Center for Medicine
Department of Medicine II
Medical Center – University of Freiburg
Hugstetter Straße 55
79106 Freiburg i. Brsg.
- +49 (0) 761/ 270 – 32800
- bertram.bengsch@uniklinik-freiburg.de
- Homepage

Current position
Group leader/Heisenberg Professor, Department of Medicine II, Center for Medicine,
Medical Center – University of Freiburg
Academic training
2002 – 2008 | Study of Medicine in Freiburg with electives in London, GB, and Philadelphia, USA |
Scientific qualifications
2013 | PhD Thesis in Immunology, University of Freiburg (Supervisor: Prof. Robert Thimme) |
2008 | Dissertation in Medicine, University of Freiburg (Supervisor: Prof. Robert Thimme) |
Postgraduate Positions
since 2020 | Heisenberg Professor and Section head of Translational Hepatogastroenterology, Department of Medicine II, Medical Center - University of Freiburg |
since 10/2017 | Group leader, Department of Medicine II, Medical Center - University of Freiburg |
2014 – 2017 | Postdoctorate (DFG fellowship), Institute for Immunology & Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, USA |
2009 – 2014 | Clinical and research fellow, Department of Medicine II, Medical Center - University of Freiburg |
link to all publications from B. Bengsch: Pubmed
Publications based on CRC1160 funding
Hensel N, Gu Z, Sagar, Wieland D, Jechow K, Kemming J, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Gostick E, Sogukpinar O, Emmerich F, Price DA, Bengsch B, Boettler T, Neumann-Haefelin C, Eils R, Conrad C, Bartenschlager R, Grün D, Ishaque N, Thimme R, Hofmann M. 2021. Memory-like HCV-specific CD8+ T cells retain a molecular scar after cure of chronic HCV infection. Nat Immunol. 22(2):229-239. doi: 10.1038/s41590-020-00817-w.
Schulien I, Kemming J, Oberhardt V, Wild K, Seidel LM, Killmer S, Sagar, Daul F, Salvat Lago M, Decker A, Luxenburger H, Binder B, Bettinger D, Sogukpinar O, Rieg S, Panning M, Huzly D, Schwemmle M, Kochs G, Waller CF, Nieters A, Duerschmied D, Emmerich F, Mei HE, Schulz AR, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Price DA, Boettler T, Bengsch B, Thimme R, Hofmann M, Neumann-Haefelin C. 2020. Characterization of pre-existing and induced SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 + T cells. Nat Med. 12. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-01143-2.
Heim, K., B. Binder, Sagar, D. Wieland, N. Hensel, S. Llewellyn-Lacey, E. Gostick, D. A. Price, F. Emmerich, H. Vingerhoet, A. R. M. Kraft, M. Cornberg, T. Boettler, C. Neumann-Haefelin, D. Zehn, B. Bengsch, M. Hofmann, and R. Thimme. 2020. TOX defines the degree of CD8+ T cell dysfunction in distinct phases of chronic HBV infection. Gut. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-322404. Online ahead of print.
Basho K, Zoldan K, Schultheiss M, Bettinger D, Globig AM, Bengsch B, Neumann-Haefelin C, Klocperk A, Warnatz K, Hofmann M, Thimme R, Boettler T. 2020. IL-2 contributes to cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction by impairing follicular T helper cells in advanced cirrhosis. J Hepatol. S0168-8278(20)33692-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.10.012.
Klocperk, A., S. Unger, D. Friedmann, M. Seidl, K. Zoldan, J. Pfeiffer, O. Hausmann, V. Benes, G. Andrieux, T. Boettler, A. Sediva, B. Bengsch, and K. Warnatz. 2020. Exhausted phenotype of follicular CD8 T cells in CVID. J Allergy Clin Immunol. pii: S0091-6749(20)30333-X. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.02.025. [Epub ahead of print]