Sallusto Federica

Federica Sallusto is a Full Professor in Medical Immunology at ETH Zurich and Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), and a Group Leader in the Cellular Immunology department at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Bellinzona, Switzerland. She leads a prominent research group focused on human T cell biology, immunological memory, and immune responses in infection and autoimmunity.

• Doctor in Biology, University of Rome, 1988
• Postdoctoral work: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome; Basel Institute for Immunology
• Group Leader, IRB, since 2000
• Full Professor, ETH Zurich and USI, since 2017

Her research centers on the heterogeneity and function of human CD4+ T cell subsets, particularly Th17 and T follicular helper cells, and their roles in protective immunity and inflammatory diseases. She investigates immune responses to pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and HIV, using cutting-edge techniques in cellular immunology and systems immunology. Her work integrates human immunology with translational applications in vaccinology and autoimmune disorders.

The recent publications reflect a strong focus on human immune responses to infectious agents, mechanisms of T and B cell immunity, and the intersection of immunology with neurology and autoimmunity. Key themes include antigen-specific T cell activation, antibody cross-reactivity, regulation of inflammatory pathways, and the impact of vaccines and infections on immune memory and disease outcomes.

• Pharmacia Allergy Research Foundation Prize
• Behring Lecture
• Member, German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2009)
• Member, EMBO (2011)
• International Member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2022)
• Doctor honoris causa, University of Fribourg (2022)

Federica Sallusto has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are co-authors on her high-impact publications. Her group has received significant funding from the European Research Council (ERC), Marie Curie Actions, and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), where she served on the National Research Council from 2018 to 2024. She has held leadership roles including President of the Swiss Society for Allergology and Immunology (2013–2015) and President of the European Federation of Immunological Societies (2022–2024).

Her laboratory is embedded within the IRB, a leading biomedical research institute affiliated with USI, and collaborates extensively with clinical and research teams across Europe. The group is part of broader scientific networks in antibody discovery, infectious disease immunology, and neuroimmunology.