13.05.2025
Appointment of Professor Stefan Niemann as Directeur d'Études at the EPHE in Paris
Professor Dr Stefan Niemann, a world-renowned expert in tuberculosis epidemiology, has been appointed Directeur d'Études Cumulant (DECU) at the prestigious École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) in Paris. This distinguished five-year position, entitled "Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genomics", recognises his outstanding contributions to tuberculosis (TB) research and marks his integration into the Phylopath team at the Natural History Museum in Paris, led by Professor Thierry Wirth.
Founded in 1868 under Napoleon III, the EPHE is one of France's most prestigious research institutions, rooted in a unique mission to combine theoretical knowledge with practical application. Unlike traditional universities, which emphasise a broad undergraduate education, the EPHE focuses on advanced, practical training through specialised seminars aimed at doctoral candidates, post-doctoral researchers and experienced scholars. Headquartered at the Sorbonne, with additional facilities throughout France, it operates through five sections, including the Section des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, where Niemann's work is centred. Renowned for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, the EPHE has historically attracted luminaries such as Émile Durkheim and Claude Lévi-Strauss, and today remains a hub for cutting-edge research in the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. Its selective recruitment process ensures that only the very best experts, like Niemann, join its ranks, enhancing its global reputation. As a DECU, Niemann will work part-time alongside his primary roles at the Research Centre Borstel and the University of Lübeck, using this flexibility to enrich the EPHE's offerings while advancing pathogen studies with the Phylopath team.
Niemann, who heads the Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology Group at Borstel, has revolutionised TB research through next-generation sequencing. His groundbreaking studies on the epidemiology, drug resistance and evolutionary dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have resulted in more than 300 publications in top journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, The Lancet Microbe, Nature Microbiology, and Nature Genetics. His awards, such as the Gardner Middlebrook Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) and the DZIF Prize for Translational Research (2019), highlight his leadership in the fight against TB, a global health challenge. His team's innovative use of genomic tools to track outbreaks and predict resistance patterns has directly informed public health strategies worldwide.
This appointment strengthens the scientific ties between Germany and France and highlights Germany's expertise in TB research within the European academic landscape. At the EPHE, Niemann will lead seminars, supervise advanced students and work closely with Wirth's team, which specialises in the evolutionary genomics of infectious diseases. This synergy promises significant advances in the understanding of the molecular evolution of TB and other major pathogens, reinforcing the EPHE's role as a nexus for international scientific progress.