Seminar 03 March 2025 – OptiThyDose: Intelligent Digital Decision Support Tool to Personalise Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases

Seminar 03 March 2025 -Personalising Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases

 

The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar about an intelligent digital decision support tool to personalise dosing for children with thyroid diseases.

When: Monday, 3rd March 2025, 16:00 - 18:00 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where:  Seminarraum U1.191– Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel

Registration: HERE
Directions and location information

Schedule:

      • Welcome by Prof Marc Pfister (University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland)
      • Keynote by Prof Gabor Szinnai (University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland): "The clinical problem with thyroid diseases in children"
      • Keynote by Dr Britta Steffens (University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland): "The pharmacometric approach to solve the problem"
      • Keynote by Freya Bachmann (University of Konstanz, Germany): "The combination of pharmacometrics with optimal control theory"
      • Q&A and Closing
      • Networking Apéro

Speakers:

Prof Marc Pfister

University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Moderator

Profile

Prof Marc Pfister, MD, is a Professor of Pharmacometrics and Pharmacology in the Medical Faculty at the University of Basel, Chair of the Paediatric Pharmacology Department at University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) and Head of SwissPedPha, the Swiss Platform for Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics Research in Paediatrics. He co-founded the American Conference on Pharmacometrics (ACoP) and the International Society of Pharmacometrics (ISoP). In the paediatric pharmacology research centre at UKBB, he leads a research group containing mathematicians, statisticians, engineers, pharmacologists and clinicians applying innovative pharmacometrics, control theory, machine learning and other AI-based approaches in order to develop clinical decision support systems with the goal of enhancing and personalizing treatments in neonates, infants, children and adolescents.

Prof Marc Pfister co-leads the BRCCH project: OptiThyDose: Intelligent Digital Decision Support Tool to Personalise Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases. Read more here.

Prof Gabor Szinnai

University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "The clinical problem with thyroid diseases in children"

Profile

Prof Gabor Szinnai is Head of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology at University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) and a research group leader in the Department of Clinical Research at University Hospital Basel. He trained in paediatric endocrinology in Basel and at L’Hôpital Necker – Enfants Malades in Paris, France. He is a board member of the National Committee for Rare Diseases (KOSEK) in Switzerland. His longstanding research interests are thyroid diseases in childhood with a special focus on genetic thyroid diseases and individualized pharmacotherapy for patients with thyroid diseases from birth to adulthood. He is a member of the Consensus Guideline Group for Congenital Hypothyroidism of the ENDO-European Reference Network (ERN) Initiative endorsed by the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society for Endocrinology (ESE). In 2012, he was awarded a Visiting Professorship Grant for Rare Endocrine Diseases by the ESPE.

Prof Gabor Szinnai co-leads the BRCCH project: OptiThyDose: Intelligent Digital Decision Support Tool to Personalise Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases. Read more here.

Dr Britta Steffens

University Children's Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "The pharmacometric approach to solve the problem"

Profile

Dr. Britta Steffens studied mathematics at the University of Konstanz, Germany, specializing in statistics. She has more than 12 years of university-based experience in statistical modelling, pattern recognition and data analysis, as well as (undergraduate) teaching. In 2020, she joined the Paediatric Pharmacology Department at University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) as an interdisciplinary scientific researcher. Her main research topics are the analysis and modelling of clinical data in the context of developing decision support tools by applying mathematical-statistical methods and approaches from pharmacometrics and machine learning.

Dr. Britta Steffens is a researcher in the BRCCH project: OptiThyDose: Intelligent Digital Decision Support Tool to Personalise Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases. Read more here.

Freya Bachmann

University of Konstanz, Germany

Talk: "The combination of pharmacometrics with optimal control theory"

Profile

Freya Bachmann is a PhD student in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Konstanz, Germany. In collaboration with University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), she applies techniques from optimal control theory and numerical optimization to pharmacometric models in order to compute optimal individualized dosing regimens. In 2019, she received the American Conference on Pharmacometrics Trainee Award for outstanding research and gave an oral presentation of her work entitled “Computing the Optimal Individual Dosing Regimen with Constraints on Model States to Include Side Effects” at the main conference in Florida.

Freya Bachmann is a researcher in the BRCCH project: OptiThyDose: Intelligent Digital Decision Support Tool to Personalise Dosing for Children with Thyroid Diseases. Read more here.

Inaugural Lecture 25 November 2024 – Recent Advances in the Molecular Understanding and Diagnostics of Bone Tumours

Inaugural Lecture, 25 November 2024 - Recent Advances in the Molecular Understanding and Diagnostics of Bone Tumours

Update: Thank you to all who attended. For those who could not make it, the presentation video is available for viewing below.

The BRCCH cordially invites you to the inaugural lecture of Prof Daniel Baumhoer of the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. Prof Baumhoer will discuss recent advances in the molecular understanding and diagnosis of bone tumours.

When: Monday, 25th November 2024, 16:00 - 17:30 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where: Hybrid Zoom / Zentrum für Lehre und Forschung, Kleiner Hörsaal, Universitätsspital Basel (Centre for Teaching and Learning, Small Lecture Theatre, University Hospital Basel), Hebelstrasse 20, 4031 Basel.

