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

Current position
Head of the Liver Outpatient Center & Group leader, Department of Medicine II,
Center for Medicine, Medical Center – University of Freiburg
Academic training
1996 – 2003 | Study of Medicine in Freiburg |
Scientific qualifications
2012 | Habilitation in Internal Medicine, University of Freiburg (Mentor: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. H.E. Blum) |
2003 | Dissertation in Medicine, University of Freiburg (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. M. Müller) |
Postgraduate Positions
since 2016 | Group Leader, Department of Medicine II, Medical Center - University of Freiburg |
since 2013 | Head of the Liver Outpatient Center Freiburg (Gerok-Leberzentrum) |
2011 – 2012 | Attending physician at the Department of Medicine II, Medical Center – University of Freiburg |
2010 – 2015 | Junior Group Leader (DFG-sponsored Emmy Noether group), Department of Medicine II, Medical Center – University of Freiburg |
04 – 11/2009 | Sabbatical at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Boston, USA (group of Todd M. Allen) |
since 2003 | Assistant physician at the Department of Medicine II, Medical Center - University of Freiburg |
Miscellaneous (Honors, Awards)
2012 | Helmut Holzer Award (Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft Freiburg) |
2010 | Emmy Noether Program DFG |
2002 | Ludwig Heilmeyer Prize of the University of Freiburg |
link to all publications from C. Neumann-Haefelin: 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.
Kemming J, Thimme R, Neumann-Haefelin C. 2020. Adaptive Immune Response against Hepatitis C Virus. Int J Mol Sci. 21(16):E5644. doi: 10.3390/ijms21165644.
Heim, K., Neumann-Haefelin, R. Thimme, and M. Hofmann. 2019. Heterogeneity of HBV-Specific CD8(+) T-Cell Failure: Implications for Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 10: 2240.
Neumann-Haefelin C. 2019. Paving the way for T cell-based immunotherapies in chronic hepatitis E. J Hepatol. 71(4):648-650.
Kemming, J., E. Reeves, K. Nitschke, V. Widmeier, F. Emmerich, T. Hermle, E. Gostick, A. Walker, J. Timm, D. A. Price, M. Hofmann, R. Thimme, E. James, and C. Neumann-Haefelin. 2019. ERAP1 allotypes shape the epitope repertoire of virus-specific CD8(+) T cell responses in acute hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. 70(6):1072-1081.
Schuch A, Salimi Alizei E, Heim K, Wieland D, Kiraithe MM, Kemming J, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Sogukpinar Ö, Ni Y, Urban S, Zimmermann P, Nassal M, Emmerich F, Price DA, Bengsch B, Luxenburger H, Neumann-Haefelin C, Hofmann M, Thimme R. 2019. Phenotypic and functional differences of HBV corespecific versus HBV polymerase-specific CD8+ T cells in chronically HBV-infected patients with low viral load. Gut. 68(5):905-915.
Schuch A, Zecher BF, Müller PA, Correia MP, Daul F, Rennert C, Tauber C, Schlitt K, Boettler T, Neumann-Haefelin C, Hengel H, Pircher H, Cerwenka A, Thimme R, Hofmann M. 2019. NK-cell responses are biased towards CD16-mediated effector functions in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 70(3):351-360.
Neumann-Haefelin, C., and Thimme. 2018. Entering the spotlight: hepatitis B surface antigen-specific B cells. J Clin Invest 128: 4257-4259.
Adam, L., K. Zoldan, M. Hofmann, M. Schultheiss, D. Bettinger, Neumann-Haefelin, R. Thimme, and T. Boettler. 2018. Follicular T Helper Cell Signatures in Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Hepatol Commun 2: 1051-1063.
Wieland, D., J. Kemming, A. Schuch, F. Emmerich, P. Knolle, Neumann-Haefelin, W. Held, D. Zehn, M. Hofmann, and R. Thimme. 2017. TCF1(+) hepatitis C virus-specific CD8(+) T cells are maintained after cessation of chronic antigen stimulation. Nat Commun 8: 15050.