The TRYTRAC young investigator program from Cancer Core Europe (CCE) has kicked off a new round with a kick-off workshop at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. TRYTRAC stands for European TRaining program of Young leaders in TRAnslational Cancer research, a training program for future leaders in translational cancer research. Four fellows from Heidelberg, Franziska Ippen, Maria Paula Roberti, Thomas Walle, and Robin Reschke, are taking part. The workshop in Stockholm not only offered them an intensive training format, but also the opportunity to exchange ideas with other young scientists from Europe.
 

TRYTRAC is a joint offer from the partners in the CCE, an alliance of seven leading oncology centers of excellence in Europe, including the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)/NCT Heidelberg and the Karolinska Institutet. Over three years, the future leaders take part in professional and methodological workshops that take place in turn at the centers. They gain insights into the research, clinics and infrastructure at the centers and develop a network for future collaborations.

Stockholm: exchange, insights and inspiration

The program of the TRYTRAC workshop included lectures by scientists such as Mathias Uhlén (Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm) and Claes Karlsson (KI Stockholm), as well as talks with leading figures such as Elias Arnér, Director of Cancer Research at KI Organization (CRKI), Patrik Rossi, CEO of the Karolinska University Hospital, and Anne Lagercrantz, CEO of the Swedish television channel SVT1. In addition to lab tours at SciLifeLab and the Department for Early Clinical Studies at Karolinska Hospital, there was plenty of room for discussion – for example, about precision oncology, data-driven medicine or the role of leadership in cancer research. A tour of the Nobel Museum was also on the agenda during the stay at the Karolinska Institute.

The four Heidelberg fellows

The Heidelberg TRYTRAC fellows have different areas of focus – but what unites them is the desire to achieve effective progress for cancer patients through translational research that combines basic research and clinical care.

Franziska Ippen combines her clinical work as an assistant physician in neurology with research on brain metastases. She works at the interface between molecular profiling and patient-centered care and says: “The workshop in Stockholm gave me valuable insights into the work of CCE – particularly in the areas of precision oncology and cross-site collaboration. This encourages me to get further involved in this network and to grow through the community.”

Thomas Walle, currently training to become a specialist in internal medicine, hematology and oncology, combines clinical experience with data-driven research approaches. He is investigating how immune responses in tumors can be better understood and utilized through AI-based analysis. He says: “It was great to meet so many dedicated colleagues at the first in-person meeting in Stockholm. Many of us are working on complementary approaches in cancer diagnostics – often with the help of artificial intelligence. We are now planning to roll out diagnostic AI studies across institutions.”

Maria Paula Roberti is a biochemist and head of the Translational Research in Immuno-oncology and Microbiome (TRIM) subgroup at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the NCT Heidelberg. Her research at the interface between basic immunological mechanisms and their clinical application is aimed at making immunotherapies more targeted and effective. TRYTRAC offers her the opportunity to embed her research in a larger, European context. She has been particularly inspired by the openness to interdisciplinary collaboration – an aspect she also wants to further strengthen in her own work. “There is still a lot to be done, but this workshop has shown that we can do it together.”

Robin Reschke is a final-year junior doctor in dermatology, already habilitated in experimental dermatology and head of a Max Eder research group for dermatooncology at the NCT Heidelberg. After a DFG-funded research stay in Chicago with Thomas Gajewski, he is now focusing on tumor immunology in skin cancer. He says: “The TRYTRAC program is an ideal opportunity to experience collaboration between leading European cancer centers and to have the chance to visit state-of-the-art facilities. And I was confirmed: We were able to immerse ourselves in a vibrant research culture at the workshop at Karolinska and make important initial contacts. It was a fantastic experience.”

The next TRYTRAC workshop will take place at the NCT Heidelberg in November 2025. The Heidelberg fellows are looking forward to taking the opportunity to help shape the European exchange.

The highlights of the workshop are also available on the Cancer Core Europe website here.

Pictures:

• Heidelberg Fellows (from left to right): Franziska Ippen, Thomas Walle, Maria Paula Roberti, Robin Reschke
• Lecture by Mathias Uhlén
• Guided tour with Jeff Yachnin through the early clinical trials unit at Karolinska Hospital
• Dinner at Aula Medica, where the Nobel lectures also take place
• Campus (between Aula Medica and Biomedicum)