Prof. Dr. Tanja Weil

Prof. Dr. Tanja Weil joined the Max Planck Society in 2017 as one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, heading the division “Synthesis of Macromolecules”. She studied chemistry (1993–1998) at the TU Braunschweig (Germany) and the University of Bordeaux I (France) and completed her PhD at the MPI for Polymer Research under the supervision of K. Müllen. In 2003, she received the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society. From 2002 to 2008 she managed different leading positions at Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH (Frankfurt) from Section Head Medicinal Chemistry to Director of Chemical Research and Development. In 2008 she accepted an Associate Professor position at the National University of Singapore. Tanja Weil joined Ulm University as Director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry III / Macromolecular Chemistry in 2010. She has received numerous competitive funding at both national and international level including a Synergy Grant of the European Research Council (ERC). She serves in many advisory boards and steering committees: she is a member of the senate of the German Research Foundation, a member of the senate of the Leibniz Association and of the Leibniz evaluation panel. Tanja is an associate editor for JACS and a member of the editorial advisory board of ACS Nano. Her scientific interests focus on innovative synthesis concepts to achieve functional macromolecules and hybrid materials to solve current challenges in biomedicine and material science.

Selected Awards


2023	Karl Ziegler Award
2022	Laureate Dr. Manfred-Jäger-Symposium, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf
2022	2022 Annual Warwick Polymer Chemistry International Lectureship
2020	Netherlands Scholar Award for Supramolecular Chemistry, February 2020
2017	Honorary Professor Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
2016	Honorary Professor Ulm University
2014	Bruno-Werdelmann-Lecture of the University Duesburg-Essen, Germany
2013	Solvay Colloquium, Brussels, Belgium
2012	Synergy Grant of the European Research Council (ERC)
2002	Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society, Germany

Selected Professional Activities

2022–	University Council Member of Ulm University
2022–	Advisory Board Member for Biotechnology of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate
2021 –	Fellow of the executive Board of the Max Planck School Matter to Life (MtL)
2021–	Associate Editor, Journal of the American Chemical Society, ACS
2020–	Board Member of the Mildred Scheel Foundation for German Cancer Research
2019–	Director Max Planck-Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology
2018–2020	Associate Editor ACS Nano, ACS
2018–2021	Editorial Board Member Angewandte Chemie, Wiley
2017–2025	Senate Member of the German Research Foundation
2017–	Steering Committee Member of the Max Planck Graduate Center (MPGC), Mainz, Germany
2016–2024	Member of the Senate of the Leibniz Association and member of the evaluation panel
2015–	Advisory Board Member Advanced Science, Wiley