See map

Zoom Registration: HERE

In Person Registration: HERE

Schedule:

      • Welcome by Prof Georg Hollander, Director of the BRCCH
      • Lecture delivered by Prof Daniel Baumhoer, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland: "Recent advances in the molecular understanding and diagnostics of bone tumours"
      • Q&A and Closing
      • Networking Apéro

Speaker:

Prof Daniel Baumhoer

University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "Recent Advances in the Molecular Understanding and Diagnostics of Bone Tumours"

Profile: Prof Dr Daniel Baumhoer is the BRCCH Professor in Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology. He is also a consultant pathologist with special expertise in bone and soft tissue, as well as head and neck pathology. At the University Hospital in Basel, he leads the Bone Tumour Reference Centre and the DÖSAK Reference Registry through which he receives 800-1000 consultation cases a year, mostly from Switzerland and Germany but also from other countries. Prof Baumhoer contributed to several fascicles of the WHO classification of tumours as the responsible first author and has contributed to more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. His research focuses on elucidating the molecular pathogenesis of bone and soft tissue tumours, with a particular focus on methylation classifiers.

 

Watch the presentation on YouTube here.

Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day – Video Release

Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day - Video Release

 

On 19 April 2024 the BRCCH hosted its Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day in Basel, Switzerland. This one-day seminar and networking event brought together researchers across disciplines with a common focus on improving child and adolescent health.

This event included talks from BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme researchers about their paediatric health research progress over the last two years. Each of these fellows also invited an established researcher from their field to deliver a keynote address.

Videos of the day's presentations are now available to watch on YouTube. See the links below.

Speakers:

Dr Sarah Brüningk

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Harnessing Machine Learning and Mechanistic Modelling for Personalised Predictions for Paediatric Brain Tumour Patients"

View on YouTube

Dr Kanika Dheman

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Patch-IT: Multi-Sensor Sensor Nodes for Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring to Identify Novel Digital Biomarkers for Sepsis Detection in Neonatal Intensive Care"

View on YouTube

Dr Michele Magno

Head, Center for Project-Based Learning at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "AI-based Wearables and Noncontact Radars: Revolutionizing Neonatal and Infant Monitoring"

View on YouTube

Dr Gillian Levine

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland

Talk: "E-Helping Hands: Digital Clinical Decision Support Tools to Improve Care of Sick Young Infants"

View on YouTube

Dr Nigel Rollins

Medical Officer, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing

World Health Organization, Switzerland

Talk: "Translating the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness into a Digital Tool for Use by Frontline Health Workers in Humanitarian Settings"

View on YouTube

Dr Nicole Zoratto

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Bioinspired, Low-Cost Device for Minimally Invasive Blood Sampling"

View on YouTube

Dr Nicole Stoffel

Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences and Technology

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "The Effects of Iron Deficiency on Paediatric Vaccine Response"

View on YouTube

Prof Nissim Benvenisty

Herbert Cohn Chair in Cancer Research

Hebrew University, Israel

Talk: "The Essentialome of Human Development and Disease"

View on YouTube

Dr Keith Gunapala

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

University of Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "Novel Approaches to Treating Fragile X Syndrome"

View on YouTube

19 April 2024 – Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day

19 April 2024 - Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day

 

Update: Thank you to all who attended.

The BRCCH cordially invites you to our Future of Paediatric Health Research Spotlight Day on 19 April 2024 in Basel, Switzerland. This one-day seminar and networking event will bring together researchers across disciplines with a common focus on improving child and adolescent health.

This event will include talks from BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme researchers about their paediatric health research progress over the last two years. Each of these fellows has also invited an established researcher from their field to deliver a keynote address. During the lunch break, attendees will have the opportunity to attend a workshop about nurturing research teams.

When: Friday, 19 April 2024, 9:00 - 17:30 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where:  Hotel ODELYA, Missionstrasse 21a, 4055 Basel

Please Note: This event is taking place in person in Basel, Switzerland only and will not be accessible online.

In Person Registration: HERE

Schedule:

    • 9.00-9.30 – Arrival and coffee
    • 9.30-9.40 – Welcome by Daniel Müller, Co-Director, BRCCH
    • 9.40-12.15 – Talks by BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme researchers and their invited speakers on paediatric health
    • 12.15-12.45 – Lunch (Break until 14.00 if not attending the workshop)
    • 12.45-13.45 – Workshop: Nurturing Research Teams
    • 14.00-17.30 – Talks by BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme researchers and their invited speakers on paediatric health
    • 17:30-17:35 – Closing Remarks by Georg Holländer, Director, BRCCH
    • 17.35-18.00 – Networking & Apéro

Speakers:

Dr Sarah Brüningk

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Harnessing Machine Learning and Mechanistic Modelling for Personalised Predictions for Paediatric Brain Tumour Patients"

Prof Dr Ana Guerreiro Stücklin

SNF Eccellenza Professor for Pediatric Neurooncology

Kinderspital Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Dissecting the Role of Oncofusions in Brain Tumours in Infants"

Dr Kanika Dheman

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Patch-IT: Multi-Sensor Sensor Nodes for Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring to Identify Novel Digital Biomarkers for Sepsis Detection in Neonatal Intensive Care"

Dr Michele Magno

Head, Center for Project-Based Learning at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "AI-based Wearables and Noncontact Radars: Revolutionizing Neonatal and Infant Monitoring"

Dr Gillian Levine

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland

Talk: "E-Helping Hands: Digital Clinical Decision Support Tools to Improve Care of Sick Young Infants"

Dr Nigel Rollins

Medical Officer, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing

World Health Organization, Switzerland

Talk: "Translating the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness into a Digital Tool for Use by Frontline Health Workers in Humanitarian Settings"

Dr Nicole Zoratto

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Bioinspired, Low-Cost Device for Minimally Invasive Blood Sampling"

Dr Nicole Stoffel

Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences and Technology

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "The Effects of Iron Deficiency on Paediatric Vaccine Response"

Dr Keith Gunapala

BRCCH Postdoctoral Excellence Programme Researcher

University of Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "Novel Approaches to Treating Fragile X Syndrome"

Prof Nissim Benvenisty

Herbert Cohn Chair in Cancer Research

Hebrew University, Israel

Talk: "The Essentialome of Human Development and Disease"

Workshop: Nurturing Research Teams

Creativity, innovation and collaboration within research teams are prerequisites for knowledge creation and transfer, and for individual and team performance. Positive research leadership that encourages team productivity, motivation and development is crucial in fostering such conditions. But what does leadership mean and entail exactly? What makes a good leader? What leadership styles are there, and what type of leader are you?

