Pierre-yves Dietrich

Dr. Pierre-Yves Dietrich is full professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and chairman of the Department of Oncology at the Geneva University Hospitals. He is co-director of the Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL). Pierre-Yves Dietrich obtained his Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Medicine from the University of Geneva in 1982, and his doctorate in 1986. After training in internal medicine, he decided to specialize in hematology-oncology in Geneva and at the Institut Gustave Roussy (IGR) in France. In 1991, he obtained a degree in immunopathology at the Institut Pasteur in France and became co-head of the IGR Unit of Immunotherapy. In 1993, he returned to the Geneva University Hospitals and founded the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology with a focus on brain tumor immunology. His research group is providing innovative work in this area, paving the way for the clinical development of therapeutic vaccines and T-cell therapy for patients suffering from brain tumors. For more than 30 years, he has been active both as a clinician and researcher, promoting interactions between biologists and physicians to build translational medicine.

At the Geneva University Hospitals, Pierre-Yves Dietrich became head of Medical Oncology in 2010. Under his input, the Cancer Centre was built in 2012 as one of the HUG Centres of Excellence, a cross-functional entity bringing together activities from different departments. The creation of this Centre enabled the development of a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care. Pierre-Yves Dietrich’s efforts also led to the establishment of the Department of Oncology in 2017, bringing together Medical Oncology, Haematology, and Radio-Oncology under one roof. The recipient of many national and international awards in oncology, he was named Cancer Researcher of the Year by the Gateway for Cancer Research in the USA in 2013. He is the author and co-author of over 230 scientific articles.

Prof. Dietrich teaches oncology in a way that is humanistic, integrative, and person-centered. He is very involved in raising awareness with authorities about social problems linked to cancer and currently focuses on the development of the Swiss Cancer Center Léman, a manic concept of comprehensive cancer care and research.