Henri-Géry Hers

Working in Christian de Duve's laboratory in Leuven, Hers studied carbohydrate metabolism and glycogen storage diseases. In 1963, he made the revolutionary breakthrough proving that Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II) is caused by a congenital deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme alpha-glucosidase, establishing the concept of 'inborn lysosomal diseases'.

In 1980, Hers and his team discovered fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, uncovering the universal allosteric signal that coordinates glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in animal cells. He won the prestigious Wolf Prize in Medicine in 1988.