Ongoing Projects

Immune Ageing and Regenerative Cell Circuits

Successful tissue repair depends on the coordinated interaction of immune, epithelial, stromal and vascular cells. During ageing and chronic inflammation, these regenerative cell circuits become progressively disrupted, shifting tissue repair towards persistent fibrosis rather than functional regeneration. Our research investigates how immune ageing reshapes regenerative cell circuits and the multicellular ecosystems that govern tissue repair. By combining patient-derived tissues, advanced human tissue models and multiscale molecular profiling, we seek to uncover the mechanisms through which the ageing immune system drives regenerative dysfunction and fibrosis.

Our SNSF Starting Grant project, IMMUNOCODE, focuses on the role of age-associated GZMK⁺ T cells as key regulators of immune-mediated regenerative dysfunction. Beyond identifying novel therapeutic targets, the project aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms of immune-mediated tissue repair that may extend across multiple chronic inflammatory and age-related diseases.

Radio-Multiomics for Precision Medicine

Disease processes emerge across multiple biological scales, from molecular alterations within individual cells to structural remodelling of the entire organ. Our research develops and applies radio-multiomic approaches that integrate quantitative medical imaging, artificial intelligence and molecular profiling to connect these scales and provide a comprehensive understanding of disease biology. A central focus of our work is to understand how imaging phenotypes reflect their underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. By integrating clinical CT imaging with whole-organ imaging, spatial biology and single-cell multiomics, we investigate disease heterogeneity, identify mechanisms of fibrosis progression, and develop quantitative imaging biomarkers with direct clinical relevance.

Our current projects apply these approaches across multiple forms of interstitial lung disease. By linking imaging with molecular profiling across biological scales, we aim to improve disease stratification, risk prediction and personalized therapeutic decision-making.