We Are Sulfogenis
A New Era in Kidney Medicine

Thomas Benzing is Professor of Medicine and Chairman of the Department II of Internal Medicine at the University of Cologne. Benzing received his MD and clinical training at the University of Freiburg, Germany. During his postdoctoral research at the Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, University of Frankfurt and at Harvard Medical School, Boston, he focused on various aspects of signaling in kidney disease. Since 2007 Benzing is Professor and Chairman of the Department II of Internal Medicine and Director of the Kidney Research Center Cologne. Benzing is Chair of the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) and also founding member of the Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD). Benzing has been awarded with numerous prizes and awards including the Volhard Prize, the Ernst Jung Prize in Medicine as well as honorary fellowships by several societies including the American Society of Nephrology. He is elected member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Ludwig Heilmeyer Society, American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Clinical and Climatological Association, the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Senate of the German Research Foundation.

Paolo Galfetti is a biotech executive with 30+ years of experience and track record in driving growth, innovation, and commercial success in the biotech and drug delivery industry. Galfetti is a leader with a deep understanding of scientific, regulatory, operational and business aspects, adapting at translating research breakthroughs into marketable products. He has a strong strategic and financial acumen, with proven ability to secure funding, allocate resources, and maximize shareholder value. Galfetti is committed to ethical practices, regulatory compliance, and patient-centric approaches. He is recognized for building high-performing teams and fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence. By combining leadership skills with a personal touch in rare diseases, Galfetti is able to foster a truly patient centric and companywide culture.

Dietrich Joos is a long-term Life Sciences investor with more than 30 years of experience in asset management and in the structuring and management of funds. He was Managing partner of Independent Capital Group, Senior Portfolio Manager at Roche and Pharma Analyst at UBS.
Master’s Degree in Economics and Social Sciences.

Marc Kessemeier is Managing Partner of MaKe Company GmbH and Managing Director of H&P Inkubator GmbH. Kessemeier's expertise lies in the fields of corporate finance, structuring and reorganization. He advises entrepreneurs and companies primarily in the life sciences, service, and cultural industries, on financing and the purchase or sale of companies. Kessemeier has more than 25 years of experience in building up young companies, considering the requirements for a successful exit.

Felix Köhler is a nephrologist and clinician-scientist at the Department II of Internal Medicine of the University of Cologne (led by Prof. Thomas Benzing). He received his doctorate at the Institute for Translational Research of the Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), and completed his scientific training at CECAD, the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), and the Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology) & Einthoven Laboratory of Vascular and Regenerative Medicine at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC, the Netherlands). Köhler is elected member of the executive board of the Junior Faculty Club of the University of Cologne, of the NephroFuture Class of 2024 of the German Society of Nephrology and of the CMMC's Career Advance Program. Köhler has been awarded with numerous awards for young and upcoming clinician-scientists, including the Young Investigator Award of the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM) and the DZIF Doctoral Candidate Award of the German Society for Infectious Diseases (DGI).

Roman-Ulrich Müller is Professor of Nephrology and chairman of the Department of Nephrology at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Müller began his medical career at the Universities of Freiburg and Heidelberg. After finishing medical school, he completed his scientific training at Rockefeller University (New York, USA) and Yale University (New Haven, USA). He then returned to Germany to obtain his board certification in Nephrology in the Department II of Internal Medicine at the University of Cologne, where he led the Centre for Rare and Genetic Kidney Diseases. Beside genetic kidney disease, acute kidney injury and renal organ protection are among his key interests. To move findings from the molecular biology lab to the clinic, Müller runs a translational pipeline linking basic science work to clinical trial programs.

Sylvia Ritthaler is Partner at MaKe Company GmbH and at H&P Inkubator GmbH. Ritthaler has over 15 years of experience in quality management in the life sciences industry. Her work has focused on assisting early-stage companies and laboratories in establishing and improving quality systems. She also specializes in advising companies on the development of effective project management.

Günter Schwarz is a Professor of Biochemistry and formerly dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Cologne. Schwarz received his doctorate in Biology at the Technical University Braunschweig and completed his scientific training at the Center for Molecular Medicine & Center for Structural Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY/USA. In 2008, Schwarz was appointed full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Cologne and served as Rector's Representative for Innovation and Transfer at the University of Cologne for many years. In parallel to his scientific duties, Schwarz founded Colbourne Pharmaceuticals GmbH, and as CEO of Colbourne Pharmaceuticals GmbH has gone successfully through all aspects of implementing a scientific idea up to clinical maturity reaching the market. For his outstanding engagement between bench and bedside, Schwarz has been awarded with numerous prizes and awards including the Novartis-Preis for Therapy-related Pharmacological Research, the Horst-Bickel-Award for novel therapies in the field of inborn errors in metabolism, and the Innovation Award of the State North Rhine Westphalia.