The General Assembly of NAKO e. V. has elected a new Board of Directors. Professor Dr. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich, will assume the role of Chair. The newly appointed, voluntary Board of Directors started its three-year term on 1 April 2025.
In addition to Professor Dr. Annette Peters as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Esther Breunig (Scientific manager, German Cancer Research Centre – DKFZ), Professor Dr. Wolfgang Lieb (Director, Institute of Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel), Professor Dr. Tobias Pischon (Head, Molecular Epidemiology Research Group, Max Delbrück Centre, Berlin), and Professor Dr. Tamara Schikowski (Head, Environmental Epidemiology of Lung, Brain and Skin Ageing Working Group, IUF Leibniz Institute for Environmental Medical Research, Düsseldorf) have been confirmed as deputy board members.
Prof. Peters takes over as Chair of the Board of Directors from Henry Völzke, Professor at the Institute of Community Medicine, Department of SHIP/Clinical Epidemiological Research at the University Medical Centre Greifswald. Prof. Völzke held this position for three years, during which he made significant contributions to the development of the German National Cohort (NAKO), particularly in the areas of data protection and ethics. His efforts in fostering national and international collaborations have greatly enhanced NAKO’s visibility among researchers, leading to a growing number of use and access applications. The General Assembly expresses its sincere gratitude for his outstanding work and exceptional dedication. Prof. Dr. Völzke will remain actively involved in NAKO as a researcher.
„It is a pleasure to hand over the baton to Annette Peters. As a long-standing scientific project manager at the NAKO Study Centre in Augsburg and former Chairwoman of the Board from 2018 to 2022, she knows the study inside out. Her contributions on the NAKO Board during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic and in establishing the central biobank, the biorepository in Munich, alongside her dedicated team, are particularly remarkable. I wish her every success and am convinced that she will lead the NAKO into a promising future,’ says Prof. Völzke.
The German National Cohort (NAKO) is Germany’s largest population-based study focused on researching common diseases. The newly elected Board of Directors aims to further enhance the accessibility and usability of the collected data and biosamples for scientific research. A key priority is also to uphold the commitments made to study participants and society. “As the Board of Directors, we recognize our responsibility and are committed to maximizing the study’s potential for science and society. For over ten years, NAKO has been collecting valuable and innovative data and biosamples to better understand diseases, identify causes, and develop preventive measures. This is only possible thanks to the support of the federal and state governments and the Helmholtz Association. I look forward to continuing NAKO’s successful path alongside my colleagues on the Board of Directors and all members of NAKO e. V., ensuring the study evolves in an ever-changing world,” says Prof. Dr. Annette Peters.
The Board of Directors of NAKO e. V. consists of five members who oversee the management and representation of the association. Following their election, each member is assigned specific areas of responsibility, including the scientific planning of the long-term study, coordination of study centres, data management, and ethical considerations.
A photo for the press release is available free of charge at
