Michael Platten Appointed “Ambassador” of European Research Council

The scientist from Heidelberg University is to boost trust in the funding of innovative research

Prof. Dr Michael Platten has been appointed “Ambassador for the ERC” in order to engage with the public and decision-makers about the importance of groundbreaking research and its benefit for society and industry. The neurologist is one of two scientists in Germany selected for this ambassador network by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG). A total of 32 outstanding researchers funded with an ERC Grant have been appointed ambassadors. Michael Platten, holder of a professorship at the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, works at Mannheim University Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ).

In his function as ERC ambassador in Germany, Prof. Platten is mandated to contribute to communicating the value of basic research to political decision-makers, the media, and the public. This includes highlighting the contribution it makes in dealing with societal, economic, environmental and political challenges. Another key concern is to boost trust in funding for innovative research. At the same time, the scientist is a contact partner for European Research Council grantees and he is expected to inform talented researchers about the financial opportunities offered by the ERC. The office of ambassador is initially for one year and can be extended up to six times.

Michael Platten is the director of the Department of Neurology at Mannheim University Hospital and director of the Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience, located at the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University. In addition, he heads the Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology at the German Cancer Research Center. In 2024 he received an ERC Advanced Grant, which funds groundbreaking research projects. In the framework of his ERC project at the DKFZ, Prof. Platten and his team are working on developing and optimizing personalized cell-based, AI-controlled immunotherapies for malignant brain tumors.

The European Research Council is an institution established by the European Commission to finance frontier research – groundbreaking, visionary research that crosses classical borders. The Association of ERC Grantees is an international organization with a current membership of approx. 10,000 ERC grantees past and present. The ERC and AERG hope to expand the “Ambassadors for the ERC” network in the future to more European Union member states and associated countries.