Laureate Dr med. Benjamin Ruf
Dr med. Benjamin Ruf (34), research group leader at the M3 Research Center for Malignoma, Metabolome and Microbiome at the Faculty of Medicine in Tübingen, is dedicated to personalised cancer therapy. His focus is on the question of how the body's own immune system can be used specifically against tumours. This is because tumour cells develop sophisticated mechanisms to hide from the immune system – Ruf's research aims to break through these barriers and develop new immune-based treatment strategies for difficult-to-treat cancers. As a doctor in training at the Department of Internal Medicine I in Tübingen, Ruf experiences every day how urgently new therapies are needed. ‘Our treatment options are often not optimal. Research gives me hope that one day we will find new approaches that will noticeably improve the lives of cancer patients,’ he explains. His approach combines genetic analyses with a precise examination of the interaction between the tumour and the immune system in order to enable tailored treatment options.
Furthermore, Dr Ruf is part of the only oncology Cluster of Excellence in Germany, the “iFIT” (Image Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies”), located at the Medical Faculty in Tübingen. He hopes to use the 210,000 euro Young Career Award to further develop this innovative concept. In his free time, he seeks balance in exercise – be it cycling, running or in the gym. ‘Research is also a long-distance run – but with every step we get closer to the goal,’ he says with a smile.