Prof. Nicole Joller is a Professor for Immunology at the Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Her research focuses on understanding how prior infections influence long-term immune responses, particularly involving regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their role in autoimmunity and cancer susceptibility. She leads the Joller Lab, employing techniques like transcriptomics, flow cytometry, and animal models. Education: PhD in Immunology (ETH Zurich, 2008), Postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School (2009–2014). Previous roles include SNSF/ERC Assistant Professor at UZH (2014–2021). Her lab investigates immune checkpoint receptors (e.g., TIGIT, LAG-3) and their impact on disease outcomes. Key collaborators include Prof. Vijay Kuchroo and Prof. Annette Oxenius. Research interests include Treg dynamics post-infection, cross-reactive immunity, and mechanisms of immune regulation. Her team studies how infections alter immune landscapes, with implications for vaccine design and autoimmune therapies. Recent work highlights innate-like memory T cell functions in heterologous diseases. Labs/Teams: Directs a multidisciplinary group including PhD students, postdocs, and bioinformaticians. Current funding supports projects on immune checkpoint agonists and Treg modulation in diseases.
Simon van Vliet is a Junior Group Leader at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, and the Department of Molecular and Functional Biology at the University of Lausanne (DMF-UNIL). Originally trained as a physicist, he transitioned to biology to study the ecology and evolution of complex microbial systems. His research focuses on understanding how interactions between bacterial cells affect the dynamics of multispecies biofilms, which are critical to human health, planetary biogeochemical cycles, and industrial applications. His research spans several interconnected areas: Systems ecology of bacterial biofilms and emergent community properties Spatial organization and patterning in microbial communities Metabolic interactions and dependencies in multispecies communities Evolution of cooperation and cross-feeding in spatially structured environments Application of interdisciplinary approaches combining experimental and computational techniques Dr. van Vliet's recent publications reveal an integrated research program that bridges physics, ecology, and microbiology. His work demonstrates how cell-cell interactions through molecular exchange significantly alter biofilm properties, with particular focus on how spatial structure influences evolutionary processes and community dynamics. His lab combines single-cell microscopy, transcriptomics, and mathematical modeling to quantify and predict biofilm behavior, with important implications for understanding and addressing chronic infections caused by multispecies biofilms. He is actively engaged in the scientific community through initiatives like the Alma Dal Co School on Collective Behaviour and the SAME18 conference on Aquatic Microbiomes. His laboratory (vanvlietlab.ch) currently includes PhD student Giulia Bottacin, demonstrating his commitment to training the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists.
Dr. Anand Sharma is a Researcher at ETH Zürich, affiliated with the Professorship for Translational Nutrition Biology. He holds a PhD from CSIR-CCMB India, where he studied biochemical properties of calcium sensor proteins, particularly focusing on Secretagogin (SCGN) and its role in insulin stability and signaling. Since joining the Translational Nutrition Biology (TNB) group in May 2019, his research has centered on exploring the biological utility of futile cycles, with current emphasis on the 'Futile Lipid Cycle' and its physiological role in regulating core body temperature via non-shivering thermogenesis. His work bridges fundamental biochemistry with translational applications in metabolic health. Education: Anand completed his PhD at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), India. His doctoral research explored calcium sensor proteins, including SCGN's biochemical properties and interactions. Prior to his PhD, his academic background likely included advanced degrees in biochemistry or molecular biology, though specific details are not explicitly provided. Research Interests: His areas of focus include calcium sensor proteins, insulin signaling pathways, futile cycles (both lipid and creatine), adipocyte biology, mitochondrial fatty acid utilization, and the physiological mechanisms of thermogenesis. He investigates how these processes contribute to metabolic regulation and their implications for conditions like obesity and diabetes. Advising & Grants: No formal advisees or grant details are listed, though his research contributions align with funding priorities in metabolic biology and translational medicine. He actively collaborates with the TNB group and other interdisciplinary teams at ETH Zürich. Labs/Teams: He is part of the Translational Nutrition Biology research group at ETH Zürich, contributing to studies on metabolic pathways and their therapeutic applications. His work leverages cutting-edge techniques like single-nucleus transcriptomics and functional cell line development to dissect adipocyte heterogeneity and futile cycle dynamics.
