Prof. Dr. Dr. Felix Sahm is Medical Director of Neuropathology at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and a researcher at the German Cancer Research Center. Felix Sahm specializes in meningiomas, which are tumors that develop in the membranes surrounding the brain. He received the 2026 German Cancer Award for his work on novel approaches to classifying these tumors using molecular analysis and machine learning. Over the course of his research career, the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung has supported Felix Sahm through a number of its funding programs, including a First Application Grant and an Else Kröner Excellence Fellowship.

After studying medicine in Heidelberg, Boston, and London, Sahm pursued further studies in business administration in Madrid. He has been investigating the molecular characteristics of brain tumors since he began his specialist training in neuropathology in Heidelberg in 2010. His research has earned him numerous accolades, including the Werner Rosenthal Prize from the German Society for Neuropathology and Neuroanatomy (DGNN), the Researcher of the Year Award from the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) in 2025, and the 2026 German Cancer Award. After being approached by several institutions outside Heidelberg, he was appointed Medical Director of Neuropathology in Heidelberg in 2026. 

The Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung has supported Felix Sahm at pivotal stages of his research career. Early in his career, funding from the foundation’s Key Projects program enabled him to expand his team and develop a molecular system for classifying meningiomas. “It was one of the first studies to use epigenetic profiling for prognostic stratification and ultimately led to an article in a high-profile publication,” says Felix Sahm. 

An Else Kröner Excellence Fellowship subsequently allowed him to devote more time to research alongside his role as a senior physician and to further advance the molecular classification of meningiomas. This work played a central role in awarding of the 2026 German Cancer Award. 

In his free time, he enjoys exploring the great outdoors in and around Heidelberg with his three children. The whole family shares a passion for technology and regularly visits exhibitions and attends events on the subject.