Prof. Dr. Matthias Griese, a DZL scientist at the CPC-M site and Head of Paediatric Pneumology at Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital in Munich, has been awarded the ERS Lifetime Achievement Award in Paediatrics 2026 by the European Respiratory Society (ERS). The award recognises his outstanding contributions to paediatric pneumology and his longstanding commitment to improving the diagnosis and treatment of children with rare and severe lung diseases.
Under Prof. Griese’s leadership, the Department of Paediatric Pneumology at Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital has developed into a specialised centre for children with rare lung diseases from across Europe. His research focuses, among other areas, on the pulmonary surfactant system, which is essential for lung function. Griese developed diagnostic methods for analysing surfactant proteins and GM-CSF autoantibodies, contributing to improved diagnosis of rare lung diseases.
A major milestone was the establishment of chILD-EU in 2012 – an international registry and biobank for childhood interstitial lung diseases. By linking clinical data with biological samples, the initiative helps strengthen the scientific evidence base for these rare diseases and improve treatment decisions.
Griese has also made important contributions to clinical research. He initiated the first randomised controlled trial on childhood interstitial lung diseases and was involved in further pioneering studies, including the first paediatric study of the antifibrotic drug nintedanib.
In addition to his scientific work, Griese has been committed to supporting the next generation of researchers for many years. He has supervised and mentored more than 150 doctoral students and early-career scientists. He is also active in national and international expert committees, including as the lead of an ERS Task Force and as an advisor to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on orphan medicines.
