About the conference
HARPOON is organized by the DKFZ/NCT/DKTK MASTER-team of the NCT Heidelberg and is intended to provide a platform for exchange and networking and to foster interaction between the One NCT, the DKTK, and other networks. We expect highlight talks on pioneering precision oncology activities, including recent developments in multiomics data analysis (e.g., by artificial intelligence) as well as forward and reverse translation, underlining the central role of multidimensional tumor characterization as fuel for innovative clinical trials and scientific discovery.
As the program continues to evolve in response to current developments, it does not only feature cutting-edge research highlights, but since 2024 also includes several special elements, such as a presentation from patients involved in applied cancer research and insights from journal editors on scientific publishing in the precision oncology field.
DKFZ/NCT/DKTK HARPOON 2025
Dates: November 27 - 28, 2025
Venue: Heidelberg Congress Center (HCC), Czernyring 20, 69115 Heidelberg
Confirmed speakers of 2025:
- Ana Banito (KiTZ Heidelberg)
- Frederik Damm (Charité Berlin)
- Simon Haas (Charité Berlin)
- Melanie Janning (UMM, Mannheim)
- Frederik Klauschen (LMU, Munich)
- Jan Korbel (EMBL Heidelberg)
- Keynote: Norbert Kraut (Boehringer Ingelheim)
- Peter Lichter (NCT Heidelberg)
- Daniel Rauh (TU Dortmund)
- Felix Sahm (UK Heidelberg)
- Bastian Schwarz (Patient Advisory Council, DKFZ Heidelberg)
- Jens Siveke (UK Essen)
- Julien Vibert (Institut Gustave Roussy)
- Nikolaus von Bubnoff (UK Schleswig-Holstein)
- Ben Westphalen (LMU, Munich)
- Lars Zender (UK Tübingen)
Registration (from July 30, 2025): https://indico.dkfz.de/e/harpoon2025
Registration fee: 85 € (includes participation at all sessions & catering on both days, as well as reception on Thursday evening)
Scholarships: This year, DKFZ/NCT/DKTK HARPOON offers 10 competitive scholarships, covering the registration fee, travel and accommodation (max. 500 €). Please submit your application via the registration process.
Review
The 5th HARPOON Conference, a collaboration between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), took place on 21 and 22 November 2024 at the Heidelberg Congress Center. 150 experts from Europe came together to discuss the latest developments in precision oncology.
The focus was on the multidimensional characterisation of cancers, modern data analysis and translationally oriented research – approaches that pave the way to personalised cancer therapies.
A detailed follow-up report is available here.
Review
The fourth DKFZ/NCT/DKTK HARPOON workshop took place in Heidelberg on November 23 and 24 with lively participation of well over 100 experts in attendance. HARPOON stands for HArmonisation of Reporting in PrecisiOn ONcology and was jointly organised this year by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the National Center for Tumour Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg and the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK).
A detailed follow-up report is available here.
