Hermann Wagner

His prime research activities focus on mechanisms of protective immunity towards pathogens.^[3] From 1970-80 he analysed T-T Cell interactions during the induction of cytotoxic T Cell responses.^[4] During his Ulm period he focussed on the immunobiology of bacterial superantigens.^[5] In Munich, he subsequently contributed to our understanding of Toll-like-Receptors(TLR), through which innate immune cells sense pathogens. In particular he was one of the first to realise^[6] that bacterial/viral DNA activated Innate Immune cells via TLR9.^{[citation needed]} Conversely his group was able to show that TLR7 and/or TLR8 recognised pathogen-derived RNA^[2][7] while TLR13 senses bacterial 23S rRNA.^[8]

In Ulm he initiated and headed the Collaborative Research Program of the German Research Council (Sonderforschungsbereich) entitled "Lympo-Haemopoese".^{[citation needed]} In Munich he expanded the research area "Infection and Immunity" to a major research focus of his faculty.^{[citation needed]} He co-initiated three Collaborative Research Programs and was from 1999-2006 speaker of the program "Target structures for selective Tumor-Interventions".^{[citation needed]}

His honorary functions include: Presidency of the German Society of Immunology, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (TUM), and Chairmen of the Science Advisory Board-IZKF-University Würzburg.^{[citation needed]} A number of his pupills (n=13) are now heading university departments or other science-institutions; hence, Wagner and his pupills operate a creative academic school in Germany.^{[citation needed]}

In 1988 Wagner received the Behring-Kitasato Prize from the Hoechst Japan,^{[citation needed]} and in 2001 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Würzburg.^{[citation needed]} In 2003 he received the "Order of Merit" of the Federal Republic of Germany.^{[citation needed]} He has been an honorary member of the German Society of Immunology since 2007.^{[citation needed]} He received the "Bavarian Order of Merit" in 2007.^{[citation needed]} He is member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences^[3][6] and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.^{[citation needed]} In 2009 he was Fellow of the A. Krupp Science Foundation in Greifswald/Baltic Sea,^{[citation needed]} and in 2012 guest professor at the University of Marburg.^{[citation needed]} Since 2011 he is TUM-Emeritus of Excellence.^{[citation needed]} In 2013 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Bonn.^{[citation needed]}