The Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of German Cancer Aid have elected Professor Dr. Rita Schmutzler as the new President of the organization. The gynaeco-oncologist and expert in risk-adapted cancer prevention will take office on 1 February 2026, succeeding violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who held the position from 2021 to 2025.

Schmutzler was director of the Center for Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer at the University Hospital of Cologne until 2025. She is internationally regarded as a pioneer in the field of familial breast and ovarian cancer. Under her leadership, the largest center for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in Germany was created. Since 2005, she has been coordinating the consortium of the 23 centers for familial breast and ovarian cancer in Germany. She has led numerous third-party funded research projects on the identification, diagnosis, prevention and therapy of breast cancer-associated risk genes, funded by German Cancer Aid, the German Research Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, among others.

After studying medicine at the University of Bonn (1979–1984) and obtaining her doctorate in 1984, she passed the American Medical Examinations and further training in gynecology and obstetrics. In 1997 she habilitated at the University of Bonn. In 2003, she took over an endowed professorship of the German Cancer Aid for Molecular Gynaeco-Oncology at the University of Cologne. On October 9, 2025, she gave her public farewell lecture and has since retired.

Schmutzler has received numerous awards, including the German Cancer Award 2020, the University Prize for Research 2020 of the University of Cologne, the Innovation Award of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia 2021 and the German Prize for Cancer Prevention Research 2023 of the German Cancer Research Center. Since 2010, she has been a founding member of the BRCA Network – Help with Familial Cancers.

The German Cancer Aid was founded in 1974 by Dr. Mildred Scheel and is dedicated to the motto “Help. Research. Inform.” for the fight against cancer. It promotes prevention, early detection, diagnosis, therapy, aftercare and psychosocial care as well as cancer self-help. As the largest private donor in the field of cancer control in Germany, it finances its work exclusively through donations and voluntary contributions.

Professor Dr. Charlotte Niemeyer, Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees, and Gerd Nettekoven, Board Member of German Cancer Aid, emphasize Schmutzler’s high level of professional expertise and networking. She is very familiar with the concerns and needs of those affected and will represent the organization to the outside world in a credible and committed manner. Schmutzler herself emphasizes that the networking of care structures, the better use of oncological data and the area of cancer prevention are particularly close to her heart.

The previous presidents of German Cancer Aid were:

• Dr. Mildred Scheel (1974–1985, founder)
• Dr. Helmut Geiger (1985–1999, Honorary President from 2000)
• Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schipanski (2000–2009, Honorary President since 2010)
• Prof. Dr. Harald zur Hausen (January–May 2010)
• Dr. h.c. Fritz Pleitgen (2010–2021)
• Anne-Sophie Mutter (2021–2025)

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.