Thomas Kufer obtained his Ph.D in Cell Biology from the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich in 2004. He than undertook post-doctoral studies in the laboratories of Dana Philpott and Philippe Sansonetti in the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Subsequently he headed a junior research group at the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, working on innate immune responses mediated by NLR proteins. Since 2014 Dr Kufer is full professor and head of the Department of Immunology at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. His primary research interests are focused on understanding the functions of NLR proteins in host-pathogen interactions, immunity and inflammation.