For the first time in 14 years, there has been a change at the top of the hospital rankings, which are published annually by the MINQ Institute in collaboration with Stern. In its very first year of existence, the Heidelberg and Mannheim University Hospitals Consortium has taken first place.

Experts in Heidelberg have developed an AI system that can classify brain tumors with unprecedented accuracy using standard microscopic tissue sections. Using digitized standard stains, the system identifies more than 100 molecular subtypes of central nervous system tumors, delivers results within minutes, and could accelerate the diagnosis of brain tumors worldwide.

Researchers at Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, in collaboration with partners from 29 German study centers, have found evidence of a potential biomarker for personalized therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a Phase II study. Analyses showed that certain patients could benefit from additional treatment with the drug Motixafortide in addition to standard chemotherapy.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) funds continuation of Research Training Group (RTG) 2727 “Checkpoints of Innate Immunity in Cancer and Tissue Damage”, with around €5,8 million.

How do antimetabolite cancer drugs damage the genetic material of malignantly transformed cells and thereby destroy them? How might these drugs be used more precisely, particularly in the treatment of pediatric tumors? A new research group led by Dr. Christopher Carnie, a scientist at the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, will address these questions.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing new Collaborative Research Centres and extending existing research networks. Several DZHK sites are also involved. Particular emphasis is being placed on new research approaches to inflammation and thrombosis.

Joint press release of the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and the German Center for Infection Research: With the FDA approval of Hepcludex (bulevirtide), a therapy for chronic hepatitis D developed at the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital, and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has now reached the world’s most important pharmaceutical market.

Different types of bone marrow stem cells give rise to blood and immune cells. A team led by Simon Haas now reports in ​“Nature Cell Biology” how that diversity develops. The findings could help improve stem cell therapies, including treatments for blood cancers.

Chronic pain is among the most common and burdensome health conditions worldwide. But which processes in the nervous system cause pain to be “learned” and thus persist long term? And how can insights into the mechanisms underlying chronic pain be translated into new therapeutic approaches? These questions have been at the core of Rohini Kuner’s research for many years.

Research jointly led by scientists at the Heidelberg site of the German Center for Lung Research and investigators in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School identifies a new immunotherapy-based approach for lung fibrosis: reactivating natural killer cell (NK cells) to eliminate senescent fibroblasts, reverse scarring and restore the lung’s ability to heal.

The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1550 “Molecular Circuits of Heart Disease” at Heidelberg University is entering its second funding period. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved approximately EUR 17.4 million in funding for the next four years. The spokesperson is Johannes Backs, Professor of Experimental Cardiology at the Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine.

From May 15–16, 2026, the 3rd International Symposium “Frontiers in Skin Immunity” will bring leading experts in dermatology and immunology to Heidelberg. Organized by the SFB Transregio 156 “The Skin as Sensor and Initiator of Local and Systemic Immunity” and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University the meeting highlights advances in understanding skin immune responses and marks the conclusion of the consortium’s third funding period.

Her ground-breaking research studies on the regulation of gene activity have earned Dr Angelika Feldmann the Hella Bühler Prize for 2026, which is endowed with 100,000 euros.

Led by researchers from Heidelberg Faculty of Medicine at Heidelberg University and the University of California, San Francisco (USA), an international research team has evaluated a novel approach for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. The method enables detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis without laboratory infrastructure, within a markedly shorter time frame than conventional diagnostics, and using a simple swab.

Brain metastases are among the most serious complications of breast cancer. Researchers at Heidelberg University, DKFZ, and UKHD have concluded an investigation of the immune cells in the brain tissue surrounding these breast cancer brain metastases. Their findings: spatial distribution patterns of immune cells are associated with prolonged patient survival. These findings could help to guide use of immunotherapies for breast cancer patients.

Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels is not only making the continent economically and politically vulnerable, it also has consequences for the population’s health. Growing air pollution, heat damage and the climate-related spread of infectious diseases are looming, warns the 2026 Europe Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, which its co-directors are about to present to the public.

In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures. This discovery was made by an international research team led by scientists from the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University.

Immunotherapies have greatly improved the treatment of metastatic melanoma, but they can cause serious side effects. A study led by researchers from Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty, the Heidelberg University Hospital, and the NCT in Heidelberg now shows that autoantibodies detected in the blood before the start of therapy could help to better assess the individual risk of side effects in patients.

Protein activity can be precisely regulated via subtle changes in temperature using heat-sensitive switches. Underlying this capability is a novel modular design strategy developed by researchers at the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology of Heidelberg University. The strategy allows the integration of sensory domains in various proteins regardless of function or spatial structure.

New findings indicate that a shingles vaccination could not only reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, but also reduce disease progression among those living with dementia.

Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum. An international research team led by biologists from Heidelberg University as well as the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and KU Leuven has now developed advanced AI models that can predict the activity of these elements based solely on their DNA sequence.

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM) are presenting a method that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to learn how to transfer medical image data from animals to humans. This “xeno-learning” could help make surgical procedures safer and more precise in the future – without relying on human training data.

Researchers at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a digital tool that significantly accelerates and improves clinical decisions in molecular precision oncology. The Knowledge Connector enables the structured and standardized evaluation of very extensive molecular tumor profiles and makes them available for personalized therapy decisions faster than before.

Tenderness can literally get under your skin: An international research group led by Heidelberg University's Medical Faculty and Heidelberg University Hospital has found that small skin wounds heal significantly faster in couples who are particularly affectionate with each other in everyday life and who also receive the hormone oxytocin. At the same time, they had lower stress levels.

Researchers at the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg, the German Cancer Research Center, the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, and Heidelberg University Hospital have taken a decisive step toward more precise diagnosis of brain tumors. The latest version of the AI-based Heidelberg CNS Tumor Methylation Classifier can identify more than 180 tumor types —twice as many as the previous version.