A food chemist, she was previously the Vice President of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The staff at MRI are delighted to welcome an outstanding scientist as their President who also has vast experience in political consultancy. “It is a great undertaking to accompany the Max Rubner-Institut on its path to becoming a leading institution in nutrition and food research,” says Professor Schwerdtle. “I am most grateful for the trust placed in me and the great honour of being charged with this task. One of my major goals will be to drive the institute’s international networking and visibility in consumer health protection.” The institute took its leave of Schwerdtle’s predecessor, Professor Pablo Steinberg, at an official ceremony in July.
Tanja Schwerdtle studied food chemistry at the University of Karlsruhe where she also completed her doctorate. Having worked as a scientific assistant at the University of Karlsruhe and TUBerlin, she was appointed to a W2 professorship at the University of Münster in 2008. In 2013, Schwerdtle relocated to the Institute of Nutritional Science at the University of Potsdam (W3 professorship). In March 2020, she became Vice President of the BfR and also an Honorary Professor of Food Toxicology at the University of Potsdam. Tanja Schwerdtle is a member of numerous scientific societies and committees, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).
