Neuropharmacology

Albert Herz was appointed as scientific member of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in 1972. From 1974 on, he was in charge of the department of Neuropharmacology at the institute, which was later named the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology. In the focus of his scientific work were centrally effective substances, in particular opiates and ligands (endorphins) produced by the body. Some of the aims were to determine their areas of activity, receptors involved,and responsible mechanisms during periods of acute and chronic influence. Albert Herz’s research made important contributions to pain control and to an understanding of the mechanisms underlying drug addiction. Albert Herz has been an Emeritus Scientific Member of the institute since 1989.

Albert Herz studied medicine at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, where he later received his qualification as a professor in pharmacology and toxicology. He carried out his postdoctoral studies at the Pharmacological Institute of the University of Munich and at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. He has received many awards for his scientific achievements. These include the Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), the honorary doctorate of the University of Warsaw, membership in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, honorary membership in the German Society for the Study of Pain, and in the Association of Neuro-Psychopharmacology.