Dr. Jens Puschhof

Dr. Jens Puschhof is a clinician-scientist and translational researcher who leads the Junior Research Group “Epithelium–Microbiome Interaction Laboratory” at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. After studying molecular biotechnology and oncology in Heidelberg, Harvard, and Oxford, he completed his PhD cum laude in cancer, stem cell, and developmental biology under Hans Clevers at the Hubrecht Institute (2017–2021). In 2022, he established the EMIL group within DKFZ’s Microbiome and Cancer Division, which grew into an independent junior group by 2024.

Dr. Puschhof’s research focuses on how tumor-associated bacteria influence cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic response. His team uses patient-derived tumor organoids co-cultured with microbes, organ-on-chip systems, and in vivo transplantation models to pinpoint functional microbial drivers of tumor behavior. DKFZ’s unique biobank supports these efforts with bacterial strains and tumor organoid resources, enabling integrative genomics, imaging, and bioinformatics.

His work recently earned an ERC Starting Grant (~€1.5 M) for the METABAC project, which will decode the roles of bacteria in colorectal cancer metastases and their genetic adaptations in tumor environments. Previously, his group uncovered genotoxic effects of pks⁺ E. coli in colorectal cancer organoids—an influential discovery published in Nature and Nature Protocols.

Dr. Puschhof’s outstanding contributions include a 2023 Young Investigator Award from the German Cancer Prevention Research community and leadership of the BACTORG consortium, aiming to translate cancer–microbe biology into early detection and intervention strategies. He maintains an active collaboration network across DKFZ, Hubrecht, and clinical partners, combining bioengineering, microbial ecology, and oncology.