Institutes

Clinical Cooperation Groups

Environmental Health

Systemic Analysis of Multifactorial Diseases

About us

History

1960 The experimental and training facility for radiation protection is established in Neuherberg near Munich. In 1964 it becomes an autonomous limited company (GSF) engaged in radiation research. The main research interests of the company are hematological research, studies on final storage safety and groundwater protection, and radiation and nuclear biology.
1966 Research begins at the Center on the final storage of nuclear waste.
1968/1969 1969 Two departments are founded: the Department of Biophysical Radiation Research, which became the germ cell of today’s aerosol research at the center, and the Institute of Ecological Chemistry, which carries out groundbreaking work in the risk assessment of chemicals in the environment.
1971 The center begins building up a research focus on chemicals in the environment and includes Umwelt (English: environment) in its name Gesellschaft für Strahlen- und Umweltforschung.
1975 GSF scientists working together with physicians in Munich hospitals succeed in transplanting bone marrow to treat leukemia patients.
1977 The center begins a concentration process on radiation and environmental
research.
1978 Models are developed to assess the genetic risk of radiation.
1984 The exposition chambers begin operation as the first large-scale facility for simulating environmental conditions.
The health research platform is launched in Augsburg within the scope of a World Health Organization project.
Research on forest damage commences in cooperation with the Munich universities.
1986 Lung research is established at the GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health.
1990 The institution changes its name to GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health to signify its development as the largest German center for environmental sciences.
1993 The GSF National Research Center begins first projects in clinical-translational research.
1995 The founding of the clinical cooperation group “Aerosol Medicine” marks new avenues of cooperation between basic research and clinical application.
Research on the final storage of nuclear waste is ended.
1996 Cardiovascular risk research is expanded to become the research platform Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (Kooperativen Gesundheitsforschung in der Region Augsburg, KORA).
1997 Within the scope of the German Human Genome Project, the GSF begins building up the world’s largest mouse mutant archive.
1999/2000 The center intensifies its efforts in the field of genome and proteome research with the founding of the Genome Analysis Center and the Institutes of Experimental Genetics, Human Genetics, Bioinformatics and Molecular Radiation Biology.
2001 The founding of four new clinical cooperation groups reflects the increasing interconnectedness of research.
2004 The center heads the list of the most frequently cited German research institutes in the field of lung and respiratory tract diseases.
The first institute for stem cell research in Germany is founded at the GSF.
Research on neurodegenerative diseases is expanded.
2006 The center consolidates its activities and begins its strategic new orientation on environmental health. It places a new focus on translational research in order to transfer the insights gained in basic research into clinical applications as fast as possible.
2007 The center strengthens its competence in the field of health care and the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods with the founding of the Institute of Structural Biology and the reorganization of the Institute of Radiation Biology and the Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging.
2008 The strategic new orientation is also reflected in the name change to Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health.
2009 Helmholtz Zentrum München becomes a partner institute of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Deutsches Zentrum für neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, DZNE).
The German Center for Diabetes Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung e.V.) is founded with four strategic partners.
More than 800 publications underpin the international claim to leadership of Helmholtz Zentrum München in the field of Environmental Health.
Removab, the first therapeutic antibody from Germany, is approved. It was developed by Trion, a spin-off of Helmholtz Zentrum München.
2010 Helmholtz Zentrum München becomes a partner in the excellence cluster “m4”. Furthermore, the Helmholtz Graduate School of Environmental Health (HELENA) is founded.