DeutschThe DRFZ mourns the loss of Avrion Mitchison – the institute’s founding director
The German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ), a Leibniz Institute,
mourns the passing of its founding director
Prof. Nicholas Avrion Mitchison
*5.5.1928 † 28.12.2022
As the first Scientific Director of the German Rheumatism Research Centre, Av Mitchison left a unique mark on the newly founded institute from 1991 – 1996. At University College
London and the National Institute of Medical Research at Mill Hill, Av Mitchison had previously made fundamental contributions to the understanding of immunological tolerance and the inter-
action of lymphocytes in immune responses. His laboratory was a focal point in immunology, and his research provided a new approach to the study of rheumatic diseases. He then shaped the German Rheumatism Research Centre, now an institute of the Leibniz Association, into an internationally recognised interdisciplinary research institute. The Mitchison Prize for Young Researchers, awarded annually by the DRFZ since 1997, honours his legacy.
Av Mitchison was a founding member of the British Society for Immunology, a member of the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, and the Academia Europaea.
In 2001, he was honored with the Robert Koch Gold Medal for his lifetime achievements.
Elisabeth Märker-Hermann, President of the Board of Trustees
Fritz Melchers, Leibniz Chair
Andreas Radbruch, Scientific Director
Uta Bielfeldt, Administrative Director
and the staff of the DRFZ
