Pick, Ernst Peter

After his studies at the German University in Prague, he graduated to 'Dr. med.' in 1896, subsequently worked at the physiological-chemical department in Straßburg and from 1899 to 1911 as assistant of Richard Paltauf and later as head of the biochemical section at the serotherapeutic department of the University of Vienna. In 1904 he was promoted lecturer for wurde er für applied medical chemistry at the University of Vienna and in 1912 extraordinary professor. In 1911 he became as well assistant of Hans Horst Meyer at the pharmacological department, was promoted lecturer of experimental pharmacology and toxicology in 1919 and became full professor of pharmacology, head of the Pharmakological Department and director of the experimental pharmacological department, 1932/33 also dean of the Medical faculty. In 1924 he also received the Ignaz L. Lieben-Preis for Pharmacology. His most important fields of research were serology, chemistry of antigens and immunology.

He was persecuted in times of Nazism as a Jew lost his position and was thrown out of the university on May 28th, 1938.

His apartment was searched by the Gestapo and he was arrested temporarily. He emigrated via Paris/France to New York/USA, where he managed to continue his researches. Ernst Pick worked as a Clinical Professor at the Columbia University from 1946 on and co-founded the Austrian University League of America in 1945, an association of Austrian scientistswith a particular interest in Austria for scientific reasons. He was offered a honorary professorship of pharmacology but rejected it. Instead he worked as an associated pharmacologists at the Mount Sinai Hospital and as a consultant of the Merck Research Institute.

In 1952 he received the honorary doctorate of the Medical School of the University of Vienna, in 1957 he was awarded the Silver Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria.