Martin Merkel, M.D., is head physician of the Endokrinologikum Hamburg (Clinic for Endocrinology and Metabolism). He was clinically trained in internal medicine, gastroenterology and endocrinology at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf. His current research focuses on fat metabolism, brown adipose tissue, insulin resistance as well as rare metabolic diseases. In 2016 he received an honorary professorship from the Semmelweis University. Merkel has authored and co-authored more than 40 papers and reviews in international reviewed journals. He is chairman of ASIM (Association for rare metabolic diseases in internal medicine) and speaker of the section “Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism” of the German Society of Endocrinology.