Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2025 At the DBMR BioMedical Research on Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Benedetta Coppe was the winner of the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2025 for her project “Impact of cardiac injury on male reproductive system and gametes chromatin accessibility”. Congratulations! Read more.
Best DBMR Publication 2024 At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research, PD Dr. Thomas Marti announced Dr. Noëlle Dommann as the winner of the prize for the best DBMR Publication 2024 for her paper on aging- dependent decline in replication efficiency in regenerating mouse livers, which was published in Cell. Congratulations! Read more.
Poster Prizes DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2025 Congratulations to Sebastian B. U. Jordi, Fabio Ryser, and Berenice Maier, this year's winners of the Best Preclinical Project, Best Clinical Project, and Best Project by a Medical Student. Read more about their projects.
DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2025 - Alumni MedBern Research Award Congratulations to Isabel Baertschi who received the Alumni MedBern Research Award. Read more about her project.
DBMR Technician of the Year At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research, Adrian Segiser was announced as the winner of the DBMR Technician of 2025 Award for her technical contribution to the biomedical research at the DBMR! Read more.
Benoît Pochon Prize 2024 At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research on July 2, Prof. Dr. Deborah Stroka announced the winner of the Benoît Pochon Prize 2024. The DBMR congratulates Dr. Liana Hayrapetyan, this year’s winner. Read more.
Awardees of Day of BioMedical Research 2025 Congratulations to all awardees of the prizes announced at the DBMR BioMedical Research Day 2025.
Welcome Cédric Lüthi to the DBMR Technical House Staff! We are delighted to welcome Mr. Cédric Lüthi as the newest member of our Technical House Staff. We wish him a great start and every success in his new role!
Newly Appointed: Prof. Raphaëlle Luisier We are thrilled to announce that Prof. Raphaëlle Luisier has joined the DBMR as Assistant Professor (tenure track) for Omics Data Science for Transcriptomics. She officially assumed her position on June 2, 2025. We are also pleased to welcome Dr. Zhi Ming Xu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Luisier Lab, who is joining the DBMR alongside Prof. Luisier.
Advanced Call (AdG) 2025 is open until 28 August 2025 ERC Advanced Grants support outstanding established researchers with a ground-breaking project idea with up to 2.5€ million for 5 years.
Wilhelm Sander Stiftung Funds New Prostate Cancer Project Congratulations to Prof. Mark A. Rubin and Dr. Irene Paassen from the Cancer Therapy Research Program on receiving funding from the Wilhelm Sander Stiftung! The newly funded project will investigate which SWI/SNF complex subunits and interactors are essential for the initiation and progression of lineage plasticity in prostate cancer, and will define the clonal dynamics underlying this plasticity.
Welcome Aurelio Franchi to the DBMR Technical House Staff! We are pleased to welcome Mr. Aurelio Franchi as the newest member of our Technical House Staff. We wish him a great start and much success at DBMR!
Modified Lipid Nanoparticles Boost the Antitumor Efficacy of RNA Therapeutics Prof. Marianna Kruithof-de Julio, and Drs. Sofia Karkampouna and Wanli Cheng, collaborated with an international team to develop an efficient nonviral delivery system for RNA therapeutics aimed at cancer therapy. This system utilizes modified lipid nanoparticles to target CD44-positive prostate cancer organoids. The strategy holds the potential for creating patient-specific therapies to silence tumor-promoting oncogenes and other malfunctioning genes responsible for various diseases. Their study has been published in ACS Nano.
Lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB) protects cancer cells from mitochondria-associated ferroptosis Dr. Haibin Deng from the DBMR-OTM program is the first author of a study showing that LDHB suppresses mitochondria-associated ferroptosis and that its inhibition sensitizes tumor cells to radiotherapy. This study was just published in Nature Communications.
