50 Years of the Wilhelm Sander Foundation
On 19 June 2026, we celebrated a special anniversary in the auditorium of the Deutsches Museum in Munich: 50 years of the Wilhelm Sander Foundation.
What emerged in 1975 from the estate of the Franconian entrepreneur Wilhelm Sander has set new standards ever since. The Foundation has provided around 350 million euros for 2,700 research projects – with a clear focus on cutting-edge medical research, particularly in the field of cancer research in Germany and Switzerland. The fundamental entrepreneurial principle of taking risks before the outcome is certain remains the cornerstone of the Foundation’s work to this day.
The ceremony offered more than just a retrospective. The keynote address by Prof. Dr Hermann Einsele set the tone, shedding light on current developments in cancer therapy and presenting new research approaches. Science slams and an interdisciplinary panel discussion facilitated dialogue between the scientific community, private research funding bodies and the general public – raising questions that extend beyond the evening itself: What role will private foundations play in the future? What framework conditions are needed for independent research? How can scientific freedom be safeguarded in the long term?
Just in time for the anniversary, the Foundation also launched its new magazine, WILHELM – featuring exciting projects, personal perspectives and scientific milestones from five decades of the Foundation’s work.
A heartfelt thank you goes to all the guests, speakers and colleagues who made this evening so special. Your passion for science is what drives us – today and for the next 50 years.
Highlights of the anniversary celebrations
The entrepreneurial driving force behind science: 50 years of the Wilhelm Sander Foundation
Which research projects are given a chance? And why? This is the question the Wilhelm Sander Foundation has been asking itself since its foundation 50 years ago. The independent foundation, headquartered in Neustadt an der Donau with offices in Munich and Leverkusen, supports cutting-edge medical research with a particular focus on cancer research in Germany and Switzerland. The foundation was established from the estate of the Franconian entrepreneur Wilhelm Sander. Since 1975, the foundation has provided around 350 million euros in funding for 2,700 research projects. On 19 June 2026, the foundation will celebrate its anniversary in the auditorium of the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Its sights are firmly set on the future of research funding.
Two signalling pathways work together to make glioblastoma cells more susceptible to the immune system
Glioblastomas are highly aggressive brain tumours and are resistant to both conventional and targeted therapeutic interventions. Immune evasion is pronounced in glioblastomas, which complicates immunotherapy for most patients. Interferon-γ is a messenger substance used by immune cells to inhibit and kill cancer cells. Researchers led by Claudio Giachino from the Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel now have evidence that the activity of the Notch signalling pathway makes certain subtypes of glioblastoma more sensitive to interferon. The Wilhelm Sander Foundation supported the project with approximately €165,000.
Launch of a new partnership: The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Wilhelm Sander Foundation are organising an international symposium
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences (BAdW) and the Wilhelm Sander Foundation are launching their collaboration with an international scientific symposium in March 2027 on the topics of immuno-oncology and ferroptosis. The event marks the start of enhanced cooperation in the field of science communication – with the aim of jointly strengthening the visibility and societal impact of medical research, particularly cancer research.