The future since 1386
Heidelberg University is one of the top-ranking locations in the world of international science and scholarship. As Germany's oldest seat of higher learning it can look back on a tradition for which it is envied by many other universities, not only in Germany. But while its six-hundred-year history is a source of justified pride, it would be foolish indeed to rest on the laurels of the past. Accordingly, the University is intent on playing an active role in shaping the future, both by engaging in innovative research and by educating the decision-makers of tomorrow.

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and is a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. More than 2,000 staff members, including 850 scientists, are investigating the mechanisms of cancer and are working to identify cancer risk factors. They provide the foundations for developing novel approaches in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. In addition, the staff of the Cancer Information Service (KID) offers information about the widespread disease of cancer for patients, their families, and the general public.

In addition to the experimental acquisition of biological data and their analysis with bio-statistical and bio-computational methods, the modelling and simulation of these processes as well as their validation have become more important than ever before. For small systems such as single molecules and small complexes, molecular models have already provided significant insights leading not only to a better understanding of interactions, but also to the rational design of new drugs. For more complex systems (large molecular complexes, cells, organs and populations), such analysis is only preliminary. On this basis, the University of Heidelberg has established the research network for the "Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biological Systems (BIOQUANT)" which integrates research groups from different disciplines and help them to focus on these research tasks.