Florian Klein

Florian Klein is director of the Institute of Virology and full professor at the University of Cologne. His research focuses on the development of human B lymphocytes and antibodies, with a particular interest in the humoral immune response to viral pathogens. Together with his team, he employs new approaches for single B cell analyses and humanized mouse models. In addition, his team focuses on the development of monoclonal antibodies to prevent and treat viral infections, such as HIV-1, Ebola virus, and SARS-CoV-2. To this end, his team conducts early-phase clinical trials to translate basic laboratory findings into clinical applications. Florian received his MD degree from Cologne University in 2005 following clinical training in internal medicine. In 2009, he started to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Rockefeller University in New York, where he became Instructor in Clinical Investigation in 2011 and Assistant Professor in 2013. He returned to Cologne University in 2015 receiving a Heisenberg Professorship and became full professor and head of the Institute of Virology in 2017.