The Robert Koch Institute has been headed by Prof. Dr Lars Schaade since October 2023; previously he had been acting President since April 2023. The specialist in medical microbiology and infectious disease epidemiology had been Vice President of RKI since 2011. Before joining the institute, he was Head of the Communicable Disease Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health, amongst other positions. Prof. Dr. Johanna Hanefeld, Head of the Centre for International Health Protection, and Dr. Anke Engelbert, Head of Central Services, have been acting vice presidents since April 2023.