After its foundation the institute was initially named „Allgemeine Zoologie“ and headed by Prof. Dr. Detlef Bückmann. In terms of teaching the department covered the topics of general zoology, its research focus was metabolic, hormonal, ecological and evolutionary physiology. From 1996 until 2010 Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Spindler led the institute working on scientific questions of molecular endocrinology and in particular the effect of steroid hormones. In 1999 the institute was renamed „Institute for General Zoology and Endocrinology“. Since April 2012 Prof. Dr. Jan Tuckermann is director of the institute, in the meantime officially named „Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology“.