Dr. med. Benjamin Ruf receives the Jung Career Advancement Award for Medical Research from the Jung-Foundation.

We would like to congratulate Dr. med. Benjamin Ruf on receiving the Jung-Karriere-Preis in recognition of his excellent research, worth 210,000€.

His lab investigates the tumor immune microenvironment (TiME) in gastrointestinal cancers to improve patient outcomes. Positioned at the intersection of basic immunology and clinical research, the team uses clinical data to guide their systems biology–driven hypotheses, which they test in functional in vitro and in vivo models. Their focus includes advanced methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial proteomics, and spectral cytometry to analyze patient samples.

The group studies how immune cells, stromal cells, and cancer cells interact during tumor development and therapy, with a particular interest in tissue-resident lymphocytes like MAIT cells. Additionally, the team explores how the liver’s unique environment influences tumor biology in primary cancers and metastases. Their ultimate goal is to translate these findings into new immunotherapeutic strategies for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

As a doctor in training at the Clinic for Internal Medicine I in Tübingen, Ruf experiences every day how urgently new therapies are needed. ‘Our treatment options are often not optimal. Research gives me hope that one day we will find new approaches that will noticeably improve the lives of cancer patients,’ he explains. 

About the Jung Foundation for Science and Research
The Jung Foundation for Science and Research, based in Hamburg, is an independent foundation that honours basic and advanced research projects of particular clinical relevance with three annual awards. The Jung Prize for Medicine, the Jung Medal for Medicine in Gold and the Jung Career Advancement Award for Medical Research are among the most highly endowed medical prizes in Europe.

https://youtu.be/Jx1zVSZ-l7A

Learn more about his research here: Tumor immune microenvironment