This session offers an opportunity to learn, reflect and exchange perspectives on the skill- and mindset required to optimise dynamics and workflows within research teams, and to enable oneself and colleagues to fully develop and express their individual and collective potential.

Dr Maddalena Fumagalli

Seminar 21 March 2024 – Lessons from the Deceased to the Living and Back

Seminar 21 March 2024 - Lessons from the Deceased to the Living and Back

 

Update: Thank you to all who attended. For those who could not make it, the presentation videos are available for viewing below.

The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar about the use of pathology during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the human body.

When: Thursday, 21st March 2024, 16:00 - 17:30 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where: Hybrid Zoom / Seminarraum U1.197– Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel

Zoom Registration: HERE

In Person Registration: HERE
Directions and location information

Schedule:

      • Welcome by Prof Danny Jonigk (University Medical Center of RWTH Aachen University, Germany)
      • Keynote by Dr Jasmin Haslbauer (University Hospital Basel, Switzerland): "Cardiovascular Manifestations of COVID-19"
      • Keynote by Prof Maximilian Ackermann (RWTH University Clinics & Helios University Clinics, Germany): "COVID-19 – A Systemic Vasculo-inflammatory Disease"
      • Keynote by Prof Alexandar Tzankov (University Hospital Basel, Switzerland): "COVID-19 Insights from Non-Cardio-Pulmonary Organ Pathology"
      • Q&A and Closing
      • Networking Apéro

Speakers:

Prof Danny Jonigk

University Medical Center of RWTH Aachen University, Germany

Moderator

Profile

Prof Danny Jonigk is a surgical and molecular pathologist, the Chair of Pathology and the Head of the Department of the Institute of Pathology at the University Medical Center of RWTH Aachen University in Germany. Prof Jonigk received his doctoral degree from Hannover Medical School in Germany. He is also the Head and Founding Principal Investigator of the National Central Pathology Platform within the German Centre for Lung Research and the Head of the Pathology Platform at the German Centre for Lung Research. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, has received numerous research grants, including the first ERC consolidator grant to a pathologist and authored or co-authored 302 peer-reviewed papers.

Dr Jasmin Haslbauer

University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "Cardiovascular Manifestations of COVID-19"

Profile

Dr Jasmin Haslbauer is a resident at the Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology at University Hospital Basel (USB). She executes autopsies and is responsible for tissue collection, and also provides histopathological examinations, immunohistochemical examinations and data consolidation. She received her undergraduate medical degree from Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and an MSc in molecular pathology and genomics from the Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London, UK. Her current research deals with COVID-19-associated immunological and cardiovascular pathology.

Dr Haslbauer is a researcher on the BRCCH project: Lessons From the Deceased to the Living and Back. Read more here.

Watch the presentation on YouTube here.

Prof Maximilian Ackermann

RWTH University Clinics & Helios University Clinics, Germany

Talk: "COVID-19 – A Systemic Vasculo-inflammatory Disease"

Profile

Prof Maximilian Ackermann is a professor and pathologist within the Institute of Pathology at RWTH University Clinics and the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology at Helios University Clinics in Germany. His research focuses on angiogenesis, inflammation and vascular remodelling in disease. PD Dr Ackermann received his medical and doctoral degrees from Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz located in Germany. He has received a number of prestigious awards including the Rudolf-Virchow Award from the German Society of Pathology.

Watch the presentation on YouTube here.

Prof Alexandar Tzankov

University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "COVID-19 Insights from Non-Cardio-Pulmonary Organ Pathology"

Profile

Prof Alexandar Tzankov is a surgical pathologist and Head of the Department of Histopathology and Autopsy at the Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology at University Hospital Basel. He currently chairs the European Bone Marrow Working Group and is a joined expert in the field of pathology for the Swiss Accreditation Authority. His major interests and diagnostic expertise lie within haematopathology and mediastinal pathology. Alongside current intensive tissue-based research activity on the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and the human body in COVID-19, his research group has long been involved in translational investigations and precision medicine of lymphomas and myeloid neoplasms. He has authored or co-authored more than 460 papers.

Prof Tzankov co-leads the BRCCH project: Lessons From the Deceased to the Living and Back. Read more here.

Watch the presentation on YouTube here.

Seminar 28 November 2023 – Evolving Perspectives in Improving Cleft Lip and Palate Care

Seminar 28 November 2023 - Evolving Perspectives in Improving Cleft Lip and Palate Care

Update: Thank you to all who attended. For those who could not make it, the presentation videos are available for viewing below.

The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar about evolving perspectives in improving cleft lip and palate care. Prof Andreas Mueller (University Hospital Basel, Switzerland) and Dr Baran Gözcü (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) will share their BRCCH consortium’s research progress in developing a digital pipeline to reduce the treatment burden and cost of cleft lip and palate care. Assoc Prof David Chong (Royal Children's Hospital, Australia) will present his work pursuing the best way to treat children who require facial surgery for cleft lip and palate.

