Werner Franke

Who is Werner Franke?

Werner Franke is a professor of cell and molecular biology at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.

After completing high school, he studied chemistry, biology and physics at the University of Heidelberg. Following completion of his doctorate and habilitation he became a university professor in Heidelberg and, at the same time, became the head of a department at the German Cancer Research Center. In 1982, Franke became the president of the European Cell Biology Organization, a post he held until 1990.

He is considered a leading expert in performance enhancing drugs and one of the most ardent critics of drug abuse in sports. Together with his wife, Brigitte Berendonk, once an Olympic discus thrower and shot putter, he has fought against drug abuse in sports. He assisted his wife in researching the 1991 book Doping: From Research to Deceit, uncovering the systematic use of doping by East German athletes.