Karl Lauterbach

Karl Lauterbach is a professor and the director of the Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Cologne in Germany and an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. In 1992, he was a fellow of the Program of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School. Since 2005, he has been a Member of the German Bundestag (Parliament) for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and was deputy chairman of the Social Democratic parliamentary group (2013-2019). Additionally, since 2019 he has been the speaker for consumer protection in the Social Democratic parliamentary group. Dr. Lauterbach's experience covers a wide range of topics in health policy, including cost-effectiveness research, evidence-based medicine, and quality research. He has served as senior medical advisor to the German government, the Ministry of Health, and the Chancellor. Over the past decade, he has had a significant influence on healthcare reforms in Germany and other European countries. As a lawmaker, he has been involved in more than 80 healthcare laws. In the academic world, Professor Lauterbach is the author of more than 100 scientific articles in international journals and he has written several books in the field of health economics and policy. Within his international academic networks, he has advised governments and governmental agencies in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. He is a member of the World Bank's Flagship Program and a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank. He is one of the leading experts and policymakers in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Professor Lauterbach studied medicine at the University of Düsseldorf in Germany and at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He received his doctoral degree from the Institute of Nuclear Medicine at the Jülich Research Center. He received a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University, where he focused on epidemiology, health policies, and management. Dr. Lauterbach also holds a master's degree in health policy and management from Harvard University.