Bernhard Gentner

Bernhard Gentner is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and an Associate Physician at the Immuno-Oncology Department of CHUV, a role he has held since June 1, 2022. His research is centered at the intersection of genetic engineering and cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on hematopoietic stem cells.

His educational background includes:

• State Examination in Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Germany (2003)
• Clinical training in internal medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, Germany (2003–2006)
• Doctoral thesis (MD) at DKFZ Heidelberg on retroviral integration in hematopoietic stem cells (2004)
• Postdoctoral fellowship at San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (TIGET), Milan, Italy (2006–2009)
• Clinical training in hematology and stem cell transplantation, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan (2009–2014)

His research interests lie in developing novel cell-based therapies for cancer through advanced genetic engineering of hematopoietic stem cells. The mission of his laboratory is to create synergies between engineered hematopoiesis and adoptive T-cell therapies, with strong emphasis on clinical translation. His work explores microRNA regulation in stem cells, gene therapy for storage diseases and cancer, and the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells.

Bernhard Gentner has received the Oak Foundation Professorial Fellowship in Immune Stem Cell Engineering, recognizing his contributions to the field of immune stem cell engineering.

He previously served as a group leader at SR-TIGET and hematologist at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan (2015–2022), where he led clinical and translational research in acute leukemia and gene therapy. His career reflects a strong integration of clinical practice and laboratory research, maximizing the exchange between bench and bedside.

He leads the Gentner Lab, which is affiliated with the Department of Oncology and Agora at UNIL, focusing on next-generation immunotherapies.