The Director of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care of the University of Cologne, Germany and President of the German Red Cross, Professor Bernd W. Böttiger, will be awarded an honorary doctorate of the Department of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The Degree Ceremony will take place on Tuesday 18 February 2025 at 19:00, in the Ceremonial Hall of the Old Building of the Faculty of Philosophy.

Professor Böttiger could be described as a pioneer in promoting CPR education to both civilians and school-age students, with a significant contribution to improving public health by enhancing citizens’ preparedness to respond to cardiac arrest emergencies. His leadership in national and international resuscitation organizations, as well as his extensive research and educational work, make him a central figure in the effort to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.

Short Curriculum Vitae of the recipient

Professor Bernd Walter Böttiger graduated from the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg in Germany. From 2007 to 2024, he was Director Professor of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Hospital Cologne, one of the largest hospitals in Germany. He is a specialist in Anaesthesiology, Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care. From 2009 to 2016, he served as a board member of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (DGAI) and since 2012, he has been President of the German Resuscitation Council (GRC). He has been involved with the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) since 2000, of which he was President from 2008-2012. Since 2021, he has been Federal Medical Advisor and member of the Presidium of the German Red Cross (DRK) and since 2014, member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

From 2015 to 2023, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI). In addition, he served as Chairman of the Scientific Committee for Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Resuscitation of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESA-ESAIC), during the periods 2002-2009 and 2021-2023. Since 2020, he has been a member of the Intensive Care Medicine (ICCM) Committee of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiology (WFSA). In addition, he has been re-elected several times as a member of the ERC’s Advanced Life Support (ALS) working groups and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR).

Professor Böttiger has received numerous academic honours and awards, is a member of several editorial boards, has served as a visiting professor at universities in the USA and is an honorary member and partner of several international scientific societies and organizations.