Prof. Dr. Karl F. Hilgers is Deputy Director of the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension (Medical Clinic 4) at the University Hospital Erlangen and Professor (C3) of Internal Medicine/Hypertension at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.

He studied Medicine at the University of Heidelberg (1982–1989) and earned his doctorate magna cum laude. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Medical Clinic 4, Erlangen (1992–2000). Supported by a DFG habilitation fellowship, he pursued research at the University of Virginia (1994–1996) and subsequently achieved his habilitation in Internal Medicine in 2001.

From 2001 to 2003, he was awarded a DFG Heisenberg Fellowship, followed by a Research Professorship (C3) within the DFG Clinical Research Unit KFO 106 (2003–2008). He served as Senior Consultant at Medical Clinic 4, Erlangen (2011–2017) and as Acting Director (2017–2018).

His main research interests include malignant hypertension and vascular injury in chronic kidney disease.