Anna Carratala Ripolles is a Research Scientist at the Laboratory of Environmental Virology (LEV) and Lecturer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) . She holds affiliations across multiple departments including the Environmental Engineering Institute (IIE) , ENAC-SSIE (School of Engineering), and EDCE (Environmental and Climate Change Education). Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology (University of Barcelona, 2013) Master in Advanced Microbiology (University of Barcelona, 2008) Her research focuses on: Ecology of aquatic microorganisms under environmental change Cyanobacteria monitoring and cyanotoxin mechanisms Virus-bacteria-protist interactions in freshwater Biotechnological applications of lake bacteria Carbon/nitrogen metabolism in aquatic systems Scientific diving for environmental research Recent publications analyze: Climate-driven cyanotoxin production (2025) Microbial interactions in alpine lakes (2024-2023) Disinfection resistance mechanisms in enteric viruses (2020-2017) Photo-Fenton process optimization for wastewater virology (2016-2015) Scientific accolades include: 2014 Extraordinary PhD Award (University of Barcelona) 2019 International Geneva Award (Swiss Network of International Studies) 2023 Prix Source Innovation (EPFL) She combines genomic analysis and experimental work to study microbial adaptation in cold environments, with expertise spanning viral persistence , waterborne pathogen control , and environmental biotechnology .
Pedro HERRERA is a Full Professor at the University of Geneva, where he conducts significant research in pancreatic islet biology and diabetes. His academic position and extensive publication record indicate a prominent role in endocrinology research. His research focuses on several key areas within diabetes and islet cell biology: Cell reprogramming of pancreatic alpha cells into insulin-producing cells Mechanisms of insulin and glucagon secretion regulation Compensatory mechanisms following beta cell loss Islet transplantation and immunological aspects Molecular mechanisms of diabetes pathogenesis Translational applications for diabetes treatment Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on understanding pancreatic islet cell identity, function, and plasticity. His work consistently explores how pancreatic cells can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes, particularly through cell reprogramming approaches that could potentially treat diabetes without requiring external insulin administration. The research demonstrates sophisticated understanding of cellular mechanisms and shows promise for future diabetes therapies. Dr. HERRERA's work bridges fundamental science with clinical applications, making significant contributions to both theoretical understanding of islet cell biology and practical approaches to diabetes treatment. His research group appears to include laboratory technicians, doctoral candidates, and other researchers working collaboratively on various aspects of pancreatic islet biology.
Harald Detering is a Researcher at the Université de Lausanne (UNIL), affiliated with the Department of Ecology and Evolution within the Faculty of Biology and Medicine. He is a member of both the Robinson-Rechavi group and Robert Waterhouse’s group. His work focuses on computational analysis and bioinformatics resources in biological research. Education: B.Sc. thesis at Freie Universität Berlin: Host-pathogen co-evolution and GWAS on Australian rabbits and RHD virus. M.Sc. project at Robert Koch Institute Berlin: Genome/transcriptome assembly of Balamuthia mandrillaris. Ph.D. project: Simulating tumor genomic heterogeneity to benchmark bioinformatics tools. Research Interests: Harald emphasizes computational methods in biology, including genome-wide studies, tumor heterogeneity analysis, and the development of tools like NLP-based article information extraction (A3Cat and CrowdGO). He is passionate about applying bioinformatics to understand biological diversity and disease mechanisms. Scientific Awards: None explicitly listed. Advising & Grants: No advisees or grants mentioned, but he collaborates on projects such as the Arthropoda Assembly Assessment Catalog (A3Cat) and the gene ontology tool CrowdGO. His work aligns with the Waterhouse and Robinson-Rechavi labs. Labs/Teams: Active in the Waterhouse lab (hosting A3Cat and CrowdGO) and the Robinson-Rechavi group.
Nicola Storelli is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Microbial Ecology (SECOMIC) at the Department of Environment Constructions and Design (DACD) at SUPSI. His research focuses on microbial ecosystems in meromictic lakes, particularly Lake Cadagno, investigating sulfur bacteria dynamics, redox stratification stability, and climate change impacts. He holds a PhD in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Geneva (2014) and an MSc in Genomics from the University of Lausanne (2007). Professional roles include membership in the Centre of Competence in Climate Change and Territory (CCCT), and the CUSO committee. Key projects involve studying bioconvection in Lake Cadagno’s microbial plume and the impact of PAC recycling on antibiotic resistance in wastewater. Research highlights include long-term monitoring of anoxygenic phototrophs, proteomic analysis of Thiodictyon syntrophicum , and the role of bioconvection in microbial ecophysiology. His work bridges microbial ecology with biogeochemical cycles, offering insights into ancient and modern aquatic systems.
