Royal Visitor at the German Cancer Research Center: Princess of Thailand Visits Heidelberg
The Princess of Thailand, Her Royal Highness Princess Professor Dr. Chulabhorn Mahidol, is visiting the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ).
Dr. Josef Puchta, Commercial Director of the German Cancer Research Center (left) , receiving the princess together with DKFZ’s former Scientific Director, Professor Harald zur Hausen (right)
© dkfz.de
The youngest daughter of the current King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX.), and Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara has accepted an invitation by Nobel Prize recipient and former Scientific Director of DKFZ, Professor Harald zur Hausen, and the current Scientific and Commercial Directors of the German Cancer Research Center, Professor Dr. Otmar D .Wiestler and Dr. Josef Puchta. “This visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol is a great pleasure and honor for us and it reinforces the friendly bond that has linked us for many years,” said Professor Otmar D. Wiestler, Chairman of the Management Board and Scientific Director of DKFZ.
The princess visits the German Cancer Research Center from Tuesday, April 13th until Thursday, April 15th, 2010. The princess is a chemist by profession and is working in the area of cancer research, too. Therefore, she is particularly interested in the latest developments at the German Cancer Research Center. In lectures and laboratory visits, the princess learns from DKFZ scientists about cancer stem cells, immune therapy or links between lifestyle and cancer. Also on the agenda is a visit of the world’s first 7-Tesla MRI machine used exclusively for oncology purposes at DKFZ and the Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center (HIT) of Heidelberg University Hospitals.
Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, born in 1957 in Bangkok, has received numerous awards as a professor of chemistry. She received her doctoral degree in organic chemistry in 1985 at Mahidol University. Subsequently, she worked as a visiting scientist at universities in Asia, North America and Germany. Her field of special interest is chemistry of natural products. In 1987, she founded her own research institute, the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI) in Bangkok. As its president, she pursues research into how substances can be obtained from natural products and might be used as drugs against diseases such as malaria and, above all, cancer. In 1995, the German Cancer Research Center concluded a collaboration agreement with the CRI.
Following her previous visits in 1986, 1995 and 2000, this is Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol’s fourth visit to the German Cancer Research Center.
A picture for this press release is available on the Internet at:
http://www.dkfz.de/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2010/images/Empfang_chulabhorn.jpg
Source: DKFZ
Picture caption: Dr. Josef Puchta, Commercial Director of the German Cancer Research Center (left) , receiving the princess together with DKFZ’s former Scientific Director, Professor Harald zur Hausen (right).
With more than 3,000 employees, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is Germany’s largest biomedical research institute. DKFZ scientists identify cancer risk factors, investigate how cancer progresses and develop new cancer prevention strategies. They are also developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to questions relating to cancer.
To transfer promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improve the prognosis of cancer patients, the DKFZ cooperates with excellent research institutions and university hospitals throughout Germany:
The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Württemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
