Invitation
Lecture by Prof. dr. dr. h.c. em. Thomas Mettenleiter for the Sarton Medal
Tracing the roots of modern infectiology - Koch, Loeffler and the discovery of viruses
Thursday February 12, 2026
Auditorium D, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
| Program - 16:00 Introduction by Prof. Maarten Van Dyck (president Sarton Committee) - 16:10 Laudatio by Prof. Hans Nauwynck, proximus (Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University) - 16:30 Lecture by Prof. Thomas Mettenleiter, laureate (former president of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), Insel Riems & extramural professor at the University of Greifswald, Germany) - 17:15 Presentation of the Sarton Medal by Prof. Ann Martens, dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine) - 17:30 Reception You can register here - https://event.ugent.be/registration/sartonvetmedmettenleiter |
Thomas Mettenleiter Prof. Thomas Mettenleiter is the former Director of the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, located on the Insel Riems in Germany and extramural professor at the University of Greifswald. He is an internationally recognized scientist whose work had a profound impact on modern virology. He is renowned for his pioneering fundamental research on herpesviruses and virus-host interactions. Through a combination of rigorous basic science and visionary leadership, his contributions have shaped both the scientific field and its application to animal and public health. He is very much interested in the history of virology, especially on the pioneers and how they were doing research.
George Sarton (1884-1956) was alumnus of Ghent University and one of the founding fathers of science history as academic discipline. In 1984, Ghent University established the Sarton chair for Science History. Every year, the Sarton committee selects a chair holder and several medal holders. This lecture is held for the presentation of the Sarton medal to Prof. Thomas Mettenleiter.
