Carla Rohrer Bley

Prof. Dr. Carla Rohrer Bley serves as a Professor in the Division of Radiation Oncology at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, where she leads the Radiation Oncology Group. This group operates one of Europe's most advanced veterinary cancer treatment facilities, delivering radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, interventional radiology, immunotherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and intensity modulated radiotherapy using methodologies comparable to human oncology.

Her research program integrates clinical practice with translational science across three interconnected domains:

• Radiation Biology: Investigating cellular DNA damage/repair kinetics and tissue-level radiation side effects, particularly in stereotactic hypofractionated radiotherapy regimens.
• Protocol Optimization: Developing and clinically validating radiotherapy protocols through NTCP (Normal Tissue Complication Probability) modeling to maximize tumor control while maintaining acceptable normal tissue toxicity levels.
• Translational Equipment Testing: Leveraging spontaneously occurring animal tumors as models for human cancer to evaluate innovative technologies like hyperthermia applicators in combination with radiotherapy, in collaboration with Kantonsspital Aarau and IT'IS Foundation.

The Radiation Oncology Group functions as a critical bridge between veterinary and human medicine, utilizing naturally occurring tumors in immunocompetent animal models of human physiological scale to advance cancer therapies with direct translational potential to human patients.