Prof. Dr. Andreas Knopf has been the new Medical Director of the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg since 1 April 2019. He took over the position from Prof. Dr. Roland Laszig, who has retired. Prof. Knopf (39) studied medicine in Düsseldorf and subsequently worked at the Rechts der Isar Hospital in Munich. Most recently, he was the Provisional Hospital Director there. In addition to a wide range of clinical and surgical Oto-Rhino-Laryngology training, Prof. Knopf has specialized in both complex soft tissue and restorative cancer surgeries.

"Our primary goal is to completely remove the tumor, thereby protecting important structures of the larynx or throat," says Prof. Knopf. "But at the same time, today we can also greatly reduce the functional limitations caused by the tumor and its removal. This brings great relief to many patients." In addition to oncological questions, Prof. Knopf's clinical focuses include diseases of the salivary glands as well as autoimmune diseases of the head and neck region. Among other things, he studies the molecular pathways underlying metastasis and recurrence in head-neck cancers. He is also exploring the possibilities of using artificial intelligence for automated differentiation of salivary gland diseases.