The first Cancer Network Bonn Workshop on June 29, 2026, united around 60 researchers from across the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), LIMES, DZNE and several faculties for a day dedicated to basic, translational and clinical cancer research. The event was organized by Laura Surace and Aleksandra Pandyra and supported by TRA Life and Health, the University of Bonn's Transdisciplinary Research Area.
Held at the BMZ II Conference Hall on the Venusberg Campus, the workshop opened with an introduction to clinical oncology and oncological research in Bonn from Prof. Michael Hölzel (IEO), Prof. Peter Brossart (Medical Clinic III) and Prof. Ingo Schmidt-Wolf (CIO), who outlined the existing research structures, funding opportunities and strategic programs shaping the field in Bonn. The science that followed spanned AI-based protein design for cancer immunotherapy, tumour-immune interactions, GMP cell-therapy manufacturing, hereditary gastrointestinal tumour syndromes, glioblastoma network connectivity, and patient-derived cancer organoids, alongside contributions from computational oncology and nutrition research that highlighted the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of cancer research.
The day's keynote was delivered by Dr. Daniela Thommen of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), who presented her group's work on the mechanisms underlying responses to cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Ian Hardy, R&D Manager at Miltenyi Biotech, one of North Rhine-Westphalia's leading biotechnology companies, discussed the clinical-scale selection and expansion of tumour-reactive TILs for the treatment of glioblastoma and outlined opportunities for academia-industry collaboration in translating research into the clinic.
Charting the future of cancer research in Bonn
The workshop closed with parallel panel discussions on the future direction of oncology research in Bonn. Participants from the basic-research side called for a stronger platform to connect clinicians and researchers across institutes, improved access to and management of biobanks, closer integration with systems biology and data science, and dedicated support structures for early-career investigators in oncology. Prof. Hölzel, Prof. Brossart and Prof. Schmidt-Wolf pointed to a concrete step already underway: within the CIO ABCD network (the Centers for Integrated Oncology in Aachen, Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf), the four university hospitals have jointly developed a satellite model for multicenter clinical trials, first piloted in 2023 and the first initiative of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia. The model gives patients broader, closer-to-home access to trials for rare and hard-to-recruit conditions while reducing the administrative burden of multicenter set-up.
All parties expressed strong interest in continuing the dialogue between basic scientists and clinicians across UKB, LIMES, DZNE and the wider faculties, with a further cross-disciplinary meeting planned to keep translating this momentum into joint projects and, ultimately, patient benefit.
Cancer Network Bonn is organized by Prof. Laura Surace and Prof. Aleksandra Pandyra (Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology, UKB) and, with support from TRA Life and Health, University of Bonn.
Contact:
Jun. Prof. Laura Surace
Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology
ImmunoSensation3 Cluster of Excellence
University Hospital Bonn
E-mail: lsurace@uni-bonn.de
Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pandyra
Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology
ImmunoSensation3 Cluster of Excellence
University Hospital Bonn
E-Mail: apandyr1@uni-bonn.de
