Read the original media release here (in German).
Thanks to the support of the Werner und Hedy Berger-Janser Stiftung zur Erforschung der Krebskrankheiten, the University of Bern, together with Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, is able to establish an Endowed Professorship for Clinical Cancer Informatics. The professorship is endowed with CHF 2.1 million and aims to optimise the use of clinical data from people affected by cancer and to strengthen digital medicine in Bern.
The treatment of cancer patients generates an enormous amount of data, including high-resolution medical imaging data (e.g. CT scans), detailed pathology findings, extensive laboratory results and a wide range of clinical information from the course of treatment, for example on medication or side effects. All of these data, which are not generated in the laboratory or in a clinical trial but arise in the everyday lives of people with cancer, are referred to as “real-world data”. To fully exploit this wealth of data and the potential of digital medicine – in particular data science and artificial intelligence – these data, which come from a wide variety of sources and are often highly heterogeneous, must be converted into standardised, compatible formats.
“The new Endowed Professorship for Clinical Cancer Informatics is dedicated to systematically integrating this wealth of data, managing it efficiently and storing it securely and in compliance with data protection requirements,” says Claudio Bassetti, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bern and Director of Teaching and Research at the Insel Gruppe. A particular focus is on ensuring interoperability, which is what makes the efficient exchange and use of these data by different systems, institutions and research partners possible in the first place. “This lays important foundations for innovative research projects and the development of new digital tools in oncology,” Bassetti adds.
A platform for innovation #
“The Professorship for Clinical Cancer Informatics will strengthen cancer medicine at the Insel Gruppe and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bern in the long term,” explains Daniel M. Aebersold, Director and Chief Physician of Radiation Oncology at Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and Chair of the University Cancer Center Inselspital (UCI). The professorship is deliberately interdisciplinary and is in line with the digitalisation strategy of the Faculty of Medicine. It thus promotes close collaboration between the University Clinics for Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology, which deal with the drug treatment of cancer on the one hand and with treatment by radiotherapy on the other. Collaboration with external partners and initiatives from research, industry and healthcare will also be strengthened. “The professorship offers a platform for innovation and supports the development of decision-making aids in everyday clinical practice as well as the further development of precision oncology, i.e. therapy tailored to the tumour and the person being treated,” Aebersold continues. Pooling expertise and resources creates a dynamic environment that provides fresh impetus for cancer research and treatment.
Promoting interdisciplinary research #
The new Endowed Professorship for Clinical Cancer Informatics will be established as an assistant professorship and supported over a period of six years. The Berger-Janser Foundation is providing an annual contribution of CHF 350,000. “Digital medicine has developed enormously in recent years. We want to specifically advance clinical research in cancer informatics and harness the potential of these new technologies,” explains Georges Bindschedler, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Berger-Janser Foundation. He adds: “The professorship increases the visibility and attractiveness of cancer research at local, national and international level. It provides valuable impetus for clinical services and helps to improve the quality of care in Bern.” Heinz Karrer, President of the UniBE Foundation, concludes: “Funding this professorship makes it possible to further enhance the attractiveness of the University of Bern for excellent researchers and to realise innovative research projects whose impact extends far beyond Bern as a centre of medicine.”
The endowed professorship will be advertised both nationally and internationally in order to attract the best talent from Switzerland and abroad. The professorship is scheduled to be filled in spring 2027.
Further information on the Digital Medicine strategy of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bern (in German): https://www.medizin.unibe.ch/strategie/digitale_medizin/index_ger.html