Angela Ciuffi is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne (UNIL), affiliated with the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), within the Faculty of Biology and Medicine. She has been Director of the School of Biology since 2021, following her role as Vice-Director from 2019 to 2021. Her research focuses on the molecular biology of HIV, particularly viral replication, integration into the host genome, latency, and the host's innate immune response. She employs cutting-edge technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing, transcriptomics, epitranscriptomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics to study heterogeneity in host cell responses to HIV infection. Her work aims to identify novel therapeutic strategies for HIV eradication by understanding the mechanisms that allow the virus to persist in latent reservoirs despite antiretroviral therapy. This research is crucial for advancing towards a cure for HIV/AIDS. Dr. Ciuffi's research is supported by significant grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation, the European FP7 program (Hit Hidden HIV), the Novartis Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, which includes over 9,000 consented individuals for genetic analyses. She leads a multidisciplinary research team at the Institute of Microbiology, CHUV, comprising postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, master's students, and laboratory technicians. Her lab investigates key aspects of HIV biology, including: Dynamics of HIV replication at multi-omics levels Viral genome integration sites and their genomic features Transcriptional profiling of CD4+ T cells entering or exiting latency Identification of host restriction factors in innate immunity
Luca Fusar Bassini is a Doctoral Assistant and PhD candidate in the La Manno Lab at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, affiliated with the School of Life Sciences and the Institute of Bioengineering. He is pursuing his doctoral research in computational biology, focusing on omics and neurodevelopment. He also maintains active research collaboration with the Yu Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, working on antisense oligonucleotides for ultrarare diseases. His academic journey includes a dual degree in Biology and Molecular Biotechnologies from the University of Pisa and advanced training at the Scuola Normale Superiore, where he gained a strong quantitative foundation. He completed his Master’s thesis in 2022 on the genomics of rare neurological disorders under the guidance of the Yu Lab. Luca's research interests span computational genomics, neurodevelopment, mitochondrial biology, aging, and personalized therapeutics. He is particularly passionate about interventional genomics, N-of-1 trials, and the development of scalable diagnostics and therapeutics for rare diseases. His work integrates single-cell multiomics, statistical modeling, and bioinformatics pipeline development. He is a dedicated science communicator, having founded TEDxLungarnoMediceo in Pisa and co-founded Progetto Bio[Tecno]Logico. He hosts the podcast The Biotech Futurist , launched in March 2023, where he explores future trends in biotechnology with expert guests. Ermenegildo Zegna Founder’s Scholarship Named among top 10 most promising Italian students under 25 in Healthcare & Biosciences by Nova (2022) Audience Choice Award at BraYn Conference for research on antisense oligonucleotides Luca has advised and mentored in outreach initiatives and science education, including the Italian Biology Olympiad and university orientation projects. He has not received major research grants mentioned in the text but is involved in collaborative research efforts. He is part of the N=1 Collaborative, contributing to frameworks for personalized clinical trials. He also volunteered with the Community Outreach Program (CORP) in Mumbai, reflecting his commitment to global health equity. He is actively involved in public engagement through talks (e.g., Festival della Scienza di Genova), scientific writing, and podcasting. His lab affiliations include the La Manno Lab (EPFL), Yu Lab (Boston), Cellerino Lab (Pisa), and Cremisi Lab (Pisa), where he has contributed to projects on aging, mitochondrial RNA import, and organoid modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Joerg Huelsken is an Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he leads the Huelsken Lab at the Institut de Recherche en Ingénierie Moléculaire et en Imagerie Cellulaire (ISREC). He holds multiple teaching appointments within EPFL’s graduate programs, including roles in the Doctoral Program in Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences (EDMS) and the School of Life Sciences (SSV). His research is centered on cancer biology, particularly tumor heterogeneity, cancer stem cells, metastasis, and the role of the microenvironment and signaling pathways such as Wnt and integrin in disease progression. His research interests span cancer stem cells , metastatic niches , organoid models , Wnt/β-catenin signaling , integrin-mediated adhesion , and hematopoietic stem cell regulation . His lab employs cutting-edge approaches including patient-derived organoids, single-cell transcriptomics, and in vivo mouse models to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. A major focus is understanding how cancer cells adopt stem-like states in response to therapy, particularly immunotherapy, and how the niche supports metastatic colonization. The trends in his recent publications reflect a strong integration of basic molecular mechanisms with translational applications . His work bridges developmental biology, stem cell regulation, and oncology, with recurring themes of signaling crosstalk, cellular plasticity, and microenvironmental control. He has developed platforms for personalized cancer treatment using organoids and statistical modeling, and his team investigates metabolic dependencies in metastasis-initiating cells. His research has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature , Cell Stem Cell , Nature Communications , and Cancer Cell . Metabolic dependencies of metastasis-initiating cells in female breast cancer (Nature Communications, 2023) IFNγ-induced stem-like state of cancer cells as a driver of metastatic progression following immunotherapy (Cell Stem Cell, 2023) Platform combining statistical modeling and patient-derived organoids to facilitate personalized treatment of colorectal carcinoma (Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 2023) Prof. Huelsken has supervised numerous PhD students at EPFL, including Maxim Norkin, Candice Young, Angela Madurga Alonso, Mathieu Girardin, and Zuzana Tatárová. His lab is actively involved in teaching, offering courses such as Cancer Biology II and practical lab modules. He also contributes to institutional education through roles in the EDMS and SSV-ENS programs. The Huelsken Lab operates at EPFL’s SV campus, focusing on interdisciplinary research that combines molecular oncology, stem cell biology, and systems approaches to understand and target the root causes of cancer progression and therapy resistance.
