Engagements in different organisations/initiatives:

• Das Lebenshaus e.V.: Senior Manager GIST/Sarcomas (www.daslebenshaus.org)
• Das Wissenshaus GmbH - Institute of Oncology: Executive Director
• Sarcoma Patients EuroNet e.V. (SPAEN): Chair/President (www.sarcoma-patients.eu)
• IKCC: Advisor/Mgmt-Services to the IKCC Board of Directors (www.ikcc.org)
• Member of the ESMO PAWG (Patient Advocacy Working Group)
• Involved in Rare Cancers Europe, New Horizons GIST, The German Sarcoma Conference and other nat. & intl. “Advisory Boards” and “Steering Committees”

Markus is a honorary Senior Manager of the charitable patient advocacy organization Das Lebenshaus e.V.
(= The House of Life) This is a German non-profit organization - supporting patients with rare solid tumors: GIST, Sarcomas, Kidney Cancer. He is responsible for conceiving and organizing all community activities in GIST/Sarcomas with a small team of patients, employees and freelancers. After his commercial education in the industry, he completed his studies as a specialist in journalism & communication. He worked in several different German communication and PR-agencies as a consultant and creative director for national and international brands. In 1993 he founded his own agency, which had a focus on pharmaceutical, medical and health communication. After 10 years with his business, he left the agency in 2003 to start a more meaningful life in founding and managing the charitable patient association Das Lebenshaus e.V. (House of Life) and the non-profit-company Das Wissenshaus GmbH (House of Knowledge). Markus maintains extensive collaborations with leading Sarcoma experts (centers), industry and other important stakeholders to improve the situation of sarcoma- and GIST-patients in Germany and other European countries. This includes e.g. early involvement in clinical trials, timely and correct diagnosis, access to qualified treatment, monitoring, guidelines, centers of excellence, generating more/better evidence/data and HTA-processes.