Stefan M. Pfister, MD

Stefan M. Pfister, Prof. Dr. med. Director Preclinical Pediatric Oncology Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) Division Head “Pediatric Neurooncology”, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Deputy Head KiTZ Clinical Trial Unit and Brain Tumors, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital

Stefan Pfister serves as Director of the Preclinical Research Program of the new Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg, a joint venture between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital.

He is heading the Division Pediatric Neurooncology at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) since 2012. Being a pediatrician by training, Pfister received his MD from Tübingen University, and his clinical education at Mannheim and Heidelberg University Hospitals. As a physician-scientist, he completed postdoctoral fellowships with Christopher Rudd at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, and with Peter Lichter at the German Cancer Research Center, Division of Molecular Genetics.

Pfister's research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic characterization of childhood brain tumors by applying next-generation profiling methods, the development of faithful models and functional validation of findings, and the preclinical testing of new treatment options using these models. In all his activities, translating novel findings into a clinical context is of highest priority. For his translational neurooncology projects, Pfister received amongst others the German Cancer Award in 2012. In 2020 he became member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.