Prof. Dr. med. vet. Carla Rohrer Bley

Area of Research

Description of Research Interest

As head of oncology, I lead a clinical service and research group with a high case load in veterinary radiation oncology and medical oncology, attracting tumor patients not only from across Switzerland but from Central Europe. Our work is grounded in a strong clinical foundation, combining theoretical modeling, radiobiology, and medical physics to develop and implement novel radiation protocols. A key focus lies in optimizing dose-fraction schedules while managing normal tissue toxicity—efforts that have led to internationally adopted treatment protocols.
With access to advanced radiation planning and treatment technology, we are able to apply new protocols directly in clinical settings and validate them through long-term follow-up under ethically approved conditions.
Our current work focuses on advanced radiotherapy (such as proton FLASH-RT and spatially fractionated radiotherapy Lattice) and the integration of molecular profiling into radiotherapy planning. The success of these projects is reflected in the early career awards and third-party funding secured by our doctoral students and young team members, as well as in the overall independent funding of our research group.
In collaboration with Prof. Markkanen, we recently secured funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation to develop a transcriptomic index predicting radiation sensitivity in canine tumors.
 

Special Expertise

• Advanced Radiation Therapy, including Stereotactic Radiation (SRT, SBRT), Ultra-high Dose Rate Radiation (FLASH), Spatially Fractionated Radiation Therapy (Lattice)
  
• Radiobiological Modeling and Radiobiological Optimization of treatment schedules
  
• Translational Radiation Research
  

Shareable Platforms, Services, Equipment & Infrastructure