Deborah Stroka

Prof. Deborah Stroka is a Professor and Head of Research Group at the Department of Biomedical Research (DBMR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, with dual affiliation to the Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine at Bern University Hospital. Her research bridges molecular mechanisms of liver disease, cancer biology, and infectious disease pathogenesis through the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID).

Her primary research focuses on DNA replication stress in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), tight junction protein functions (particularly claudin-3) in hepatic barrier integrity, bacterial ATP-mediated inflammation in sepsis, and nanoplastic biodistribution. She investigates tumor budding mechanisms in colorectal cancer, MET receptor signaling in DNA damage response, and lymphatic regulation in gut-liver axis pathologies using advanced spatial transcriptomics and lipidomics approaches.

Recent publications reveal strong emphasis on molecular intersections between infection, metabolism, and tissue repair, with innovative techniques in X-ray fluorescence imaging for nanotoxicology and Skyline-based lipid isomer analysis. Recurring themes include bacterial translocation impacts on liver regeneration, replication stress in aging, and therapeutic targeting of fibrosis pathways.

As Head of Research Group within MCID, she leads interdisciplinary teams developing models for abdominal sepsis, radiation-induced liver disease, and orthotopic cancer systems while pioneering analytical methods for nanoplastics and lipid isomers in disease contexts.