When: Tuesday, 28th November 2023, 16:00 - 17:30 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where: Hybrid Zoom / Seminarraum U1.197– Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel

Zoom Registration: HERE

In Person Registration: HERE
Directions and location information

Schedule:

      • Welcome by Dr Adelita Sommacal (University Hospital Basel, Switzerland)
      • Keynote by Prof Andreas Mueller (University Hospital Basel, Switzerland): "Reducing the Burden in Cleft Care: The Knife is not Enough"
      • Keynote by Dr Baran Gözcü (ETH Zurich, Switzerland): "Cleft Care in the 21st Century: Can AI Revolutionize?"
      • Keynote by Assoc Prof David Chong (Royal Children's Hospital, Australia): "Global Cleft Care: A Personal Journey"
      • Q&A and Closing
      • Networking Apéro

Speakers:

Dr Adelita Sommacal

University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Moderator

Prof Andreas Mueller

University Hospital Basel, Switzerland

Talk: "Reducing the Burden in Cleft Care: The Knife is not Enough"

Watch on YouTube

Dr Baran Gözcü

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Cleft Care in the 21st Century: Can AI Revolutionize"

Watch on YouTube

Assoc Prof David Chong

Royal Children's Hospital, Australia

Talk: "Global Cleft Care: A Personal Journey"

Watch on YouTube

Seminar 23 October 2023 – The Gut Microbiome as a Tool for Individualised Medicine

Seminar 23 October 2023 - The Gut Microbiome as a Tool for Individualised Medicine

 

Update: Thank you to all who attended. For those who could not make it, Dr Zimmermann's presentation is available for viewing below.

The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar about the gut microbiome and individualised medicine. Prof Randall Platt (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) and Prof Andrew Macpherson (University Hospital Bern, Switzerland) will share their BRCCH consortium’s research progress in using engineered bacteria as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to survey the gastrointestinal tract and support child health worldwide. Dr Michael Zimmermann (EMBL - Heidelberg, Germany) will highlight his work investigating how interpersonal differences in the gut microbiome influence bacterial drug metabolism, activity and toxicity.

When: Monday, 23rd October 2023, 16:00 - 17:30 CET, to be followed by an apéro

Where: Hybrid Zoom / Seminarraum U1.197– Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel

Zoom Registration: HERE

In Person Registration: HERE
Directions and location information

Schedule:

      • Welcome by Dr Katie Guzzetta (ETH Zurich & BRCCH Postdoctoral Researcher)
      • Keynote by Prof Randall Platt (ETH Zurich & BRCCH Lead Researcher): "Living Microbial Diagnostics to Enable Individualised Child Health Interventions"
      • Keynote by Prof Andrew Macpherson (University Hospital Bern & BRCCH Lead Researcher): "An Update on the University of Zimbabwe Birth Cohort Study"
      • Keynote by Dr Michael Zimmermann (EMBL - Heidelberg): "Identifying Gut Microbiome Contributions to Drug Metabolism and Carcinogen Toxicity"
      • Q&A and Closing
      • Networking Apéro

Speakers:

Dr Katie Guzzetta

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Moderator

Profile

Dr Katie Guzzetta is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Prof Randy Platt at ETH Zurich. Her research focuses on developing bacteria-based technologies to diagnose nutritional deficiencies and other health disruptions related to the gut microbiome. Prior to this, Katie completed her PhD in Neuroscience and Anatomy at the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork, Ireland, where she studied how the gut microbiota influences neurodevelopment and behavior under the mentorship of Prof John Cryan and Dr Olivia O’Leary. Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys spending time hiking and camping in the mountains, skiing, and exploring diverse countries and cultures.

Prof Randall Platt

ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Talk: "Living Microbial Diagnostics to Enable Individualised Child Health Interventions"

Profile

Prof Randall (Randy) Platt holds associate professorships at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) at ETH Zurich and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Basel. Prof Platt studied biomedical engineering and chemistry at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, USA. In 2011, he obtained an MPhil in material science from Imperial College London, UK, and in 2016 he received a PhD in biological engineering from MIT, USA. After a joint postdoctoral fellowship between MIT, Harvard University, and the Broad Institute, he was appointed as a tenure-track assistant professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Basel in October 2016.

Prof Platt co-leads the BRCCH project: Living Microbial Diagnostics to Enable Individualised Child Health Interventions. Read more here.

Prof Andrew Macpherson

University Hospital Bern, Switzerland

Talk: "An Update on the University of Zimbabwe Birth Cohort Study"

Profile

Prof Andrew Macpherson is a Professor of Medicine at Inselspital Bern. His laboratory has worked on immune and non-immune mechanisms of host-microbial mutualism using animal models and translational work in human subjects. He has set up collaborations with Zimbabwean and Kenyan colleagues in order to address the problem of dysbiosis that triggers intestinal dysfunction and stunting in young children in low- and middle-income countries.

Prof Macpherson co-leads the BRCCH project: Living Microbial Diagnostics to Enable Individualised Child Health Interventions. Read more here.

Dr Michael Zimmermann

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Heidelberg, Germany

Talk: "Identifying Gut Microbiome Contributions to Drug Metabolism and Carcinogen Toxicity"

Profile

Michael Zimmermann is a group leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. Michael received his Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Basel University and his Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie (ESBS) in Strasbourg. Michael performed his PhD work at ETH Zurich in metabolomics and Systems Biology and he pursued his postdoctoral training at Yale University to investigate metabolic host-microbiome interactions. His research group at EMBL employs bacterial genetics, metabolomics, gnotobiotic mouse work, and mathematical modeling to systematically map metabolic microbiota-host interactions. Among several honors and scholarships, Michael was awarded the Daimler Benz Scholarship, Agilent’s Steve Berger Award, the 2021 FEBS Anniversary Prize, and an ERC Starting Grant.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute- Open House June 17

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Invites the Public to New Headquarters

visual: Swiss TPH

 

The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute invites everyone to their public Open House of their new headquarters "Belo Horizonte" in Allschwil on Saturday, June 17th, 2023.

