OnCo
institutionsInstitution

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

The DKFZ is Germany's largest cancer research institute, where Harald zur Hausen linked HPV to cervical cancer (Nobel 2008).

HPV discovery, CNS tumour methylation classification, NCT network, cancer prevention research.

Location
Heidelberg, DE
Type
research institute
Newsweek 2026 oncology rank
Not in top 300 listing used
OnCo score
#44 · 46 points (0 Newsweek + 0 NCI + 46 from 23 linked objects) · ranking

Programmes

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  • HPV / prevention
  • CNS tumour classification
  • NCT network

People

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Andreas Trumpp
Head of Stem Cells and Cancer, DKFZ; Managing Director, HI-STEM
Cancer stem cellsMetastasisCirculating tumour cells

Andreas Trumpp is a stem cell biologist studying how dormant cancer cells seed metastases and resist therapy.

Andreas von Deimling
Head of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University Hospital and DKFZ
NeuropathologyBrain tumour classificationDNA methylation profiling

Co-created the DNA methylation classifier that changed how brain tumours are diagnosed worldwide.

Harald zur Hausen
Virologist who showed that human papillomavirus causes cervical cancer
Tumour virologyHuman papillomavirusCervical cancer

Against the consensus that herpes was to blame, he proposed in 1976 that papillomaviruses cause cervical cancer and isolated HPV16 and HPV18 from tumours in 1983-84, making vaccination and HPV testing possible. Nobel Prize 2008.

Hermann Brenner
Head of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, DKFZ
Cancer epidemiologyColorectal cancer screeningEarly detection

Epidemiologist whose studies underpin colonoscopy and stool-test screening for bowel cancer.

Michael Baumann
Chairman and Scientific Director, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Radiation oncologyRadiobiologyResearch leadership

Michael Baumann is a radiation oncologist who leads Germany's national cancer research centre.

Stefan Fröhling
Managing Director, NCT Heidelberg; Head of Translational Medical Oncology, DKFZ
Precision oncologySarcomaGenomics-guided trials

Runs the NCT/DKTK MASTER programme that sequences whole genomes of rare and young-adult cancers to guide therapy.

Stefan Pfister
Director, Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ); Head of Pediatric Neurooncology, DKFZ
Paediatric neuro-oncologyBrain tumour genomicsMolecular classification

Paediatric oncologist whose genomic work redefined childhood brain tumours into molecular subgroups.

Uwe Haberkorn
Head of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital and DKFZ
Nuclear medicineFAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticalsTheranostics

Nuclear medicine physician whose group invented FAPI PET tracers and pioneered PSMA and FAP radioligand therapy.

Key papers

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translationalClinical Cancer Research 2020
First trial of a vaccine against the shared neoantigens of mismatch-repair-deficient cancers

Because Lynch syndrome tumours make the same abnormal proteins in almost every patient, a single vaccine could in principle be given to carriers before cancer develops. This small trial showed the concept is safe and immunogenic; whether it prevents cancer requires the randomised trials now being planned.

Connected

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Pages like this

not linked directly; found by shared links

cancers

2
Cervical cancerGlioma & glioblastoma

technologies

2
DNA methylation profilingHPV & HBV vaccination

companies

1
Xilis

institutions

11
Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF)Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen-StuttgartDeutsche KrebshilfeGemeinsamer Bundesausschuss / IQWiGHeidelberg University Hospital / NCT / DKFZMax Delbrück Center for Molecular MedicineNCT/UCC Dresden – University Hospital Carl Gustav CarusTUM Klinikum rechts der Isar / CCC MünchenUniversity Cancer Center Frankfurt (UCT)University Cancer Center Mainz (UCT Mainz) / Universitätsmedizin MainzWest German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen

pathways

3
Epigenetic reprogrammingInflammation & NF-κBThe metastatic cascade

ideas

2
A university cyclotron network with shared regulatory files for new tracersMandatory machine-readable portfolio reporting for all large cancer funders

people

8
Andreas TrumppAndreas von DeimlingHarald zur HausenHermann BrennerMichael BaumannStefan FröhlingStefan PfisterUwe Haberkorn

bottlenecks

1
The valley of death between lab and product

key papers

1
First trial of a vaccine against the shared neoantigens of mismatch-repair-deficient cancers