As a doctoral student, I started my research in radiobiology, evaluating the effects of different fractionation schedules in radiotherapy and novel combined schedules of radiotherapy and molecular targeting. Today, along with my role as head of a clinical and a research department, I´m leading a research group on translational radiotherapy. The focus is on the translation of preclinical radiobiological knowledge on tumour and normal tissue effects of proton or photon radiotherapy or combined treatments into improvement of clinical radiotherapy. Along with this, we are evaluating biomarkers in patient tumour material, but also preclinically, that could predict the outcome of radiotherapy or combined treatments. The aim here is to develop more individualized treatment schedules that would increase the chance of tumour cure or reduce toxicity.

Most fascinating to me is that I have the possibility to understand biological processes in preclinical experiments, also in co-operation with others, that can be translated into clinical trials and have the potential to really help patients in the treatment of their disease. Also, long-known biological mechanisms experience a new importance with nowadays´ modern molecular and imaging techniques that help for their clinical identification and application.