Among the exciting, family-friendly programme of activities and educational talks, BRCCH-supported research projects will showcase their work in a fun, interactive way.

See the full programme and event details on the Swiss TPH's website.

Seminar 27 Apr – Digital Support Tools for Paediatric Health

Seminar 27 Apr - Digital Support Tools for Paediatric Health

**Update May 22nd, 2023** Thank you to everyone that attended our hybrid seminar! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel.

Image: Daniel Mäusezahl and Stella Hartinger Peña

Image: Ebby Shaban and Magali Rochat/ DYNAMIC

    Description:  The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar about advancing child health using digital health support tools and systems. Prof Günther Fink (Swiss TPH, Switzerland) will share his BRCCH consortium’s research progress on supporting the development of children in low-resource settings through the use of novel digital health technology. Prof Valérie D’Acremont (Unisanté, Switzerland) will highlight her work on an e-health system intervention aimed to improve paediatric clinical care, to promote sustainable resource use in a constrained setting and to enhance the detection of outbreaks.

    When: Thursday, 27th April 2023, 16:00 - 17:15 CET, to be followed by an apéro

    Where: Hybrid Zoom / Seminarraum U1.191– Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel

    Zoom Registration: HERE

    In-person Registration: HERE
    Directions and location information

    Schedule:

        • Welcome by Dr Gillian Levine (Swiss TPH & BRCCH PEP Fellow)
        • Keynote by Prof Günther Fink (Swiss TPH & BRCCH Lead Researcher): “Digital Support Systems to Improve Child Health and Development in Low-Income Settings”
        • Keynote by Prof Valérie D’Acremont (Unisanté): “DYNAMIC: An e-Health System Intervention to Improve Clinical Care for Children, Promote Sustainable Use of Resources and Enhance Outbreak Detection”
        • Q&A and Closing
        • Networking Apéro

    Speakers:

    Dr Gillian Levine

    Swiss TPH, Switzerland

    Welcome and Moderator

    Prof Günther Fink

    Swiss TPH, Switzerland

    Talk: “Digital Support Systems to Improve Child Health and Development in Low-Income Settings”

    Prof Valérie D’Acremont

    Unisanté Lausanne, Switzerland

    Talk: “DYNAMIC: An e-Health System Intervention to Improve Clinical Care for Children, Promote Sustainable Use of Resources and Enhance Outbreak Detection”.

    These seminars were recorded on April 27th, 2023 in Basel, Switzerland.

    Seminar 18 Nov – Importance of the Microbiome in Paediatric Health

    BRCCH Seminar 18 Nov - Importance of the Microbiome in Paediatric Health

    **Update December 12th, 2022** Thank you to everyone that attended our hybrid seminar! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel.

    Visual: Ronja Rappold

     

    Description:  The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar addressing the importance of the microbiome in paediatric health. Prof Emma Slack (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) will share her work on the development of novel intervention strategies for inborn errors of metabolism and neonatal sepsis using advancements in microbiota bioengineering. Prof Mathias Hornef (University Hospital Aachen, Germany) will highlight his research on the postnatal microbiotic colonisation in the intestines and the development of the mucosal adaptive immune system after birth.

    When: Friday, November 18th, 2022 from 16:00-17:15 CET, to be followed by an apéro

    Where: Hybrid Zoom / Room HIL E7 – Hörsaal, ETH Zurich Hönggerberg Campus, Stefano-​​Franscini-​Platz 5, 8093 Zurich

    Zoom Registration: HERE

    In-person Registration: HERE
    Directions and location information

    Schedule:

        • Welcome by Prof Sai Reddy (Vice Director, BRCCH)
        • Prof Emma Slack (ETH Zurich): "Precision Microbiota Engineering for Child Health"
        • Prof Mathias Hornef (University Hospital Aachen, Germany): "Ontogeny of the Host-Microbial Interaction in the Intestine"
        • Q&A and Closing
        • Networking Apéro

    Keynote speakers:

    Prof Emma Slack

    ETH Zurich, Switzerland

    Talk: "Precision Microbiota Engineering for Child Health"

    Prof Mathias Hornef

    University Hospital Aachen, Germany

    Talk: "Ontology of the Host-Microbial Interaction in the Intestine."

    These seminars were recorded on November 18th, 2022 in Zurich, Switzerland.

    Seminar 20 Oct – Malaria Prevention: Progress and Prospects

    BRCCH Seminar 20 Oct - Malaria Prevention: Progress and Prospects

    **Update Nov 9th, 2022** Thank you to everyone that attended our hybrid seminar! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel.

    Visual: Swiss TPH, fairpicture

     

    Description:  The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar addressing the progress and prospects of malaria prevention. Prof Simon Draper (University of Oxford, UK) will highlight the challenges, successes and future developments of vaccine-based solutions. Then, Prof Melissa Penny (Swiss TPH) will share her work on data analytics and modelling as product development support. Finally, Prof Evelyn Korkor Ansah (University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana) will provide insights into vaccine implementation and equitable distribution.