Bill Lab has joined the Translational Cancer Research Program The Bill lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immunosuppressive communication networks in cancer and on translating predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors into clinical practice. Ruben Bill, MD-PhD, is an attending physician in Medical Oncology at the Inselspital, specializing in breast and head and neck cancer, as well as precision (immuno)oncology. We are delighted to have Dr. Bill joining the DBMR and wish all the success to the lab.
Highlights from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) scientific retreat report The PCF Challenge Award on the role of minor intron splicing in prostate cancer development led by Prof. Mark Rubin and Dr. Anke Augspach was selected as one of the highlights from the 31st Annual PCF Scientific Retreat.
Poster Prizes 2025 DBMR Day of Biomedical Research The call for abstract submissions for Best Poster Prizes 2025 is now open until April 22. These prizes are awarded for the best poster presentations by young researchers. Find further information and the submission form here.
DBMR Technician of the Year Award 2025 - nominations open until March 27 The call for nominations for the DBMR Technician of the Year Award 2025 is open until March 27. This award recognizes the exceptional role lab technicians have in the success of research projects and labs. We are sure you know someone who deserves this recognition and look forward to receiving your nominations!
Best DBMR Publication 2024 - applications open until March 18 This prize will recognize an outstanding publication published during the 2024 calendar year led by an investigator from the DBMR. See how to apply here.
Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2025 - call is open until April 15 The Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award supports a young researcher of the Faculty of Medicine leading a promising translational research project to gather data for pursuing an application for a peer-reviewed, competitive grant. Detailed information and the application form can be found here.
2024 Benoît Pochon Prize - call is open until March 6 The call for nominations for the 2024 Benoît Pochon Prize for an outstanding PhD or MD-PhD thesis conducted at the DBMR and defended in 2024 is now open. Send us your nomination until March 6.
Loss of Pi5P4Ka slows the progression of Pten mutant basal cell model of prostate cancer A team led by Prof. Mark Rubin nominated PI5P4Kα, a metabolic kinase present in the prostate basal cell layer, as a target to disrupt the metabolic adaptation and progression of advanced PCa. This study is now published on Mol. Cancer Res.
New paper, now online at Clinical Cancer Research: Framework for the Pathology Workup of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Biopsies Lineage plasticity drives NEPC transformation in 15-20% of CRPC, causing resistance and poor outcomes. Standardizing biopsy workups with histology and key markers (AR, INSM1, Ki-67) can improve research and trials.
2024 SNSF Starting Grant for Mattia Aime Dr. Mattia Aime, the winner of the 2023 Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award, received a Starting Grant from the SNSF for his research project "Cracking the neural code shaping emotional memories during sleep (REMind)", which focuses on emotional memory processing during sleep. Congratulations!
A comprehensive comparison of tools for fitting mutational signatures Various biological and chemical processes leave characteristic patterns, mutational signatures, in the genome. In a recent study published in Nature Communications, a team from the DBMR assessed tools for fitting mutational signatures and found that they are all prone to underfitting due to unknown signatures.
'Gene desert' regulates embryonic development and cardiac function Researchers at the University of Bern, in collaboration with international partners, have discovered that a ‘gene desert’ section of the genome plays an important role in the development of the embryo and the heart in both mice and humans. The study provides further evidence for the significance of gene-free DNA segments in gene regulation and offers approaches for early detection of cardiac diseases.
SNSF Spark Grant to identify and characterise small nuclear RNA expressed in aggressive cancer The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) awarded Dr. Anke Augspach a SNSF Spark Grant. This pioneering comprehensive analysis of the expression and function of small nuclear RNA components of the minor spliceosome will uncover previously unknown mechanisms that contribute to the progression and drug resistance in cancer. Congratulations!
PCF the 31th Annual Scientific Retreat - Talk from Prof. Mark A. Rubin: "Minor Intron Splicing in the Pathogenesis of Lethal Prostate Cancer" Prof. Mark A. Rubin had a talk at the PCF 31th Annual Scientific Retreat: "Minor Intron Splicing in the Pathogenesis of Lethal Prostate Cancer".
