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DR. RAINER KLINKE
1936 - 2008
On Monday September 8th, 2008, Dr. Rainer Klinke
peacefully passed away after a short period of
severe illness. Hearing research has lost an
outstanding physiologist and dedicated teacher.
Rainer Klinke was born 1936 in Landsberg (Upper
Silesia). Displaced at the end of World War II, he
grew up in Franken, Bavaria. He studied medicine
(1954-1963) in Erlangen, Vienna and Heidelberg, and
as well as mathematics in Heidelberg. After a brief
period of medical practice, he opted for research
and became a research assistant at the Institute of
Physiology in Erlangen (1964-1966). In 1966 he
joined Prof. O.-J. Grüsser at the Institute of
Physiology at the Free University Berlin. After his
"Habilitation" in 1969 he was appointed Professor
of Physiology in 1971. In 1977 Rainer Klinke
accepted a Chair in Physiology at the J.W. Goethe
University in Frankfurt am Main, where he spent his
active career until he retired in 2004. In addition
to leading the Institute for Sensory Physiology and
Neurophysiology, he acted as the Director of the
Center of Physiology and held the Speaker position
of several research collaboratives
("Sonderforschungsbereiche") of the "Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft" (SFB 45 and 269).
Rainer Klinke is well known for many important
discoveries in the field of auditory neuroscience.
As a young physiologist in Erlangen, he and his
colleagues observed that the omission of a singular
sensory stimulus within in a regular series evoked
a specific potential. At the time, a response
without a stimulus was very surprising, however,
today this type of signal is known as "mismatch
negativity" and belongs to the standard repertoire
of neuroscientists. After moving to Berlin, he
focused on synaptic transmission and efferent
control of auditory and vestibular hair cells. Here
he was the first to demonstrate that glutamate is
the main excitatory transmitter in the cochlea. In
collaboration with Prof. E.F. Evans (Keele
University, UK) Rainer Klinke discovered that loop
diuretics broaden the tuning properties of auditory
nerve fibers, an early indication of an active
cochlear amplification process. In Frankfurt, he
greatly extended his interests to comparative
auditory physiology of cochlear mechanics, the
emerging field of electrical stimulation and
cochlear implants, as well as to central auditory
processing. To name only a few of the very
important research activities during this period,
Rainer Klinke and his collaborators described the
active role of avian hair cells in frequency
tuning, the functional properties of regenerated
avian hair cells, and they also studied brainstem
mechanisms of binaural hearing in mammals. He
became increasingly interested in central deficits
of the auditory system caused by hearing loss and
deafness and in the benefits of cochlear implants
for the maturation processes in the auditory cortex
of the young. He and his collaborators showed that
chronic electric cochlear stimulation of young
congenitally deaf animals rescued the functional
maturation within the primary auditory cortex.
These important studies provided the basis for the
clinical treatment of deaf children, which is
common practice today.
As a group leader, Rainer Klinke encouraged his
coworkers to conduct their research independently,
enabling them to follow their ideas and
inspiration. In addition to his own research,
Rainer Klinke has contributed to the scientific
community in many ways and received many honors
from scientific and non-scientific institutions. He
served as a reviewer as well as editor for many
important scientific journals in the field
including "Hearing Research" and "Audiology and
Neurootology". Spreading his great knowledge among
young students in lectures, seminars, practical
courses and textbooks was a duty he performed with
pleasure. Finalizing the latest edition of his
"Textbook of Physiology" was one of his major
concerns during his last days. This textbook has
been translated into many languages and is read by
thousands of students every year.
His spouse Anneliese, his children Annette and
Oliver and two grandchildren survive Rainer Klinke.
Many will miss him as a gifted teacher and a dear
friend. His "joie de vivre", irrepressible
research-spirit and his concern for those around
him will not be forgotten.
For those who want to honor Dr. Klinke there is
a donation account for the benifit of hearing
impaired children:
"Hörgeschädigte Kinder / R.Klinke"
Verein zur Förderung Hörgeschädigter
e.V.
IBAN: DE17518500790051012356
BIC: HELADEF1FRI
Information: http://www.vfh-deutschland.de/vfh_verein_zur_foerderung.htm
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