Uğur Şahin

Uğur Şahin
Born	(1965-09-19) September 19, 1965 İskenderun, Turkey
Occupation(s)	Medical scientist, entrepreneur, business leader
Years active	1991–present
Known for	Co-founder and CEO of BioNTech; development of first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine

Uğur Şahin (; born 19 September 1965) is a German medical scientist, entrepreneur, and business leader. He co-founded and currently serves as CEO of BioNTech, the company behind the first mRNA-based vaccine globally targeting COVID-19. Additionally, he leads the scientific advisory board at the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON), a biopharmaceutical research center based in Mainz that he helped establish in 2018. Şahin holds more than 500 patent filings, with his research primarily centered on cancer and immunology.

Originally from Turkey, Şahin relocated to Germany at the age of four. Raised in Cologne, he pursued medical studies at the University of Cologne, culminating in a doctoral dissertation focused on cancer immunotherapy. His professional journey includes roles in academic medicine and clinical care at university hospitals in Saarland and Zürich. In 2000, he founded a research group at the University of Mainz and was appointed professor of experimental oncology in 2006.

Beginning in 2001, Şahin embarked on entrepreneurial activities alongside his academic endeavors by co-founding two pharmaceutical companies with his wife and partner, Özlem Türeci. The second venture, BioNTech, collaborated with Pfizer to create a leading COVID-19 vaccine in 2020. This achievement substantially elevated the company's market value, positioning Şahin and Türeci among Germany's top 100 wealthiest individuals as the first Germans of Turkish heritage to reach this status.

Personal life and education

Born on 19 September 1965 in İskenderun to a Turkish family, Şahin moved to Germany at four years old to reunite with his father, who was employed at Ford factories in Cologne. Although initially advised to attend a lower-tier school, a German neighbor's support enabled him to enroll at a gymnasium. There, he specialized in advanced mathematics and chemistry courses, graduating from Erich-Kästner-Gymnasium in Cologne-Niehl in 1984 as the first child of Turkish guest worker parents to do so.

Şahin met Özlem Türeci while working at Saarland University Hospital in Homburg, where she was completing her final year of medical education. They married in 2002 and welcomed their daughter four years later.

Together, Şahin and Türeci rank among Germany’s top hundred wealthiest individuals due to their substantial ownership stake in BioNTech. As reported by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index in February 2022, Şahin's net worth was estimated at US$7.22 billion.

Education

From 1984 until 1992, Şahin studied medicine at the University of Cologne, earning his doctorate summa cum laude with a thesis on tumor-targeted immunotherapy supervised by . Between 1992 and 1994, he also undertook mathematics studies at the University of Hagen.

Career

Between 1991 and 2000, Şahin practiced as a physician specializing in internal medicine and hematology/oncology at the , followed by work at Saarland University Hospital in Homburg. He completed his habilitation in molecular medicine and immunology by 1999. After a sabbatical year at the Institute for Experimental Immunology within the University Hospital of Zürich, he joined Christoph Huber’s team at the University Medical Center Mainz in 2000. Since then, he has held prominent positions focusing on cancer research and immunology, becoming a professor of experimental oncology in 2006.

Şahin describes himself as an immune engineer who harnesses the body's antiviral defense mechanisms to create therapies—such as personalized cancer vaccines—that aim to amplify immune responses where natural immunity falls short.

University Medical Center Mainz

In 2000, Şahin took charge of the junior research group within SFB 432 (Sonderforschungsbereiche, Collaborative Research Centers) at the , and by 2003, he was appointed head of the Tumor Vaccine Center. Between 2006 and 2013, he held the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental and Translational Oncology at the University of Mainz. Since 2014, he has been a W3 professor at the University Medical Center.

Şahin also serves as deputy director of the University Center for Tumor Diseases Mainz (UCT Mainz), which was established in 2011. This center consolidates all clinical oncology activities and cancer research entities within the University Medical Center. In 2017, Şahin played a pivotal role in founding the Helmholtz Institute HI-TRON, a joint initiative between the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and TRON. A vaccine development project under his leadership earned a sponsorship award from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in 2006 as part of its biotechnology start-up program (GO-Bio).

Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center (TRON)

Şahin co-founded TRON in 2010 (Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), a non-profit biopharmaceutical institute dedicated to creating diagnostic methods and therapies for cancer and other illnesses with significant unmet medical needs. TRON emphasizes personalized medicine and cancer immunotherapy. In recognition of his work, Şahin received the . He was TRON’s scientific director until September 2019 and currently serves as a scientific advisor and doctoral supervisor.

Helmholtz Institute (HI-TRON)

As one of the scientific directors of Helmholtz Institute HI-TRON, Şahin expressed his conviction at its inception that "cancer can be defeated in the future."

Ganymed Pharmaceuticals

Together with his wife Özlem Türeci and mentor Christoph Huber, Şahin co-founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals in 2001. The company developed Zolbetuximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting esophageal and gastrointestinal cancers. Following successful demonstration in a randomized clinical trial that the drug significantly enhanced overall survival among patients with advanced gastric cancer, Ganymed was acquired by Astellas Pharma in 2016 for more than €400 million. As of 2020, Zolbetuximab remains in Phase III clinical trials.

BioNTech

Founded in 2008 by Şahin, Özlem Türeci, and Christoph Huber, BioNTech is a biotechnology company based in Mainz that specializes in personalized immunotherapies for cancer and serious diseases. Şahin acts as CEO, concentrating on mRNA-based therapeutics for tailored cancer immunotherapies, vaccines targeting infectious diseases, and protein replacement therapies addressing rare disorders. He retains a minority ownership stake in this publicly traded enterprise.

Since April 2020, BioNTech has been working on a COVID-19 vaccine under the leadership of Şahin and Türeci, with Türeci also serving on the board of directors. Şahin supports global collaboration and fair vaccine access while opposing mandatory vaccination policies, advocating instead for voluntary participation.

In late 2020, BioNTech entered into a partnership with U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to expedite vaccine development and regulatory approval processes, targeting authorization before year-end. In November 2020, their vaccine candidate BNT162b2 demonstrated 95% efficacy during Phase III clinical trials.

Research

Since 1992, Şahin and Türeci have collaborated with a primary emphasis on discovering tumor antigens suitable for immunotherapeutic interventions across various cancers, including those affecting the stomach, pancreas, breast, ovaries, prostate, and lungs.

Their research group engineered approaches to refine mRNA vaccine elements, such as the molecular frameworks, uridine-based and nucleoside-modified chemistries, lipid carrier systems, and administration methods. These advancements dramatically increased the effectiveness and versatility of mRNA vaccines. Utilizing this platform, Şahin successfully translated mRNA vaccine applications into clinical human use.

RNA vaccines targeting personalized cancer mutations

Şahin was a forerunner in developing individualized mRNA cancer vaccines that employ non-nucleoside-modified mRNA to address distinct tumor-specific mutations. This method involves designing vaccines tailored to the mutation profile of each patient, allowing bespoke neo-antigen vaccines to be produced on demand.

RNA vaccines addressing tumor-associated antigens

For commonly expressed tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), Şahin’s team created nanoparticle-based delivery vehicles aimed at dendritic cells throughout the body. They pioneered the first intravenous administration of mRNA vaccine nanoparticles in humans, eliciting robust immune responses against self-antigen TAAs. This innovation propelled the development of potent cancer vaccines applicable across a wide range of immunotherapeutic contexts.

RNA vaccines enhancing CAR-T therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies (CARVAC) represent promising treatments for hematologic malignancies originating from B cells. However, sustaining long-term efficacy in solid tumors has been limited by insufficient CAR-T cell persistence. To address this, Şahin and colleagues developed an RNA vaccine platform that boosts the in vivo expansion and engraftment of genetically engineered CAR-T cells, successfully provoking regression of large tumors in challenging murine cancer models. This strategy is currently undergoing clinical evaluation for multiple cancer types.

