Professor at the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Stockholm University, Program Director for Center for Biomembrane Research at Stockholm University and Co-Director at Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm

Professor von Heijne's research primarily concerns membrane proteins, and he is one of the most cited Swedish scientists in the areas of biochemistry and molecular biology. He heads the Center for Biomembrane Research at Stockholm University which focuses its research on membrane protein biochemistry and protein assembly, folding, and dynamics. Membrane proteins are involved in a wide range of biological functions and are targets for a majority of the pharmaceutical drugs currently on the market. The Center collaborates with industrial partners including GE Healthcare and AstraZeneca.

Professor von Heijne is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since 1997 and is has acted as chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. In 2008, he received an honorary doctorate at Åbo Akademi.