Professor Dr. Jan Halbritter
Medical Director of the Department of Nephrology
Professor Dr. Jan Halbritter is a leading nephrologist and recognized expert in nephrogenetics. He has extensive clinical and scientific expertise in hereditary and rare kidney diseases.
Since April 2026, he has served as Medical Director of the Department of Nephrology at the Medical Center – University of Freiburg and as Professor of Nephrology at the University of Freiburg.
Professor Halbritter studied medicine at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and in Lyon, France. He completed his specialist training in internal medicine and nephrology at the University Hospital Leipzig and subsequently pursued research in kidney genetics at the University of Michigan and Harvard Medical School in the United States. In 2016, he established his own research group at the University of Leipzig. He later moved to Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where he held a Heisenberg Professorship for Genetic Kidney Diseases and led the Center for Rare Kidney Diseases (CeRKiD) before taking up his position in Freiburg.
A central goal of his clinical work is to prevent kidney failure through early and precise diagnosis, individualized risk assessment, and innovative strategies to slow disease progression. Under his leadership, the Department of Nephrology offers comprehensive care ranging from the preservation of kidney function to dialysis and renal replacement therapy. For patients with kidney failure, particular emphasis is placed on kidney transplantation and comprehensive long-term transplant care.
Areas of Expertise
- Hereditary and rare kidney diseases
- Nephrogenetics and genetic diagnostics
- Chronic kidney disease and prevention of kidney failure
- Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)
- Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD)
- Chronic kidney disease of unexplained cause (CKDx)
- Alport spectrum disorders
- Hereditary kidney stone disorders
- Hereditary kidney cancer syndromes, including von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease
- Kidney transplantation and long-term transplant care
- Dialysis and renal replacement therapy
- Personalized diagnostic and treatment strategies in nephrology
Research & Innovation
Professor Halbritter’s scientific work focuses on nephrogenetics and the clinical and molecular characterization of hereditary chronic kidney disease. His research investigates how genetic factors contribute to the development and progression of kidney disease, with the aim of identifying underlying causes and improving the classification of genetically determined renal disorders.
His research combines detailed clinical characterization with genetic and molecular approaches to establish more precise diagnoses, identify disease-specific mechanisms, and support the development of individualized therapeutic strategies. A central objective is to translate advances in kidney genetics into clinical practice, enabling patients to benefit from new diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities at an early stage.
Freiburg is a nationally and internationally recognized center for nephrogenetics, further strengthened by Collaborative Research Center SFB 1453, which provides an interdisciplinary framework for investigating the fundamental mechanisms of kidney disease.
Professor Halbritter is actively involved in international expert committees and professional networks, including the European Renal Association (ERA) and the European Reference Network for Rare Kidney Diseases (ERKNet). He also serves as an editor for leading international scientific journals in the field. Through these activities, he contributes to international collaboration and the continued advancement of precision medicine in nephrology.