Jonas Becker

Dr. Jonas Becker is a Senior Scientist in the Immunotherapy and Immunoprevention division at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, where he has been leading research on tumor-specific neoepitope detection since August 2024. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Scientist at the same institution from 2021 to 2024. His work bridges advanced mass spectrometry techniques with translational cancer immunology to support personalized immunotherapies.

• BSc and MSc in Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg
• Research stay at McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, USA
• PhD in Diseases of mRNA Metabolism, Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Heidelberg (2016–2021)
• Postdoctoral and Senior Scientist roles at DKFZ (2021–present)

Dr. Becker's research focuses on immunopeptidomics, particularly the identification and validation of tumor-specific peptides presented by HLA class I molecules. He develops and applies targeted nanoLC-MS and data-independent acquisition (DIA) workflows to detect low-abundance neoepitopes from limited tumor samples. His work enables the validation of actionable targets for personalized cancer vaccines and TCR-transgenic T cell therapies. He also investigates antigen processing dynamics under perturbations such as drug treatments or altered gene expression to uncover cancer vulnerabilities.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in translational cancer immunology, with emphasis on neoantigen discovery, sensitive detection methods, and T cell-based therapeutic validation. His contributions span technical innovation in proteomics to clinical application in pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma.

Dr. Becker has contributed to high-impact research in journals such as Nature Communications, J Immunother Cancer, and Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. While no formal awards are listed, his role in key collaborative projects suggests recognition within the immunotherapy community.

He has been involved in significant research grants and collaborative projects, particularly through DKFZ’s partnerships with clinical institutions. These efforts support the translation of mass spectrometry findings into viable immunotherapies. Although no formal students are listed, his senior scientist role likely involves mentoring junior researchers and contributing to team-based science.

Dr. Becker is part of a leading research group at DKFZ focused on epitope-centric cancer immunotherapies. The lab combines proteomics, bioinformatics, and immunology to map the immunopeptidome and develop tools like MediMer for T cell detection. The team actively collaborates with clinical partners to validate targets in real-world cancer settings.