Maria Brbic is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, holding dual appointments in Computer Science and Life Sciences. She leads the Machine Learning for Biomedicine Lab (MLBIO) and is affiliated with the EPFL AI Center and Institute of Bioengineering (IBI). Prior to EPFL, she conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University and was a member of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. PhD: University of Zagreb (2019) Postdoc: Stanford University (2019-2021) Her research develops machine learning methods that generalize to novel biomedical scenarios, focusing on heterogeneous datasets like single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics. Key contributions include SATURN for cross-species integration and MARS for novel cell-type discovery. Recent publications explore generative AI for tissue reassembly , multimodal foundation models , and unsupervised in-context learning applied to biomedical problems. Her lab pioneered open-world learning frameworks for drug discovery and aging research. Fulbright Scholarship L’Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science Branimir Jernej Award Josip Loncar Silver Plaque MIT Rising Star in EECS (2021) SNSF Starting Grant (2024) Maria advises PhD students in computer science and computational biology. Her work bridges disciplines through collaborations with bioengineering labs, emphasizing interdisciplinary innovation and real-world biomedical impact .
Hanchen Wang is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford AI Lab and Genentech, working under Jure Leskovec and Aviv Regev. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Cambridge University completed in 3 years under Joan Lasenby, and a BS in Physics from Nanjing University where he was valedictorian. His research bridges artificial intelligence and biomedical discovery, with appointments spanning both academic and industry settings. Wang's research focuses on AI for Science , particularly developing autonomous agents for biomedical discovery. His work spans multi-omics analysis , spatial transcriptomics , live-cell imaging , and perturbation assays , with applications in cancer therapeutics , autoimmune diseases , and neurological disorders . He has pioneered multiple AI agent frameworks including Biomni (a general-purpose biomedical agent), SpatialAgent, and PerTurboAgent for specialized biological discovery tasks. His publication record demonstrates significant impact across both computer science and biology venues, with first-author papers in Nature , Nature Biotechnology , and NeurIPS . His research has been deployed by Anthropic, Amazon Web Services, and Genentech, and featured in Nature , The Economist , and DeepMind communications. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Faculty Applicant Bootcamp participant UCSF Gladstone Institute Trainee-to-Tenure Track Program member OpenAI Researcher Access Program recipient Multiple conference travel awards Wang actively mentors early-career researchers including PhD students from institutions like CSHL, MIT, Harvard, and KAIST. He serves as Area Chair for ICLR 2026, organizes workshops on AI for Science at major conferences, and gives invited talks at leading institutions including Harvard, Yale, and the Broad Institute. His research is supported by Genentech internal funding ($500k/year) and OpenAI resources.
Prof. Dr. Sven Rottenberg is a Group Leader at the Institute of Animal Pathology within the University of Bern , and a member of the Neglected Diseases Cluster at the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID) . His research spans oncology and infectious diseases, focusing on DNA damage response mechanisms, PARP inhibitor resistance, and comparative oncology using canine/feline models. Specializes in spatial transcriptomics and CRISPR/Cas9 functional genomics Develops AI-driven tools for digital pathology and drug safety assessment Investigates tumor microenvironment dynamics and metabolic vulnerabilities Research Trends : His recent work emphasizes Spatial omics technologies for tumor heterogeneity mapping Host-pathogen interactions in malaria and hemoparasites Artificial intelligence applications in veterinary and human oncology Genetic dropout screens for chemotherapy optimization Replication fork stability in BRCA-deficient cancers Canine tumor organoid biobanking
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.
Kelly Ceyzériat is a Research Staff Scientist at the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), University of Geneva, within the PET HUG-UNIGE Molecular Imaging Section. She joined CIBM in January 2022 to develop independent research on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, with a focus on hormonal and neuroinflammatory modulators. Previously, she collaborated with Prof. Valentina Garibotto (2018) on radiation therapy for Alzheimer's and with Prof. Philippe Millet (2021) on glial cells and neuroinflammation. Her educational background: PhD in Neuroscience, Paris-Saclay University, France (2014-2017) Her research expertise lies at the intersection of neuroimaging and neurodegenerative disorders . She specializes in Alzheimer's disease research, investigating the roles of astrocytes and neuroinflammation using PET and SPECT molecular imaging. Her methodological toolkit includes in vivo imaging, animal behavior assessments, stereotaxic surgery, histology, biochemistry, flow cytometry, and transcriptomics. Current projects aim to unravel the mechanisms of Alzheimer's pathology progression. Dr. Ceyzériat is an active member of the Molecular Imaging Section at CIBM, which provides advanced imaging infrastructure and fosters collaboration with 7T MRI experts for cutting-edge neuroscience research.
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