Prof. Boutros studied biochemistry and biology at RWTH Aachen, Witten/Herdecke, and conducted his PhD research at EMBL/Heidelberg under Marek Mlodzik (completed 1999). He earned an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School (2001) before continuing as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School (1999–2003) . In 2003, he returned to Heidelberg as an Emmy‑Noether Group Leader at the DKFZ. In 2008, he was appointed professor at Heidelberg University, also taking on the role of division head at DKFZ.
His research group uses genetic, functional genomic, and computational approaches across model organisms and human organoids to dissect signaling pathways—especially Wnt networks—in development and cancer. He leads the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1324, coordinates the ERC Synergy Grant “DECODE,” and directs the Marsilius-Kolleg at Heidelberg University.
Prof. Boutros is an elected member of EMBO (2013), the German Academy Leopoldina, and other scientific committees. He has received numerous accolades, including an ERC Advanced Grant (2012), ERC Synergy (2019), EMBO Young Investigator Award (2005), and Johann-Georg Zimmermann Award for Cancer Research (2007)
Contact
Prof. Dr. Michael Boutros
Division of Signaling & Functional Genomics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ),
Im Neuenheimer Feld 672, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
+49 6221 421 951
m.boutros@dkfz-heidelberg.de