New Director, new focus – Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl has been appointed endowed professor (W3) at the Dr. Petra Joh Research House

The Foundation for Children with Cancer (FF) warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl as new endowed professor of Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (W3) of the Goethe-University Frankfurt at the Dr. Petra Joh Research House (PJH). The Foundation and the Goethe-University are convinced that the new professorship will emphasize the clinically-orientated research focus pursued by the FF at the PJH and adapt it to the requirements of innovative and translational cancer research, which is reflected in the new name of the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (EPHO).

By combining state-of-the-art methods of transcriptomics, epigenomics and functional genomics in highly relevant model systems, the EPHO will investigate the fundamental molecular changes underlying cancerogenesis. The anticipated new findings will contribute to establish targeted, personalized therapeutic approaches. The complementarity of already existing (Vogler and van Wijk labs) and new research strategies (Heckl lab) within the EPHO, as well as the collaboration with the PJH-based Interdisciplinary Laboratory and the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, will contribute to significantly advance the field of pediatric hematology and oncology at the Goethe-University Frankfurt.

We are convinced that the appointment of Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl will give new impulses to the field of pediatric cancer research, both at the Foundation as well as at the Goethe-University, and will contribute to finding a comprehensive cure for pediatric cancers.