Michael Hölzel

Michael Hölzel serves as Professor and Director of the Institute of Experimental Oncology at University Hospital Bonn (University of Bonn), leading the Hölzel Lab within the Bonn cluster of excellence ImmunoSensation. His dual role bridges clinical oncology and fundamental cancer research.

Education:

• 2003: Medical School, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) Munich, Germany
• 2004: MD Doctorate Thesis, Helmholtz Zentrum München under Prof. Dirk Eick (c-Myc oncogene research)
• Residency in Hematology/Oncology, Klinikum Grosshadern (LMU Munich)
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Netherlands Cancer Institute under Prof. René Bernards (2007-2012)

Research Focus: His work centers on three interconnected domains: tumor cell plasticity mechanisms driving therapy resistance; engineering novel adoptive cell transfer therapies; and spatial phenotyping of human tumor microenvironments to predict immunotherapy efficacy. These efforts aim to overcome treatment barriers in solid tumors through interdisciplinary approaches combining immunology, genomics, and clinical translation.

Laboratory Leadership: As Principal Investigator of the Hölzel Lab, he directs a research program investigating inflammation-driven tumor evolution and microenvironmental determinants of immunotherapy response. His team operates at the intersection of the University Hospital Bonn's clinical infrastructure and the ImmunoSensation excellence cluster, facilitating direct patient-relevant discovery.