Thomas Hartung: ‘I am not a funny guy’
The world-renowned toxicologist talks about animal models, his dog and diminishing trust in experts
I was born in Germany, close to Cologne. There is not anything spectacular about my family, I am the first to go to university. I was very much interested in science as a child, and also in animals. Those were my main two fascinations from early on.
At 12 years old, I got my first chemistry kit and started a lab in the cellar of our home. I bought a microscope and began to do chemical and biological research. I participated in 13 science fairs between the ages of 14 and 18.
My first car was a VW Golf I took over from my parents, but only when I was 27. Before that I had used public transportation. But I moved to Konstanz to do my PhD work and then completed my MD studies at Tuebingen and I needed a car to commute. It was more than an hour’s drive each way to the university. These days I try to avoid driving long distances because I have narcolepsy.