Professor Dr. Riesner held the chair of Biophysics at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf from 1980 to 2006, was dean of the Science Faculty and prorector of research. Since his retirement in 2006, he was member of the board of trustees of Heinrich Heine University until 2017. During his academic career Professor Dr. Riesner worked as a research assistant at Princeton University and as a visiting professor at the University of California, San Francisco and Academia Sinica (China). Professor Dr. Riesner is a co-founder of Qiagen N.V., member of the Supervisory Board and held the position as Chairman of the Supervisory Board from 1999 to 2014. He was also a member of the Supervisory Boards of NewLab Bioquality AG, Erkrath, Drevo AG, Cologne, Alantos AG, Heidelberg and AC Immune, Lausanne. Furthermore, Professor Riesner was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Friedrich-Löffler Institute, Isle of Riems and PrioNet and APRI, both in Canada. He received awards from the Federal Government, from the State of NRW and the Max Planck Society. Prof. Dr. Riesner works with Priavoid as a business angel, partner and mentor.