Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch appointed to the Robert Koch Institute’s Environmental Public Health Commission

Bayreuth-based environmental researcher brings his expertise on plastic pollution and environmental impacts to the national advisory body.

Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch, Chair of Animal Ecology I at the University of Bayreuth and one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of microplastics research, has been appointed to the Environmental Public Health (EPH) Commission of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The Commission advises the RKI and the Federal Environment Agency on key issues at the interface between the environment and health.

According to the Commission’s secretariat, the range of topics covered by the body is being expanded by its two new members. Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch brings his scientific expertise in the field of plastics and the environment. In addition, Dr. Jesko Hirschfeld, a partner at the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW), has been appointed to the Commission to represent the field of environmental economics. Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch is one of the most prominent international researchers in the field of microplastics and environmental research. At the University of Bayreuth, he is Chair of Animal Ecology I and conducts research into, among other things, the effects of microplastics and other environmental stressors on organisms and ecosystems. He is also the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Microplastics’.

University President Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible welcomed the appointment: “The appointment of Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch to the Robert Koch Institute’s Commission on Environmental Public Health is a special honour for him personally and, at the same time, recognition of the outstanding environmental and sustainability research carried out at the University of Bayreuth. His scientific expertise on the impact of plastics on the environment will provide important input for advising policymakers and society. We offer our warmest congratulations on taking on this responsible role.”

The Commission on Environmental Public Health was established by the Federal Ministry of Health at the Robert Koch Institute. It advises the RKI and the Federal Environment Agency on current issues in the fields of environment and health, as well as environmental medicine. Its responsibilities include assessing environment-related health risks and developing scientific recommendations for prevention and health protection.

With the appointment of Professor Christian Laforsch, the University of Bayreuth’s expertise will play an even more prominent role at the national level in a field of vital importance to society and its future.