Precision in the Fight Against Cancer: New Professor Advances Minimally Invasive Tumor Therapy in Magdeburg
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Lynn Jeanette Savic will assume the W2 professorship in Interventional Radiology at Magdeburg University Hospital, bringing with her international research experience in minimally invasive tumor therapy as well as state-of-the-art methods in tumor imaging and analysis.
Magdeburg University Hospital is further expanding its research and care in cancer medicine and has appointed Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Lynn Jeanette Savic to the W2 professorship in Interventional Radiology with a focus on multimodal interventions, effective June 1, 2026. The radiologist is moving to Magdeburg from the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Her goal: to further develop cancer treatments that are more precise, less invasive, and more tailored to individual patients.
In Germany alone, approximately 500,000 people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. Not all of them can undergo surgery—for example, because the tumor is difficult to access or because patients are too weak for major surgery. This is where interventional radiology comes in: Using imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), doctors precisely target tumors, which are then destroyed using heat, cold, radiation, or by blocking the oxygen supply. The surrounding tissue is spared. For many patients, such procedures are less stressful than major surgeries and often allow for shorter hospital stays.
“My goal is to advance precision and personalization in minimally invasive therapy and tailor treatments as specifically as possible to the individual patient,” explains Prof. Savic. “To achieve this, we aim to combine imaging techniques with molecular analysis and modern methods of data evaluation.”
A key focus of Prof. Savic’s work is the development of biomarkers for the early detection and assessment of treatment response in liver tumors. In experimental tumor models and clinical studies, she investigates how modern imaging, quantitative image analysis, and molecular markers can be combined to visualize treatment effects at an early stage. Similar to an early warning system, this allows the therapy to be adjusted more quickly, rather than waiting weeks to react.
Photo: Prof. Lynn Jeanette Savic, M.D., was appointed to the W2 professorship in Interventional Radiology at the University Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in Magdeburg, effective June 1, 2026. Photographer: Melitta Schubert/Magdeburg University Medical Center
Digital and Molecular Biomarkers: New Approaches to Cancer Treatment
In Magdeburg, Prof. Savic is planning several research projects. These include what is known as “liquid biopsy”: Instead of a tissue sample, blood samples are examined, in which tiny tumor cells or DNA fragments from the cancerous tumor can be found. In the future, this information will be combined with imaging data from MRI or CT scans to provide more comprehensive insights into the tumor and its response to treatment.
Another research approach investigates how minimally invasive procedures influence the immune system. For example, when a tumor is destroyed by heat, this can stimulate the body to fight additional cancer cells—similar to a vaccine response. The radiologist aims to better understand this effect and harness it, for instance by combining it with drugs that specifically activate the immune system. Such approaches are being researched worldwide, including at major medical centers in the U.S., with which Prof. Savic collaborates closely thanks to her international experience and her leadership roles in American professional committees. The challenge lies not only in developing new methods but also in integrating them safely and reliably into clinical care. This is precisely where the work in Magdeburg comes in.
In addition, robotics and augmented reality are to be combined in the future with Prof. Savic’s expertise in image-guided microtherapies and translational imaging to make procedures even more precise and to translate new methods directly into patient care. The University of Magdeburg offers ideal conditions for this with the STIMULATE Research Campus. Here, medical professionals work closely with engineers.
From the Lab to the Bedside
“Prof. Savic combines clinical experience with innovative research at the international level,” says Prof. Dr. Maciej Pech, Director of the University Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. “Her expertise ideally complements our clinic’s existing strengths and opens up new opportunities for research and care in Magdeburg.”
A particular focus of Prof. Savic is the transfer of new findings into clinical practice. Plans include expanding outpatient and day-care treatment services, as well as establishing a biobank with tissue and blood samples for research. Prof. Savic has already successfully established this approach at Charité Berlin and is now bringing it to Magdeburg. The collected samples will be correlated with imaging and clinical courses to develop personalized therapeutic approaches and new biomarkers for treatment response. “I am particularly fascinated by how molecular biological findings are integrated into modern diagnostic imaging and image-guided therapies,” says Prof. Savic. The more samples available, the better artificial intelligence (AI) systems can be trained and treatment outcomes predicted. At the same time, Prof. Savic aims to further develop the training of future physicians through simulation training, digital learning formats, and a stronger presence of interventional radiology in medical education, while specifically supporting the next generation of scientists through clinician-scientist programs.
About the Author
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Lynn Jeanette Savic, born in 1991, studied medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where she also earned her doctorate in 2017 with the highest distinction, “summa cum laude.” Research stays took her to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and, with a fellowship from the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), to the Yale School of Medicine in the USA. In 2021, she completed her habilitation at Charité in experimental radiology. She completed her residency at the Department of Radiology at Charité with a focus on interventional radiology. Since 2019, she has headed the MITT Laboratory (Minimally Invasive Tumor Therapies) there, which she founded and which combines clinical research, experimental laboratory work, and data analysis. She holds leadership positions on international scientific committees, including the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO), and serves as an editor for several scientific journals.
Background
To obtain a professorship at a university in Saxony-Anhalt, an appointment procedure must be conducted in accordance with §36 of the Higher Education Act of the State of Saxony-Anhalt (HSG LSA). Suitable candidates undergo a comprehensive process. An appointment committee composed of several experts evaluates the candidates’ achievements in research, teaching, and patient care.