Born in 1975, Lars Zender began working at Hannover Medical School (MHH) while still a student, being involved in research projects on the regulation of cell death in the liver. After completing his doctorate, receiving his licence to practise medicine and working as an assistant physician at MHH, in 2004 he joined the research team at the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher as part of the DFG's Emmy Noether Programme. After returning to Germany in 2008, he continued his work as a leader of an Emmy Noether and a Helmholtz independent junior research group, turning down several invitations from institutions in Germany and abroad. In 2012 he accepted a post at the University Hospital Tübingen, where he now leads the section for translational gastrointestinal oncology. He has received several awards for his work, such as the respected German Cancer Award.