    When: Thursday, October 20th, 2022 from 15:00-16:30 CET

    Where: Hybrid Zoom / Kollengienhaus, Hörsaal 116, Petersgraben 50, 4051 Basel

    Zoom Registration: HERE

    In-person Registration (encouraged but not mandatory): HERE

    Schedule:

        • Welcome by Prof Marcel Tanner (Swiss Academy of Arts and Sciences and Swiss TPH)
        • Prof Simon Draper (University of Oxford, UK): Malaria Vaccines – Recent Advances and Future Challenges (20 min)
        • Prof Melissa Penny (Swiss TPH): Data Analytics and Modelling Supporting Novel Malaria Prevention (20 min)
        • Prof Evelyn Korkor Ansah (University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana): Lessons from Malaria Vaccine Implementation in Ghana (20 min)
        • Q&A and Closing
        • Networking Apéro

    Keynote speakers:

    Prof Simon Draper
    University of Oxford, UK
    Talk: "Malaria Vaccines – Recent Advances and Future Challenges"

    Prof Melissa Penny
    Swiss TPH, Switzerland
    Talk: "Data Analytics and Modelling Supporting Novel Malaria Prevention"

    Prof Evelyn Korkor Ansah                                                                                      University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana
    Talk: "Lessons from Malaria Vaccine Implementation in Ghana"

    These seminars were recorded on October 20th, 2022 in Basel, Switzerland.

    BRCCH Seminar 6 July: Refining Paediatric Treatments for All

    BRCCH Seminar 6 July: Refining Paediatric Treatments for All

    **Update July 19th, 2022** Thank you to everyone that attended our hybrid seminar! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel.

    Visual: Kiran Kuruvithadam

     

    Description:  The BRCCH cordially invites you to join our seminar looking at Refining Paediatric Treatments for All. This event will highlight the research progress of Prof Thomas Erb (UKBB) on how to reduce the risk associated with the use of mechanical ventilation in children, and the efforts to improve competence in paediatric anaesthesia in Switzerland. Then, Dr Marianne Schmid Daners (ETH Zurich) will provide an overview of the challenges of paediatric hydrocephalus treatment. Finally, Prof Kokila Lakhoo (University of Oxford) will present her work in low- and middle-income countries on providing surgical treatments to children in need.

    When: Wednesday, July 6th, 2022 from 16:00-17:30 CET

    Where: Hybrid Zoom / UKBB seminar room, Spitalstrasse 33, 4056 Basel

    Zoom Registration: HERE

    In-person Registration (encouraged but not mandatory): HERE

    Schedule:

        • Welcome by BRCCH Director Prof Georg Holländer
        • Prof Thomas Erb & his team (UKBB): "Safety first in children undergoing anaesthesia and sedation!" (25 min)
        • Dr Marianne Schmid Daners (ETH Zurich): "Challenges of paediatric hydrocephalus" (20 min)
        • Prof Kokila Lakhoo (University of Oxford): "Addressing the global health challenges for children with surgical needs in low- and middle-income countries" (40min, online)
        • Closing

    Seminar Archive

    Prof Thomas Erb (UKBB) presents "Safety first in children undergoing anaesthesia and sedation!" originally given on July 6th, 2022.

    Dr Marianne Schmid Daners (ETH Zurich) presents"Challenges of Paediatric Hydrocephalus"originally given on July 6th, 2022.

    Prof Kokila Lakhoo (University of Oxford) presents "Addressing the Global Health Challenges for Children with Surgical Needs in Low- and Middle-income Countries" originally given on July 6th, 2022.

    Keynote Speakers:

    Prof Kokila Lakhoo

    Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford

    Prof Kokila Lakhoo is a consultant paediatric surgeon at the Children’s Hospital in Oxford and the University of Oxford. She is also Chair of the International Forum for the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons and the President of the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery (GICS). She is developing paediatric surgery through a link in Tanzania and has collaborative research projects in Malawi and South Africa. Besides general paediatric surgery and ambulatory surgery, her special interests are global health, fetal counselling, neonatal surgery, paediatric tumour surgery, paediatric thoracic surgery and specialist gastrointestinal surgery.

     

    Prof Thomas Erb

    University Children's Hospital Basel

    Prof Thomas Erb completed his medical training with board examinations in anaesthesiology and critical care. Subsequently, he moved to Durham, North Carolina, USA, where he worked in the Pediatric Cardiology Program at Duke University. There, he also obtained a master of health sciences in clinical research. Returning to Switzerland in 2000, Prof Erb started his clinical research programme in the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB). In 2010, he became Titular Professor of Anaesthesiology, and in 2011 he was made Head of the Division of Paediatric Anaesthesia at UKBB. His clinical interests and research are focused on the effects of anaesthetic conditions on airway and lung mechanics in children. He is currently leading the BRCCH-funded COVent project aiming to develop practical solutions that reduce the risks associated with the use of mechanical ventilation, especially those associated with low-cost/do-it-yourself ventilators and off-label use that are now available in many resource-limited settings.

     

     

    Dr Marianne Schmid Daners

    Institute of Design, Materials and Fabrication, ETH Zurich

    Dr Marianne Schmid Daners graduated from ETH Zurich as a mechanical engineer. She then completed her doctorate on the topic of “Adaptive Shunts for Cerebrospinal Fluid Control” at ETH Zurich’s Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control. Dr Schmid Daners heads the institute’s Biomedical Systems Group as a senior scientist. At the interdisciplinary interface of clinical research and engineering, her passion is the pathophysiological understanding of the dynamics of the intracranial and cardiovascular systems. Her research focuses on the modelling, control and testing of biological systems, as well as on the development and control of biomedical devices for the treatment of heart failure and hydrocephalus.

    Takeaways from Panel Discussion: Impact of COVID-19 on Global Paediatric Health

    Takeaways from Panel Discussion: Impact of COVID-19 on Global Paediatric Health

    On May 24th 2022, a panel of experts highlighted several important facets of the consequences that COVID-19 pandemic has on the global paediatric health situation:

    - decreased access to vital child healthcare services like newborn care and immunisation
    - increased poverty
    - more nutritional and physical activity deprivation
    - mental impairment
    - compromised learning and loss of a caregiver

    Moderator: Prof Julia Dratva, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) & University of Basel, Switzerland

    Panel members: Prof Yvonne Maldonado, Stanford University, USA; Prof Alan Stein, University of Oxford, UK; Dr Marc Birkhölzer, University of Basel, Switzerland; Prof Thomas Berger, Secretary and Chief Medical Advisor at NEO FOR NAMIBIA

    More about the event here.

