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RTG 2978: Understanding and Exploiting Adaptation to Therapy in Gastrointestinal Cancer

Our Motivation

Treatment failure remains a major hurdle for a significant improvement in the prognosis of patients suffering from liver- (HCC), biliary- (BTC), pancreatic- (PDAC) and colorectal (CRC) cancer. These gastrointestinal (GI) tumor entities harbor a tremendous tumor cell intrinsic- and extrinsic potential to adapt to therapy-induced stresses. We hypothesize that understanding and exploiting adaptation to therapy will provide novel rational treatment strategies to combat GI cancer.

Our Approach

CCC Niedersachsen

Our DFG-funded Research Training Group (RTG) 2978 provides a structured research- and qualification program tailored to therapy-induced adaptation processes in GI cancer which is accessible for PhD and MD candidates at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony (UMG/MHH).

Within their graduation projects, RTG 2978 trainees combine GI cancer-patient-related research questions with in-depth mechanistic studies to understand and exploit therapy-induced adaptation processes.

The research program is flanked by an innovative qualification program tailored to the scientific and methodological spectrum of the research projects and the individual interests and needs of the RTG trainees. RTG 2978 measures and activities promoting (international) networking, interdisciplinarity, and career support as well as a multi-layered supervision and mentoring concept complement the research- and training program.

News

The deadline for applications for associated esearchers is July 15th, 2025.

There will be an online info event on June 30th, 12pm CEST. If you would like to participate, please register at grk2978@med.uni-goettingen.de!

The 5th German Pancreatic Cancer Research Meeting will be taking place from November 17 to 19, 2025, at the German National Academy of Sciences in Halle (Saale).

Registration and abstract submission are now open on the conference website (www.umh.de/PDAC2025), where you can also find detailed information about the program, which will be updated accordingly.