
Prof. Dr. Oliver Thews
Professor of Physiology, Julius Bernstein Institute of Physiology at the Martin Luther University in Halle (Saale), Germany
After studying medicine at the University of Mainz (Germany), he worked in the field of physiology, with a scientific focus on the pathophysiology of tumors. The recent research projects focus mainly on the impact of the regional distribution of microenvironmental parameters (e.g., tumor pH, oxygen, perfusion and nutrient supply) on the malignant potential of tumor cells and the efficacy of non-surgical tumor treatments. Within these parameters the local extracellular tissue pH is of most interest. In several current projects the intracellular signaling is analyzed by which tumor acidosis affects migration, invasiveness, proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells. As a translational approach these studies are performed in vitro (cell culture) as well as in vivo (experimental tumor models). In addition, the impact of the acidic tumor environment on the efficacy of different chemotherapeutic drugs is studied. He is also interested in the development of AI-based teaching tools for the communication training of medical students.
He currently holds a professorship at the Julius Bernstein Institute of Physiology at the Martin Luther University in Halle (Saale), Germany.