Prof. Dr. med. Peter Achenbach
Deputy Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research at Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental HealthScientific Career & Research Areas
Peter Achenbach research focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, particularly in children.
He studied medicine at the University of Leipzig, earning his doctoral degree in 1998, followed by research training in Germany and the USA, including a fellowship at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in Colorado.
Currently, he serves as Deputy Director at the Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, and Adjunct Professor at the Technische Universität München (TUM). He also is investigator in major research initiatives such as the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), GPPAD, INNODIA, and EDENT1FI.
Dr. Achenbach's expertise lies in immunology, autoantibody diagnostics, and early intervention in type 1 diabetes. He has been instrumental in numerous large-scale studies including the Fr1da study and T1DI.
Over his career, Achenbach has contributed significantly to shaping global strategies for type 1 diabetes prevention, serving on editorial boards (e.g., Diabetologia), steering committees (e.g., DASP/IASP), and international collaborations advancing autoimmune diabetes research.
Current Position:
- Deputy Director, Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health
- Adjunct Professor, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München,
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V.
Fields of Work & Expertise
Type 1 DiabetesPathogenesisPrediction and Early Diagnosis
Research Recognition
Diabetologia Advisory Board
Diabetologia Associate Editor
Investigator, EDENT1FI (European action for the Diagnosis of Early Non-symptomatic Type 1 diabetes For Intervention; EU-IHI)
Investigator, T1DI (Type 1 Diabetes Intelligence) Study Group
Investigator, The Global Platform for the Prevention of Autoimmune Diabetes (GPPAD)
Board of Directors, Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V., Munich, Germany
Investigator, INNODIA (EU-IMI)
Investigator, the German Center for Diabetes Research DZD e.V.
Investigator, Fr1da Study
Investigator, the German Competence Network Diabetes Mellitus (CNDM)
Chair DASP/IASP & Councilor of the Immunology of Diabetes Society (IDS)
Member of the Steering Committee of the Diabetes/Islet Autoantibody Standardization Program (DASP/IASP)
Honors and Awards
Ernst-Friedrich-Pfeiffer Award of the German Diabetes Association
Early-Career Patient-Oriented Diabetes Research Awards from Breaktrough T1D (former the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF))
Gerhard-Mohnicke-Award of the German Diabetes Association
Academic & Professional Background
Chief Scientist, Study Center for Childhood Diabetes at Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
Adjunct Professor, Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany
Adjunct Teaching Professor, Experimental Diabetology, Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany
Habilitation in Experimental Diabetology, Technische Universität München, mUnich, Germany
Deputy Director, Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Germany
JDRF/ECPDR-Award Fellow, Research Group Leader
Clinical Scientist and Physician, Diabetes Research Institute, Forschergruppe Diabetes e.V., Munich, Germany
Approbation (German license to practice medicine)
Diabetes Research Institute and 3rd Medical Department, Academic Hospital Munich-Schwabing, Munich, Germany
Fellowship, Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado, Denver, USA
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, German Research Foundation (DFG)
German Diabetes Research Institute, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
Thesis and Doctoral Degree in Internal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany
