TUM Expands Research Frontiers with Endowed Chairs in AI Protein Design and Technology-Driven Marketing Supported by Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft

Bioscientist Thomas Schlichthärle joins TUM from the University of Washington. credit: Astrid Eckert / TUM

(IN BRIEF) The Technical University of Munich (TUM), with the support of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft, has established two endowed professorships in Marketing & Technology and AI-Guided Protein Design. Behavioral scientist Dr. David Finken joins TUM from ETH Zurich to lead research on how AI and virtual reality shape consumer and managerial decision-making. Bioscientist Dr. Thomas Schlichthärle, from the University of Washington, will focus on AI-driven methods for designing synthetic proteins to advance biomedical innovation. The initiative enhances TUM’s interdisciplinary research capacities while reflecting the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft’s mission to strengthen Germany’s scientific leadership by supporting top international talent and future-oriented research.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 28-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has strengthened its research and academic excellence with the establishment of two new endowed professorships in partnership with the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft. The newly created positions — one in Marketing & Technology and another in AI-Guided Protein Design — mark an important step in advancing interdisciplinary research that connects artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and life sciences.

Through the foundation’s support, TUM has appointed Dr. David Finken from ETH Zurich to the professorship in Marketing & Technology and Dr. Thomas Schlichthärle from the University of Washington to the professorship in AI-Guided Protein Design. Both scholars bring exceptional international experience and award-winning research backgrounds to their new roles at TUM.

David Finken joins TUM from ETH Zurich. credit:Roberto Conciatori

Dr. Finken, a behavioral scientist with expertise in psychology and organizational research, will join the TUM School of Management in December. His research explores how artificial intelligence and immersive technologies such as virtual reality influence decision-making among consumers and business leaders. The new professorship will focus on understanding how digital transformation is reshaping marketing strategies and managerial practices, bridging scientific insight with real-world application.

At the TUM School of Natural Sciences, Dr. Schlichthärle will lead research in AI-Guided Protein Design — a field that merges computer science, biomedicine, and molecular biology to develop innovative approaches for designing synthetic proteins. These engineered proteins could revolutionize applications in cancer immunotherapy, stem cell control, and other areas of biomedicine. His research team will leverage machine learning to create proteins capable of sensing, modulating, or reprogramming cellular signal transduction pathways, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies.

Founded in 2023 and based in Berlin, the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft is dedicated to supporting high-level scientific research and fostering innovation across disciplines. By funding these professorships, the foundation reinforces TUM’s leadership in uniting artificial intelligence with key scientific and economic fields.

“We are delighted that, with the support of the foundation, we have succeeded in appointing Thomas Schlichthärle and David Finken from the US and Switzerland to TUM, thereby strengthening the university and Germany as a center of science in important fields of the future,” said Marion Müller, Managing Director of the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft.

TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann added, “It is a great vote of confidence in our university that the Wübben Stiftung Wissenschaft is funding two professorships. This support helps us attract top international scientists and advance our mission to integrate AI and digital technologies across disciplines.”

The initiative represents a significant contribution to the German research landscape, underlining both organizations’ commitment to fostering innovation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and global scientific excellence.