Heinz Schaller

Heinz Schaller (1932-2010) was a German molecular biologist and virologist who was a professor at the University of Heidelberg.

Schaller co-founded Biogen in 1978 with Gilbert, Sharp, Murray and Weissmann. At Heidelberg he turned to hepatitis B virus research in the late 1970s, sequenced the viral genome with Gilbert and Murray and contributed to the recombinant DNA work behind a widely used hepatitis B vaccine. He co-founded Heidelberg's Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH) in 1982, received the Robert Koch Medal in 2004, and with his wife Chica Schaller set up a foundation that funds young biomedical researchers.