Interdisciplinary expertise for each individual patient
The IOZK employs around 60 staff. The medical and scientific experts - together with the laboratory specialists and the nursing team - care for patients from all over the world. They work together every day on the application and further development of immunotherapy with the aim of prolonging the lives of cancer patients and maintaining their quality of life despite their illness.
The team of experts
Managing Director Dr. Wilfried Stücker initiated today's Immuno-Oncology Center Cologne in 1985. In collaboration with various doctors and scientists, he developed the IOZK immunotherapy and set up the treatment center with the laboratories.
Stefaan Van Gool MD. PhD. , a specialist in pediatric hemato-oncology with a focus on brain tumors, is the medical director of Translational Oncology at the IOZK. At Leuven University Hospital and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, he has spent many years conducting scientific research into the use of vaccinations in cancer and has published a large number of studies. At the IOZK, he heads the medical team and is responsible for the planning and implementation of IOZK immunotherapy.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Volker Schirrmacher is the scientific director. He conducted research for over 30 years at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, where he headed the Department of Cellular Immunology. He is an internationally recognized pioneer of immunotherapy for cancer with a focus on oncolytic viruses. Together with the natural scientists and doctors at the IOZK, he is working on the systematic integration of new scientific findings for the further development of IOZK immunotherapy.
Dr. Wilfried Stücker
Management and leadership of the IOZK working group
Specialty:
Translational oncology
Tumor Immunology
Pharmaceutical Biology
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Volker Schirrmacher
Scientific management
Specialty:
Tumor Immunology
Oncolytic virotherapy
Stefaan Van Gool MD. PhD.
Medical management of translational oncology Qualified person (GMP) Responsible medical person
Specialty:
Tumor Immunology
The treatment center
Doctors
Montassar Cherif MD.
Doctor, patient care
Specialty/focus:
Immuno-oncology
Dr. med. Tobias Sprenger
Specialist in general medicine, consultant.
Qualification certified by the German Medical Association in accordance with the "Medical Assessment" curriculum
Care team
Dr. rer. nat. Jennifer Kosmal
Nursing service management
IOZKAdministration
Funda Kurnaz
Administrative management
Medical economist
Dr. rer. nat. Jennifer Kosmal
Practice management, internal quality officer
Specialty/focus:
Immunology, Molecular Biomedicine
Mahmoud Wahidi
Operations Manager
IOZKThe laboratory team
The IOZK has a diagnostics laboratory for research and special immunological diagnostics as well as a molecular genetics laboratory for the analysis of tumor components circulating in the blood. It also has its own state-of-the-art manufacturing laboratory (GMP) for the production of the patient's own vaccine IO-VAC®.
The qualified and specialized team works in accordance with the provisions of the German Medicines Act and the European GMP guidelines (Good Manufacturing Practice).
Manufacturing laboratory (GMP)
Dr. med. Katharina Sprenger
Competent person (GMP)
Qualification: Specialist in general medicine
M.Sc. Lisa Klein
Head of Quality Control (GMP), Stability Officer (GMP)
Qualification: M.Sc. Molecular and Applied Biotechnology
M.Sc. Gabriele Epifanio
Production management (GMP)
Qualification: M.Sc. Medical Biotechnology
Quality Management Department
Dr. rer. nat. Andrea Jüngst
Head of Quality Management
Qualification: Graduate chemist
Diagnostics laboratory
Dr. rer. med. Michael Bitar
Head of the Diagnostics Laboratory / Head of the Method Development Department
Qualification: Pharmacist and clinical immunologist
Molecular genetics laboratory
Dr. rer. nat. Simon von Ameln
Head of Molecular Genetics Laboratory
Qualification: Biologist
Personnel department / Administration
Angelo Ibba
HR Manager
IOZK
Arnd Leonard Slegers, CFA
Commercial management
IOZK
