Governance
Spokesperson
Wolfgang Wick
Wolfgang Wick became the first German Chair of an independent Neurooncology department in 2007. In 2014, he became the Medical Director of the Neurology Clinic at MFHD. With his scientific record of accomplishment and function as chairman (2009-2015) of the EORTC Brain Tumor Group, as a member of the ECCO Board of Directors and president of EANO and NOA, Wolfgang Wick is one of the key figures in international neurooncology. The overarching goal of his research is to understand the biology of glioblastoma and to rapidly translate these insights into clinical application. Together with Frank Winkler and Varun Venkataramani he develops the topic of Cancer Neuroscience.
As part of his clinical trials activity, Wolfgang Wick develops and runs several early as well as multi-national academic and industry-sponsored trials and successfully develops molecular biomarkers for brain tumors.
Recently, he became scientific co-director (with Michael Boutros) of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg/Mannheim and is newly elected Chairman of the German Science and Humanities Council.
Wick, Wolfgang, Prof. Dr. med.
UNITE Spokesperson & Chairman
University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Neurology / Neurooncology & DKFZ, Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Co-Spokespersons
Christiane Opitz
Christiane Opitz has been appointed Head of the Division Metabolic Crosstalk in Cancer at DKFZ in the recent funding period of UNITE.
She is an international leading expert in metabolic aspects of cancer with a focus on glioblastoma, has been awarded an ERC consolidator grant in 2022 and large experience in steering (international) research consortia and training programs.
We appointed her to a leadership role of UNITE to represent the UNITE School as well as diversity and talent management.
OPITZ, CHRISTIANE, DR. MED.
Junior Group Leader
German Cancer Research CenterBrain Cancer Metabolism Group Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, German
Michael Platten
Michael Platten is Medical Director of the Neurology Clinic and spokesperson for the Translational Neurosciences Program at MFMA.
The focus of his research is on the identification of immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of gliomas. He has developed and patented several novel approaches and companion diagnostics in immunooncology and translated them into innovative early phase academic clinical trials.
He is one of the most highly cited researchers in the field and a key investigator to drive immunotherapy for brain tumor patients. He recently founded the company Tcelltech.
PLATTEN, MICHAEL, PROF. DR. MED.
Chairman/Head
Heidelberg University, Mannheim Medical Faculty, Mannheim University Hospital (UMM), Department of Neurology & DKFZ, Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany
Stefan Pfister
Stefan Pfister is the Director of the Preclinical Program of the Hopp-Childrens’ Cancer Center at NCT Heidelberg, the first pediatric comprehensive cancer center in Germany. He also heads the Division of Pediatric Neurooncology at DKFZ. His research focuses on translational neurooncology, including genetic and epigenetic discoveries, tumor classification, target validation, and preclinical pharmacology and drug testing for CNS malignancies. His major discoveries have been awarded with one of Leibniz Awards 2023.
With his programmatic activities and development of platform technologies, he is one of the most prominent bridges between pediatric and adult neurooncology.
PFISTER, STEFAN, PROF. DR. MED.
Director Preclinical Research
Hopp Children ́s Cancer Center Heidelberg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Pediatric Neurooncology & Heidelberg University Hospital, Dep. of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 580 , 69120 Heidelberg