(19.02.24) The German Research Foundation (DFG) and University of Heidelberg in association with Molecular Pathology Association of India (MPAI) organized the Leibniz Lecture on Friday 16th February 2024 at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Auditorium, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Pfister (Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award winner-2023), Director "Preclinical Pediatric Oncology", Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg, Division head Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg. The Leibniz Lecture was organized as a part of the pre-conference workshop of the 11th Annual Conference of Molecular Pathology Association of India (MPAICON2024) at the AIIMS, New Delhi February 17th -18th 2024.

The lecture was chaired by Dr. Deepak K. Mishra, (President, MPAI) Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, together with Prof. Venkateswaran K. Iyer, (Chairman, MPAICON 2024) Department of Pathology, AIIMS, New Delhi; Dr. Saumyaranjan Mallick, (Organizing Secretary, MPAICON 2024) AIIMS, New Delhi; Dr. Neeraj Arora, Secretary MPAI; Dr. Suboor Bakht, Director, Heidelberg University Office for South Asia (HCSA). The DFG was represented by Dr. Vaibhav Agarwal, Deputy Director DFG India Office.

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Dr. Vaibhav Agarwal, DFG; Dr. Saumyaranjan Mallick, (Organizing Secretary, MPAICON 20204) AIIMS, New Delhi; Dr Neeraj Arora, Secretary MPAI, SF; Prof. Stefan Pfister, KiTZ Heidelberg; Prof. Venkateswaran K. Iyer, (Chairman, MPAICON 2024) Dept of Pathplogy, AIIMS, New Delhi; Dr. Deepak K. Mishra, (President, MPAI) Tata Medical Center, Kolkata; Dr. Suboor Bakht, Director, Heidelberg University Office for South Asia (HCSA)

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While Dr. Bakht apprised the audience about Heidelberg University, Dr. Agarwal explained about the history and the significance of the Germany’s highest and most prestigious “Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Award”. The Leibniz Award is bestowed by DFG every year to exceptional scientists and academicians, working in Germany, for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields of research. The DFG organizes the Leibniz Lecture series delivered by these awardees, who also act as German research ambassadors, at locations all over the world. 

Following the introduction by Dr. Mishra, Prof. Stefan Pfister delivered the Leibniz Lecture titled "Democratizing access to state-of-the art molecular diagnostics across the globe". He is an internationally recognized and outstanding fundamental researcher and physician who was awarded the Leibniz Prize in recognition of his research in the field of pediatric oncology in 2023. His research has not only improved the diagnosis of brain tumors in children and provided patients with better therapy. The use of novel genomic-based molecular approaches have shown that brain tumors are based on not one, but many different disease mechanisms. Pfister’s research has enabled a new molecular-pathological classification of childhood brain tumors which has been recognized and adopted by the World Health Organization. 

The lecture was followed by a Dinner Reception jointly hosted by the University of Heidelberg and the German Research Foundation and was attended by around 200 guests including the participants of the MAPICON2024 and researchers and professors of leading institutions and universities. 

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Prof. Stefan Pfister, KiTZ Heidelberg delivering his Leibniz Lecture at AIIMS Delhi

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During his stay in India, Prof. Pfister could engage with various stakeholders from research institutes and universities in the Delhi metropole region.

• DFG - GEPRIS - Professor Dr. Stefan Pfister

• MPAICON Delhi 2024

• Workshop on Cytogenetics to Cytogenomics

• HCSA Staff - Heidelberg Centre South Asia