘Chemicals in the Environment’ / UFZ, Leipzig

2018 / Offer for a Chair of Molecular Toxicology at the University of Birmingham, UK

Since 2014 / Professor at the Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH, Aachen University

2011 / OECD research fellow am National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

2009-2014 / Lecturer at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg

2005-2022 / Head of the Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology / UFZ, Leipzig

2005 / OECD research fellow at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA

1995 – 2004 / Senior research associate, Department Chemical Ecotoxicology; UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

1990-1994 / Postdoctoral associate, University of Bremen

1991 / Dr. rer. nat.; thesis "On the phytopharmacology of herbicidal amino acid antimetabolites"

1987-1990 / Graduate research student, University of Bremen, Fellowship ev. Studienwerk Villigst

1986 / Visayas State College of Agriculture. Baybay Leyte, Philippines

1984 / Diploma in biology

1977-1984 / Biology studies in Marburg, St. Andrews, Freiburg, and Bremen

Research interests and publications


My research interest focus on:

  • Ecotoxicology / Experimental and theoretical toxicological research using organism model systems and process-based concepts to provide novel assessment methods for detection, monitoring, prediction of adverse contaminant effects.
  • Mode of action analysis / Elucidating causal relationships between different key events of biological action, devising assays for biological responses, developing toxicokinetic and toxico-dynamic understanding.
  • Mixture toxicity analysis / for identification of risk drivers under complex environmental ex-posure, effect-directed analysis, mechanism-based prediction of combined effects.
  • Environmental risk assessment / Application of bioanalytical tools in chemical hazard and risk assessment, product optimization and stewardship, site assessment and remediation success control.

As an author and co-author I have contributed to over 200 publications. More than 150 articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Presentations were given at various international, European and national conferences. I have participated in diverse policy advisory groups and technical committees and served as a reviewer for a wide array of journals and funding organisations.

An overview of publications can be found here: https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-2929-2978

Selected publications (2015 - 2021)

Wang, Z., Altenburger, R., Backhaus, T., Covaci, A., Diamond, M.L., Grimalt, J.O., Lohmann, R., Schäffer, A., Scheringer, M., Selin, H., Soehl, A., Suzuki, N. (2021): We need a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste: Major gaps in current efforts limit policy responses. Science 371 (6531), 774 – 776

Huhn, S., Escher, B.I., Krauss, M., Scholz, S., Hackermüller, J., Altenburger, R. (2021): Unravelling the chemical exposome in cohort studies: routes explored and steps to become comprehensive. Environ. Sci. Eur. 33 , art. 17

Schüttler, A., Jakobs, G., Fix, J.M., Krauss, M., Krüger, J., Leuthold, D., Altenburger, R., Busch, W. (2021): Transcriptome-wide prediction and measurement of combined effects induced by chemical mixture exposure in zebrafish embryos. Environ. Health Perspect. 129 (4), art. 047006

Drakvik, E., Altenburger, R., Aoki, Y., Backhaus, T., Bahadori, T., Barouki, R., Brack, W., Cronin, M.T.D., Demeneix, B., Hougaard Bennekou, S., van Klaveren, J., Kneuer, C., Kolossa-Gehring, M., Lebret, E., Posthuma, L., Reiber, L., Rider, C., Rüegg, J., Testa, G., van der Burg, B., van der Voet, H., Warhurst, A.M., van de Water, B., Yamazaki, K., Öberg, M., Bergman, Å. (2020): Statement on advancing the assessment of chemical mixtures and their risks for human health and the environment. Environ. Int. 134 , art. 105267

Altenburger, R., Brack, W., Burgess, R.M., Busch, W., Escher, B.I., Focks, A., Hewitt, L.M., Jacobsen, B.N., López de Alda, M., Ait-Aissa, S., Backhaus, T., Ginebreda, A., Hilscherová, K., Hollender, J., Hollert, H., Neale, P.A., Schulze, T., Schymanski, E.L., Teodorovic, I., Tindall, A.J., De Aragão Umbuzeiro, G., Vrana, B., Zonja, B., Krauss, M. (2019): Future water quality monitoring: improving the balance between exposure and toxicity assessments of real-world pollutant mixtures. Environ. Sci. Eur. 31 , art. 12

Scholz, S., Schreiber, R., Armitage, J., Mayer, P., Escher, B.I., Lidzba, A., Léonard, M., Altenburger, R. (2018): Meta‐analysis of fish early life stage tests—Association of toxic ratios and acute‐to‐chronic ratios with modes of action. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 37 (4), 955 – 969

