![DKFZ Heidelberg 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/DKFZ_Heidelberg_01.jpg)
The German Cancer Research Center (known as the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum or simply DKFZ in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
) is a national
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
research center based in
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is a member of the
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (german: Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren) is the largest scientific organisation in Germany. It is a union of 18 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centers. ...
, the largest scientific organization in Germany.
History
The establishment of a national cancer research center in Germany was initiated by Heidelberg surgeon . The DKFZ was set up in 1964 by resolution of the State government of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
as a foundation under public law. In 1975, the Center became a member of the Association of National Research Centers ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Großforschungseinrichtungen") which was transformed into the Hermann von Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers in 1995. The Center has also been a member of the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The German Research Foundation (german: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germ ...
(DFG) since 1977.
Two scientists to date that were affiliated with the DKFZ have received Nobel Prizes. The first was
Harald zur Hausen
Harald zur Hausen NAS EASA APS (; born 11 March 1936) is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cervical cancer and discovered the role of papilloma viruses in cervical cancer, for which he received the Nobe ...
who won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in the discovery of the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer. The second was
Stefan Hell
Stefan Walter Hell HonFRMS (: born 23 December 1962) is a Romanian-German physicist and one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014 "for the d ...
, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work in the field of ultra high resolution fluorescence microscopy.
Research
Cancer research at DKFZ is structured in six Research Programs (as of 2022)
*Cell Biology and Tumor Biology
*Functional and Structural Genomics
*Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention
*Immunology and Cancer
*Imaging and Radiooncology
*Infection, Inflammation and Cancer
A Graduate and an undergraduate student program are present at the DKFZ.
Cooperation with other partners
A result of the successful cooperation of the German Cancer Research Center with other partners is the first new building for "The National Center for Tumor Diseases" (NCT) in Heidelberg. The project was commissioned by the
German Cancer Aid
The German Cancer Aid (german: links=yes, Deutsche Krebshilfe) is a not-for-profit organization to fight cancer in all its forms. The institution was founded on September 25, 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel (1932–1985). She was the wife of Walter ...
with 29 Million Euro, as it was officially announced at the opening celebration on November 2, 2010, with Germany’s Minister of Health,
Philipp Roesler
Philipp is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
"Philipp" has also been a shortened version of Philippson, a German surname especially prevalent amongst German Jews and Dutch Jews.
Surname
* Adolf Philipp (1864 ...
(Berlin). The modern new building is located on the campus of Heidelberg University Hospitals.
The NCT is a joint project of Heidelberg University Hospitals, Thorax Clinic Heidelberg, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the German Cancer Aid, founded by the late "First Lady",
Mildred Scheel
Mildred Scheel (born Mildred Wirtz; 31 December 1931 in Cologne – 13 May 1985 in Cologne) was a German physician, the second wife of the President of the Federal Republic Walter Scheel and the founder of the German Cancer Aid.
Life and work
Mi ...
. “NCT’s new building offers ideal conditions for translating current research results into clinical practice,” said
Otmar Wiestler
Otmar D. Wiestler (born 6 November 1956 in Freiburg im Breisgau) is a German physician, a professor at the University of Heidelberg and president of the Helmholtz Association. He is not a typical basic scientist, but he successfully entered a nu ...
, DKFZ’s Scientific Director, at the opening. “Its two strong partners, the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospitals, provide the best basis for this.”
The German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) is a joint long-term initiative involving the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), participating in German states and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). It was established as one of six German Health Research Centers (DZGs) in October 2012.
More than 950 researchers work within the DKTK, along with support staff. Around 350 of them are employed via the DKFZ.
An important task of the DKTK is promoting the next generation of researchers in the field of translational cancer research. For this reason, around 20 percent of all DKTK employees are postgraduate students. The DKTK is financed via an institutional funding model. Since 2014, the DKTK’s annual budget has been EUR 27.8 million (90/10 financing). The total budget for the first research period (2012–2015) was EUR 80.5 million.
References
External links
German Cancer Research Center website
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Heidelberg
Genetics in Germany
Medical research institutes in Germany
Medical and health organisations based in Baden-Württemberg
Research institutes established in 1964