Research Focus

Immunology & Infectious Diseases

Area of Research

Monocyte and macrophage biology in cirrhosis of the liver.

12/2012 - 11/2014 EASL Sheila Sherlock Postdoctoral Fellowship: "Hepatoadrenal syndrome: Does inflammatory response dysfunction explain poor survival?"
1/2015  - 12/2015 Research Fund Medical Research Centre, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen Nr 14/17: "Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?"
10/2015  - 9/2019 Swiss National Science Foundation Project Grant 320030_159984: "Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?"
8/2019  - 7/2020 University of Basel, Research Fund Junior Researchers: “Assessment of circadian rhythm in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”
1/2020  - 12/2023 Swiss National Science Foundation Project Grant 320030_189072 including Protected Research Time for Clinicians: “Diversity and compartmentalisation of monocytes & macrophages and immuneparesis in patients with cirrhosis”

National Collaborations

• Prof. Dr. Markus Heim, University Centre for Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases Basel and Hepatology Laboratory, Basel
• Prof. Dr. Christian Cajochen, Centre for Chronobiology, University of Basel
• PD Dr. Dr. David Semela, Gastroenterology & Hepatoloigy and Liver Biology Laboratory, St. Gallen
• Prof. Dr. Burkhard Ludewig, Immunobiology, Medical Research Centre, St. Gallen
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Annalisa Berzigotti, Hepatology, Inselspital Bern
• Dr. Montserrat Fraga, Gastroenterology & Hepatologie, CHUV, Lausanne
• PD Dr. Benedetta Terziroli, Epatocentro Ticino, University Ticino
• Dr. Patrizia Künzler, Departement Nursing Sciences, University of Basel

International Collaborations

• Prof. Dr. Julia Wendon & Dr. Mark McPhail, Institut of Liver Studies, King’s College London, UK
• Prof. Dr. Mark Thursz and Dr. Evangelos Triantafyllou, Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Imperial College London, UK
• Dr. Christopher Weston, Centre for Liver & Gastro Research, University of Birmingham, UK
• Prof. Dr. Luigi Terracciano, Anatomic Pathology Unit, Humanitas University Research Hospital, Milano, Italy

Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?
Assessment of circadian rhythm in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Diversity and compartmentalisation of monocytes & macrophages and immuneparesis in patients with cirrhosis

Clinical Multicentre Studies as local PI:

National:
- SASL 38 Swiss registry on Autoimmune Hepatitis (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)
- SASL 39 Swiss registry on Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)
- SASL 40 Swiss registry on Primar Sclerosing Cholangitis SWISS PSC (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)
- SASL 44 DAA Treatment Failure in Chronic Hepatitis C - The Swiss Experience (Dr. M. Fraga, Lausanne)

International:
- Pro-Euro-DILI Registry: Creation of a multicentre and multidisciplinary European registry of prospective drug-induced liver injury cases (PI: Prof. G. Aithal, University of Nottingham, UK)
- Investigation of Liver Involvement in Patients with alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency (PI: PD Dr. med. Pavel Strnad, University Hospital Aachen, Germany)