The Saul Horowitz, Jr. Memorial Award from Mount Sinai Alumni 2024 Congratulations to Mark A. Rubin for receiving the Saul Horowitz, Jr. Memorial Award from Mount Sinai Alumni. In memory of Saul H. Horowitz, Jr, a longtime Trustee of the Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine who was pivotal in the founding of the school, this award is given to a physician who has made significant contributions as a teacher, investigator, and/or practitioner in the field of medicine.
Generative AI takes on clinical predictions in cancer A recent study published in Nature Machine Intelligence introduces an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of creating virtual colorations of cancer tissue. The study, co-led by scientists at the Universities of Lausanne and Bern, is a major step forward enhancing pathology analysis and diagnostics of cancer.
Talent4Bern Call is open until September 1 The Talent4Bern funding program supports researchers who wish to apply for an SNSF Starting Grant to establish their own independent research group at the Faculty of Medicine.
DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2024 Impressions of the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2024! Thank you to all participants, reviewers, the keynote speaker Prof. Katerina Politi , to our sponsors and organizing team.
Prizes of the Day of BioMedical Research 2024 Congratulations to all awardees of the prizes announced at the DBMR BioMedical Research Day 2024! Read more.
Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2024 At the DBMR BioMedical Research on Wednesday, 3 July 2024, Prof. Carsten Riether announced as the winner of the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2024. The DBMR congratulates Andrea Felser, this year's winner, who will be investigating the role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in adrenal hyperandrogenism. Read more.
DBMR Innovative Idea 2024 Congratulations to Anke Augspach, Andrea Felser and Marc Wehrli, this year's winners of the DBMR Innovative Idea Award! Read more about their projects.
Poster Prizes DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2024 Congratulations to Sara Çaku, Laura Gallucci, and Jacopo Soldini, this year's winners of the Best Preclinical Project, Best Clinical Project, and Best Project by a Medical Student. Read more about their projects.
Best DBMR Publication 2023 At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research on Wednesday, July 3 2024, Dr. Roberta Esposito was announced as the winner of the prize for the best DBMR Publication 2023 for her Nature Communications paper elucitating how cancer driver mutations acting through long non-coding RNA enhance cell fitness. Congratulations! Read more.
Benoît Pochon Prize 2023 At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research on July 3 2024, PD. Dr. Michaela Medova announced Dr. Martina Minoli as the winner of the Benoît Pochon Prize 2023. Congratulations! Read more about the Dr. Minoli's PhD thesis on developing new tools for precision medicine in bladder cancer.
DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2024 - Stem Cell and Alumni MedBern Prizes Congratulations to Siavash Rahimi who received the Stem Cell Project Prize and to Janine Lux who received the Alumni MedBern Research Award. Read more about their projects.
DBMR Technician of the Year At the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research on Wednesday July 3 2024, Prof. Mark A. Rubin announced the first winner of the DBMR Technician of the Year Award. The DBMR congratulates Kay Sautter from the Translational Hormone Program! Read more.
DBMR Board of Directors - Election 2024 We are pleased to announce the results of the 2024 election to the DBMR’s Board of Directors: Carsten Riether, Marianna Kruithof-de Julio, Thomas Marti and Volker Enzemann (Deputy Director) have been elected to serve a 3-year term starting on July 4, 2024. Our warmest congratulations!!
Swiss Heart Foundation Research Prize 2024 The Swiss Heart Foundation has recognised Prof. Yvonne Döring's significant contributions to understanding atherosclerosis as a result of inflammation of the vessels. These findings help to develop new therapies and to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Congratulations!
SAKK/Astellas GU/Oncology 2024 Award Congratulations to Anke Augspach, Cancer Therapy Resistance Program, who received the SAKK / Astellas GU/Oncology 2024 Award for her work on the role of minor splicesome on advanced prostate cancer!