Altenburger, R., Gündel, U., Rotter, S., Vogs, C., Faust, M., Backhaus, T., (2017): Establishment of a concept for comparative risk assessment of plant protection products with special focus on the risks to the environment. Project No. (FKZ) 3712 67 406. Report No. (UBA-FB) 002256/ENG. Texte Umweltbundesamt 47/2017. Umweltbundesamt, Dessau-Roßlau, 215 p

Escher B.I., Hackermüller J., Polte T., Scholz S., Aigner A., Altenburger R., Böhme A. et al. (2017). From the exposome to mechanistic understanding of chemical-induced adverse effects. Environ Int 99: 97-106

Busch, W., Schmidt, S., Kühne, R., Schulze, T., Krauss, M., Altenburger, R., (2016): Micropollutants in European rivers: A mode of action survey to support the development of effect-based tools for water monitoring. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 35 (8), 1887 - 1899

Vogs, C., Altenburger, R., (2016): Time-dependent effects in algae for chemicals with different adverse outcome pathways: a novel approach. Environ. Sci. Technol. 50 (14), 7770 - 7780

Wang, Z., Altenburger, R., Backhaus, T., Covaci, A., Diamond, M.L., Grimalt, J.O., Lohmann, R., Schäffer, A., Scheringer, M., Selin, H., Soehl, A., Suzuki, N. (2021): We need a global science-policy body on chemicals and waste: Major gaps in current efforts limit policy responses. Science 371 (6531), 774 – 776

Huhn, S., Escher, B.I., Krauss, M., Scholz, S., Hackermüller, J., Altenburger, R. (2021): Unravelling the chemical exposome in cohort studies: routes explored and steps to become comprehensive. Environ. Sci. Eur. 33 , art. 17

Schüttler, A., Jakobs, G., Fix, J.M., Krauss, M., Krüger, J., Leuthold, D., Altenburger, R., Busch, W. (2021): Transcriptome-wide prediction and measurement of combined effects induced by chemical mixture exposure in zebrafish embryos. Environ. Health Perspect. 129 (4), art. 047006

Drakvik, E., Altenburger, R., Aoki, Y., Backhaus, T., Bahadori, T., Barouki, R., Brack, W., Cronin, M.T.D., Demeneix, B., Hougaard Bennekou, S., van Klaveren, J., Kneuer, C., Kolossa-Gehring, M., Lebret, E., Posthuma, L., Reiber, L., Rider, C., Rüegg, J., Testa, G., van der Burg, B., van der Voet, H., Warhurst, A.M., van de Water, B., Yamazaki, K., Öberg, M., Bergman, Å. (2020): Statement on advancing the assessment of chemical mixtures and their risks for human health and the environment. Environ. Int. 134 , art. 105267

Altenburger, R., Brack, W., Burgess, R.M., Busch, W., Escher, B.I., Focks, A., Hewitt, L.M., Jacobsen, B.N., López de Alda, M., Ait-Aissa, S., Backhaus, T., Ginebreda, A., Hilscherová, K., Hollender, J., Hollert, H., Neale, P.A., Schulze, T., Schymanski, E.L., Teodorovic, I., Tindall, A.J., De Aragão Umbuzeiro, G., Vrana, B., Zonja, B., Krauss, M. (2019): Future water quality monitoring: improving the balance between exposure and toxicity assessments of real-world pollutant mixtures. Environ. Sci. Eur. 31 , art. 12

Scholz, S., Schreiber, R., Armitage, J., Mayer, P., Escher, B.I., Lidzba, A., Léonard, M., Altenburger, R. (2018): Meta‐analysis of fish early life stage tests—Association of toxic ratios and acute‐to‐chronic ratios with modes of action. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 37 (4), 955 – 969

Altenburger, R., Gündel, U., Rotter, S., Vogs, C., Faust, M., Backhaus, T., (2017): Establishment of a concept for comparative risk assessment of plant protection products with special focus on the risks to the environment. Project No. (FKZ) 3712 67 406. Report No. (UBA-FB) 002256/ENG. Texte Umweltbundesamt 47/2017. Umweltbundesamt, Dessau-Roßlau, 215 p

Escher B.I., Hackermüller J., Polte T., Scholz S., Aigner A., Altenburger R., Böhme A. et al. (2017). From the exposome to mechanistic understanding of chemical-induced adverse effects. Environ Int 99: 97-106

Busch, W., Schmidt, S., Kühne, R., Schulze, T., Krauss, M., Altenburger, R., (2016): Micropollutants in European rivers: A mode of action survey to support the development of effect-based tools for water monitoring. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 35 (8), 1887 - 1899

Vogs, C., Altenburger, R., (2016): Time-dependent effects in algae for chemicals with different adverse outcome pathways: a novel approach. Environ. Sci. Technol. 50 (14), 7770 - 7780