9 6 6 , ▁receiving ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁at ▁the ▁Max ▁Plan ck ▁Institute ▁for ▁Medical ▁Research ▁under ▁the ▁tut el age ▁of ▁Swiss ▁phys i ologist ▁Johann ▁Cas par ▁R ü eg g . ▁The ▁topic ▁of ▁his ▁dis sert ation ▁was ▁" The ▁Dist inct ive ▁Fe atures ▁of ▁Cont ract ile ▁Prote ins ▁in ▁Ar ter ies " ▁( G erman : ▁Die ▁Bes onder heiten ▁der ▁contract ilen ▁Prote ine ▁der ▁Ar ter ien ). ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁university ▁professor ▁qual ification ▁( G erman ▁H abil itation ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁in ▁ ▁bio chem istry ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Heidel berg . ▁ ▁Academ ic ▁career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁ion ▁p umps ▁of ▁exc itable ▁memb ran es ▁in ▁P ly mouth , ▁England . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁he ▁completed ▁his ▁medical ▁res iden cy , ▁mainly ▁in ▁internal ▁medicine . ▁For ▁this ▁he ▁was ▁primarily ▁at ▁the ▁Lud olf ▁Kre hl ▁C lin ic ▁in ▁ ▁Heidel berg ▁ ▁but ▁also ▁at ▁D art mouth ▁Medical ▁School ▁in ▁New ▁Ham pshire ] ▁ ▁as ▁a ▁post do ctor al ▁fellow . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁ ▁assistant ▁professor ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁Max ▁Plan ck ▁Institute ▁for ▁Medical ▁Research , ▁where ▁he , ▁together ▁with ▁Georg ▁E . ▁Schul z , ▁conducted ▁structure - based ▁research