SNSF Weave Project on tissue engineering to address spine pain Congratulations to Benjamin Gantenbein, Bone & Joint Program, Christoph Albers, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Insel University Hospital, and Michael Wöltje, Technical University Dresden, Germany, for their Weave Project of the Swiss National Science Foundation! This project is a German-Swiss collaboration on tissue engineering of intervertebral disc replacements with silk as a biomaterial to address disc-related pain.
Swiss Bone & Mineral Society (SBMS) President’s Award 2024 Congratulations to Fatemeh Safari (Bone & Joint Program) who received the President’s Award of the Swiss Bone & Mineral Society (SBMS) for her publication “SHIP1 deficiency causes inflammation-dependent retardation in skeletal growth". This publication is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the groups of the Bone & Joint Program and the Department of Experimental Pathology at the ITMP.
Advanced Call (AdG) 2024 is open until 29 August 2024 ERC Advanced Grants support outstanding established researchers with a ground-breaking project idea with up to 2.5€ million for 5 years.
TANDEM 2023: Prostate Cancer – Prof. Mark Rubin (UNIBE) & Dr. Silke Gillessen Sommer (IOSI) Have a look at the video of Prof. Rubin’s and Dr. Gillessen’s TANDEM project “Identification of new targets to treat prostate cancers that are non-responsive to available treatments”. ISREC Foundation TANDEM projects are collaborative cancer research programs at the intersection between basic and clinical research.
SNF Grant - “On the role of IL-1 in driving the dynamics of the germinal center reaction” Congratulations to Prof. Martin Bachmann (PI) and Dr. Paul Engeroff (Co-PI), Bachmann Lab, for being awarded a SNF Grant with the project title “On the role of IL-1 in driving the dynamics of the germinal center reaction”. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is one of the most potent inflammatory cytokines in mammals and serves as a key weapon for the immune system in the fight against pathogens. They recently revealed that in addition to its pro inflammatory roles, IL-1 produced by B cells is key for the germinal center reaction and development of follicular Th cells. They will extend these findings to study the role of IL-1 in germinal center formation and affinity maturation in general.
Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Grant - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Congratulations to Prof. Antoine Adamantidis and Dr. Ludovic Mure, whose project "Impact of altered light perception on sleep regulation in AD" received a prestigious Collaborative Pairs Pilot Project Grant by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2024 The call for applications is now open until March 18. We look forward to receiving your applications!
SNSF Sinergia project to understand the role of immuno-metabolic imprinting for sustainable weight loss Congratulations to Prof. Ziad Al Nabhani and Prof. Thomas A. Lutz from the University of Zurich for their successful Sinergia project. We are looking forward to seeing the results of this project.
Prize for Best DBMR Publication 2023 The application for the Prize for Best DBMR Publication 2023 is now open. This prize will recognize an outstanding publication published during the 2023 calendar year led by an investigator from the DBMR. Application deadline is April 1, 2024.
Pfizer Research Prize Congratulations to Dr. Joanna Triscott, who received a a Pfizer Research Prize for her research on the role of the lipid regulator PI5P4Kα in prostate cancer and its relationship with androgen hormone signalling, which promotes cancer cell survival.
2023 Benoît Pochon Prize The call for nominations for the 2023 Benoît Pochon Prize for an outstanding PhD or MD-PhD thesis conducted at the DBMR and defended in 2023 is now open. Send us your nomination until February 29.
SNF BRIDGE Discovery Grant Congratulations to PD Dr. Carolina Gutierrez Herrera, Prof. Antoine Adamantidis, PD Dr. Markus Schmidt (collaborator) and Ass. Prof. Athina Tzovara, for their successful SNF BRIDGE Discovery Grant (2.5M CHF) to develop the first software that predicts the effect of new sleeping pills on EEG biomarkers of sleep.The research team will leverage recent advances in AI-assisted analysis of EEG signals and brain imaging with single-cell resolution to provide innovative tools to accelerate the drug screening process.
DBMR Technician of the Year Award We have established a new award to recognize the exceptional role lab technicians have in the success of research projects and labs! We are sure you know someone who deserves this recognition. Send us your nominations until March 4!