RNA vaccines promoting antigen-specific tolerance in autoimmune conditions

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) result from self-reactive T lymphocytes causing tissue damage. Conventional therapies often carry risks of systemic immunosuppression and adverse effects. Şahin’s group devised a therapeutic approach that selectively targets pathogenic immune cells by delivering MS autoantigens encoded in non-inflammatory RNA via specialized lipid nanoparticles directed to dendritic cells. This treatment expands antigen-specific regulatory effector T cells that suppress autoreactive responses and inhibit other harmful T cells. The RNA incorporates 1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) instead of uridine to prevent activation of Toll-like receptors and subsequent immune stimulation. In mouse models of MS, this method delayed disease onset and mitigated severity without inducing broad immunosuppression.

RNA vaccine development against COVID-19

In January 2020, Şahin’s teams redirected their efforts from oncology to developing a vaccine against COVID-19, capitalizing on the rapid availability of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic sequence. Their mRNA technology platform facilitated simultaneous development and evaluation of multiple vaccine candidates. The candidate BNT162b2 was selected as the optimal vaccine for preventing COVID-19; it consists of a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated nucleoside-modified RNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and incorporates design elements refined through prior research by Şahin, Türeci, and their collaborators. Clinical trials alongside real-world evidence demonstrated BNT162b2’s robust immunogenicity, safety profile, and effectiveness in humans. It became the first mRNA-based medicine authorized for human use and holds the record as the fastest vaccine developed against a novel pathogen in medical history.

Memberships

Since 2004, Şahin has been affiliated with the German Society of Immunology and, starting in 2008, became part of the Program Committee for the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), Regulatory Research Group based in Mainz. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Cluster of Individualized Immunointervention (CI3) in Mainz in 2012. Şahin has held membership in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) since 2014 and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) since 2015. In 2021, he earned election to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Publications (selection)

The U.S. National Library of Medicine catalogs 345 clinical studies and publications featuring Şahin, with him credited as first author on 49 of these works. Additionally, multiple patents registered under his name are documented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Owing to his most frequently cited patent and his H-index, Şahin was recognized among Nature Biotechnology's Top 20 translational researchers in the years 2015, 2018, and 2019.

Selected Works

Awards (selection)

• 1995: Vincenz Czerny Prize awarded by the German Society of Hematology and Oncology (DGHO)
• 1995: Merit Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
• 1997: Calogero Paglierello Research Award
• 2005: Georges Köhler Prize conferred by the German Society of Immunology
• 2006 and 2010: GO-Bio Prize granted by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• 2012: BMBF Spitzencluster Award recognizing TRON projects within CI3-Regional Cluster for Individualized Immune Intervention
• 2017/18: ERC Advanced Grant in Life Sciences
• 2019: Mustafa Prize recipient
• 2019: German Cancer Award honoree
• 2020: Recipient of The National German Sustainability Award
• 2020: Named Financial Times Person of the Year
• 2021: Awarded Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 2021: Inducted into Hall of Fame German Science
• 2021: Empress Theophano Prize laureate
• 2021: Elected as a Member of EMBO
• 2021: Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize winner
• 2021: Princess of Asturias Award for Scientific Research recipient
• 2021: William B. Coley Award awardee
• 2021: Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Medal of Honor recipient
• 2021: German Future Prize winner
• 2022: Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, Germany’s leading medical accolade
• 2022: Honorary doctorates awarded by Philipps University of Marburg and Universiteit van Amsterdam (both jointly with Özlem Türeci)
• 2022: Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine shared with Özlem Türeci and Katalin Karikó
• 2022: Werner-von-Siemens-Ring awarded alongside Özlem Türeci, Katalin Karikó, and Christoph Huber
• 2022: Order of Merit from the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (with Özlem Türeci)
• 2022: Ring of Honor bestowed by University Medicine Mainz (jointly with Özlem Türeci)
• 2022: Honorary citizenship granted by Mainz (with Özlem Türeci)
• 2022: Novo Nordisk Prize recognizing contributions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development
• 2022: Warren Alpert Foundation Prize recipient
• 2023: Pour le Mérite awardee

External links

• Leadership team at BioNTech SE (archived November 9, 2020)