Prof. Robert Zeiser Freiburg University Medical Center, Germany

Robert Zeiser is Full Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Tumor Immunology at the Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem-Cell Transplantation at the Medical Center-University of Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany. In the last ten years Robert Zeiser has translated multiple therapeutic approaches from the mouse model into... read morea clinical application in the fields of GVHD and leukemia immunotherapy. He translated the finding that ruxolitinib is highly effective against GVHD in mice (Blood 2014) into two new FDA approved therapies for patients with acute GVHD (NEJM 2020) or chronic GVHD (NEJM 2021) together with a team of other researchers. He found ROCK inhibition to be effective against acute GVHD. For his translational work Robert received the German Cancer Award 2021, which is the highest Award for Cancer Research in Germany and the Leibniz Award 2025, the highest research award over all science disciplines in Germany and the Freiburg University Medical Medal 2026. Dr Zeiser received an ERC Advanced grant, the most prestigious and competitive funding scheme for researchers in Europe. He is Director of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1479 that includes 17 research groups and investigates oncogene driven immune escape mechanisms. His lab is currently pursuing multiple projects that delineate the connection between oncogenic signaling and immune escape of leukemia.