    Find out more about our speakers and read about their takeaways below

     

    From left to right: Prof Julia Dratva, Dr Marc Birkhölzer, Prof Yvonne Maldonado, Prof Thomas Berger. (Prof Alan Stein joined remotely, not pictured)

     

     

    Prof Yvonne Maldonado

    Dr Marc Birkhölzer

    Prof Alan Stein

    Prof Thomas Berger

    Prof Julia Dratva

    Impact of COVID-19 on Global Paediatric Health – Panel Discussion

    Impact of COVID-19 on Global Paediatric Health

    Join us during an interactive debate with a panel of experts on the topic: How the COVID-19 Pandemic has affected Global Paediatric Health. The discussion will mainly focus on: i) mental health in young people, ii) disruption to life-saving paediatric health services such as immunisation and antenatal care.

    Tuesday, May 24th 2022 (16.00-17.15 pm CET)

    Moderator: Prof Julia Dratva, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) & University of Basel, Switzerland

    Panel members: Prof Yvonne Maldonado, Stanford University, USA; Prof Alan Steiner, University of Oxford, UK; Dr Marc Birkhölzer, University of Basel, Switzerland; Prof Thomas Berger, Secretary and Chief Medical Advisor at NEO FOR NAMIBIA

    Find out more about our speakers below

    The event is taking place in a hybrid format:

    The number of seats at Basel Biozentrum is limited, please register here.

    Interested in joining virtually? Sign up here!

    For more information, contact Dr Amandine Bovay, BRCCH Scientific Officer and Development Manager (amandine.bovay@brc.ch)

    *Update 1 June 2022: In case you missed the event, you can read the discussion takeaways here.

    Programme Speakers:

    Prof Yvonne Maldonado
    Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics
    Department of Epidemiology and Population Health                                 Stanford University School of Medicine, USA

    Yvonne Maldonado is Professor of paediatrics, epidemiology, and population health, and Chief of the division of paediatric infectious diseases at the School of Medicine, Stanford University. She also currently serves as Stanford Medicine’s Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Diversity. Prof Maldonado's research focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of viral infectious diseases such as paediatric HIV, polio, measles and Ebola. Her work on mother-to-child transmission of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa is credited for preventing hundreds of thousands of newborns from acquiring HIV. She also leads research on the development and implementation of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.

    Visual: Stanford University

    Prof Julia Dratva
    Institute of Public Health, ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland
    Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Switzerland

    Prof Julia Dratva is a public health expert with a focus on child and adolescent health and early life factors of health and disease. She is the Head of the Public Health Research Unit at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and an Assistant Professor in the Medical Faculty at the University of Basel.

    Prof Dratva is a medical doctor by training with a background in internal medicine. She also holds a Master degree in Public Health and a Specialist Certification (FMH) for "Prevention and Public Health". She has a particular interest in the life course approach to health and disease in research and teaching, addressing vulnerable groups and vulnerable time spans. She also has research interests in cardiovascular health, health monitoring, health literacy and digital health.

    Prof Alan Stein
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK

    Alan Stein is Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, Honorary Professor in the School of Public health at the University of Witwatersrand and a member of the faculty of the African Health Research Institute, South Africa. His main area of research concerns the development of children and adolescents in the face of adversity. Ultimately the priority is to develop interventions. He has led three Lancet series on: i) The mental health of internally displaced and refugee children, ii) Perinatal mental health, iii) The communication of life-threatening conditions to children.

    Prof Thomas Berger
    Secretary and Chief Medical Advisor at NEO FOR NAMIBIA - Helping Babies Survive

    Prof Thomas Berger is a paediatrician specialised in neonatology and intensive care. With more than 25 years of experience in neonatology in various high-income countries, he decided to share his knowledge with physicians and nurses in less privileged countries. Therefore, he and his wife founded the non-profit organisation NEO FOR NAMIBIA – Helping Babies Survive in 2017. The team has just launched their 14th mission in Rundu State Hospital to improve neonatal and paediatric care in Namibia.

    Dr Marc Birkhölzer
    Psychiatrist, University of Basel, Swizterland

    Dr Marc Birkhölzer is currently a senior physician at the Juvenile Forensic Department of the Psychiatric University Clinics of Basel (UPK). His research focuses on personality disorders. Over the years, he has built an extraordinary network of collaborators in countries all over the world.

    BRCCH Early-Career Programme

    BRCCH's Early-Career Events 2021-2022

    The BRCCH endeavours to foster the development of aspiring young researchers who will pioneer the next frontiers in global paediatric medicine and health. The BRCCH’s Early Career Programme aims to provide unique opportunities for its community members to gain know-how in research areas at the heart of the Centre’s mission and to grow their global network.

    This upcoming year (late 2021-mid 2022), the BRCCH invites its early-career community members to join local and international speakers in a series of interactive workshops on topics across the Centre’s mandate.

