The American College of Radiology (ACR) will name Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Guckenberger, Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology, an Honorary Fellow in 2027. He is the first Swiss radiation oncologist to receive one of the most prestigious international awards in the field of radiology—a strong testament to the USZ and Zurich as a center for research.
With more than 40,000 members, the ACR is one of the world’s leading professional societies for radiology, radiation oncology, and medical imaging. The Honorary Fellowship is awarded only to outstanding individuals who have made a significant impact on the field and who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to research, education, and patient care.
Matthias Guckenberger is regarded as an international pioneer in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), particularly for lung cancer and oligometastases. As a former president of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), he has been working for years to forge closer links between clinical practice and research, as well as between imaging and therapy. Thanks to SBRT, tumor sites throughout the body can be treated with millimeter precision, while healthy tissue is spared as much as possible. For many patients with metastases, this opens up new possibilities that were previously unthinkable. He sees the optimal combination of modern diagnostics, precise radiation therapy, and new drug therapies as a key challenge for the future.
He is particularly pleased that the recognition comes from the neighboring discipline of radiology: “Modern oncology thrives on seamless collaboration across disciplinary, institutional, and national boundaries.” The award is the result of a team effort: “It is equally owed to my team at the University Hospital and the University of Zurich, as well as to all our colleagues around the world.”
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Matthias Guckenberger and his team on this well-deserved honor. In an in-depth interview on the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich website, he shares his thoughts on the significance of the award, the paradigm shift in metastatic diseases, and his guiding principle: “Advancing Cancer Care through Innovation and Partnership.”
Read the Interview