Blood Vessels as Guardians Against Skin Cancer - Essen-Based Researcher Accepted into the Emmy Noether Program

Prof. Dr. Lisa Becker is investigating how blood vessel cells regulate T-cell access to tumors

07-Aug-2026
Universität Duisburg-Essen, Alexandra Roth

Prof. Dr. Lisa Becker

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has admitted Associate Professor Dr. Lisa Becker from the School of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen into its Emmy Noether Program. Through this funding program, Germany’s largest research funding agency supports outstanding early-career researchers in establishing a research group and building their careers. For her project, Becker will receive approximately 1.4 million euros from August 2026 through July 2032. The funding will go to her laboratory in the Department of dermatology at Essen University Hospital.

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Lisa Becker conducts research on malignant melanoma. Her work focuses not on the tumor cells themselves, but on the blood vessels that supply the tumor. These vessels can be understood as gateways for immune cells. The professor is investigating how the cells of the blood vessel wall communicate with T cells and thereby influence their function within the tumor. T cells are specialized defense cells of the immune system that can recognize and destroy cancer cells. If T cells cannot reach the tumor via the blood vessels or are not sufficiently activated there, immunotherapy also loses its effectiveness. This is where the team led by Assistant Professor Dr. Becker comes in.

Focus on Metabolism

A particular focus is on cellular metabolism. The researchers from Essen aim to understand how metabolic processes regulate the interaction between tumor, blood vessel, and immune cells. The goal is to clarify how blood vessel cells influence the function of T cells within the tumor. New insights in these areas could help identify previously unknown targets for fighting cancer and further develop immunotherapies in a more targeted manner.

The findings could benefit more than just people with melanoma. The researchers will also examine whether their results can be applied to other types of cancer. In addition, they could drive the development of new imaging techniques and further therapeutic approaches.

Developing New Therapies Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The project brings together expertise from several disciplines. Assistant Professor Dr. Becker is collaborating with other researchers at the University Hospital Essen (UK Essen) and the Research Alliance Ruhr. Participants include the Department of Cardiology at UK Essen and the Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS) in Dortmund.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

Other news from the department science

Most read news

More news from our other portals

Fighting cancer: latest developments and advances

Something is happening in the life science industry ...

This is what true pioneering spirit looks like: Plenty of innovative start-ups are bringing fresh ideas, lifeblood and entrepreneurial spirit to change tomorrow's world for the better. Immerse yourself in the world of these young companies and take the opportunity to get in touch with the founders.