PD Dr. Dr. Frank J. Rühli (MD, PhD)

Frank Rühli studied Medicine at the University of Zurich. After graduation (incl. US-medical license and Dr.med.) he worked at the Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University-Hospital Zurich. He was awarded an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to undertake a PhD at the Biological Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy Research Unit, Anatomical Sciences, University of  Adelaide (Australia), where he also held a full-time lectureship. He has worked at the Institute of Anatomy in the University of Zürich since 2003, where he was promoted to senior assistant in 2005 and founded his own research unit, “Applied Anatomy”. In 2007 he finished his habilitation (“DSc”) on “Evidence-based paleopathology” in the field of anatomy/histology. He co-heads the “Swiss Mummy Project” and is a research fellow of the Institute of History of Medicine University of Zurich.

Frank Rühli gained teaching and course coordinator experience (MD, BHSc, MBBS; MSc) at Swiss, German, UK and Australian Universities in gross anatomy; histology; paleopathology; biomedical imaging and biological anthropology, both in traditional and “problem-based learning” curricula. He has supervised multiple BScHons, MD, DVM and DMD dissertations; is Editor and Editor–in-Chief of peer-reviewed journals (e.g. Elsevier press); referee for various scientific journals and for the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and the German Science Foundation (DFG). Frank Rühli conducts extensive research a.o. on clinical anatomy, paleoradiology, and paleopathology (especially ancient mummy studies).

Frank Rühli is board member a.o. of the German Society of Anthropology, the Swiss Society of Anthropology and the Liberal Party (FDP Kreis 1). He is member a.o. of the Ethics Committee of the University of Zurich and he actively serves as a staff officer (medical doctor / captain) in a tank brigade of the Swiss Armed Forces. He was invited. as a consultant for the scientific investigations of Pharaoh Tutanchamun, the South Tyrolean Iceman and prehistoric Iranian salt mummies.