    For more information and registration, contact Dr. Amandine Bovay, BRCCH Scientific Officer and Development Manager (amandine.bovay@brc.ch)

    Webinar: Community-based COVID-19 Testing in Lesotho and Zambia

    Webinar: Community-based COVID-19 Testing in Lesotho and Zambia

    Visual: SolidarMed & Swiss TPH

     

    Description:  The BRCCH cordially invites you to join us online for a webinar looking at Community-based COVID-19 testing in Lesotho and Zambia. This event will highlight research progress of the collaborative project between Dr Kwame Shanaube (Zambart) and Dr Klaus Reither (Swiss TPH) on the effects of community-led interventions in mitigating the COVID-19 epidemics in Lesotho and Zambia. The BRCCH and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) partnered on a joint initiative to support multi-national collaborations for research to mitigate COVID-19, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

    When: Wednesday, April 27th, 2022 from 15:30-17:00 CET

    Where: Online, Zoom seminar

    Registration: HERE

    Schedule:

        • Welcome by BRCCH Director Prof Georg Holländer
        • Keynote lecture by Dr Kwame Shanaube (Zambart), Dr Klaus Reither (Swiss TPH) & their research teams:
                1. Overview of the joint BRCCH-EDCTP project: Improving Access to SARS-CoV-2 Screening and Testing through Community-based COVID-19 Case-Finding and the Use of Digital Solutions in Lesotho and Zambia
                2. Comparing different approaches of community-based SARS-CoV-2 testing in Lesotho and Zambia
                3. Barriers and facilitators to SARS-CoV-2 testing at community-based testing sites
                4. Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 tests and testing approaches
        • Plenary discussion
        • Closing

    Keynote Speakers:

     

     

    Dr Kwame Shanaube

    Zambart & School of Public Health, University of Zambia

    Dr Kwame Shanaube is Deputy Director of Research (Quantitative) at Zambart, a multidisciplinary research organisation that conducts a range of studies including clinical trials, epidemiological studies and laboratory-based diagnostic studies. She is a clinician with a Master’s degree in public health and a PhD in TB clinical epidemiology. She is also an honorary lecturer at the University of Zambia School of Public Health. Her research interests cover a wide range of disciplines, including TB/HIV epidemiology, community-based cluster randomised trials, operational research through evaluation of field diagnostics and adolescent health. She is also the country’s Principal Investigator for a large international TB consortium (the TREATS Project) and the overall Principal Investigator for the TREATS-COVID study, both funded by the EDCTP.

     

    Dr Klaus Reither

    Clinical Research Unit, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

    Dr Klaus Reither is Head of the Clinical Research Unit and the leader of the Clinical TB Research Group at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH). He oversees and coordinates clinical research projects conducted by Swiss TPH and his research responsibilities comprise the set-up, implementation, coordination and supervision of clinical research projects, with an emphasis on TB clinical trials at Swiss TPH’s international partner organisations such as the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, the National Centre of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Georgia and SolidarMed in Lesotho.

    Dr Reither is Lead Investigator of the BRCCH COVID-19 project: MistraL - Mitigation Strategies for Communities with COVID-19 Transmission in Lesotho Using Artificial Intelligence on Chest X-rays and Novel Rapid Diagnostic Tests. Together with Dr Kwame Shanaube, he also co-leads a BRCCH-EDCTP collaborative project on Improving Access to SARS-CoV-2 Screening and Testing through Community-based COVID-19 Case-Finding and the Use of Digital Solutions in Lesotho and Zambia.

     

    Webinar: Future of COVID-19 Research

    Webinar: Future of COVID-19 Research

    **Update October 28th, 2021 ** Thank you to everyone that attended our webinar! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel.

    visual: background image courtesy of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

     

    Description: The BRCCH cordially invites you to join us online for a webinar looking at The Future of COVID-19 Research. This event will highlight significant research progress and the roadmap ahead related to immunology, epidemiology and bioengineering. Gain insights from our keynote speakers and engage with them during the Q&A panel discussion.

    When: Thursday, October 21st, 2021 from 15:00-17:00 CET

    Where: online, livestream Zoom seminar

    Schedule:
    Welcome by BRCCH Vice Director Prof Sai Reddy
    Keynote lecture by Prof Teresa Lambe OBE (University of Oxford)
         "Development and testing of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine"
    Keynote lecture by Prof Benjamin Murrell (Karolinska Institutet)
         "Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 variants"
    Keynote lecture by Prof Sai Reddy (ETH Zurich and BRCCH)
         "Identifying prospective variants of SARS-CoV-2 by deep mutational learning"
    Q&A Panel Discussion
    Closing

    Webinar Archive

    Prof Teresa Lambe OBE (University of Oxford) presents "Development and Testing of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19/AZD1222 Vaccine" originally webcast on October 21st, 2021.

     

    Prof Benjamin Murrell (Karolinska Institutet) presents "Neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 Variants" originally webcast on October 21st, 2021.

     

    Prof Sai Reddy (ETH Zurich and BRCCH) presents "Identifying Prospective Variants of SARS-CoV-2 by Deep Mutational Learning" originally webcast on October 21st, 2021.

    Keynote Speakers:

    Prof Teresa Lambe OBE
    The Lambe Group for Emerging Pathogens
    The Oxford Vaccine Group and the Jenner Institute Laboratories
    Dept of Paediatrics, University of Oxford

    Assoc Prof Lambe will share her research insights into the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and its vaccine. Her research group is part of the Covid-19 vaccine trial in the UK and has co-designed the vaccine and led the development and testing of the immune response after vaccination.

    Prof Lambe’s research investigates the establishment of protective immune responses following vaccination and the formation of adaptive immune memory. She is particularly interested in delineating the immune response post vaccination and also post natural infection to help develop vaccines and define correlates of protection. At the University of Oxford, her group uses platform technologies to develop vaccines against emerging and re-emerging pathogens. The group is currently developing vaccines against a number of outbreak pathogens including Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Lassa virus, Nipah virus, Influenza, Ebolavirus and coronaviruses.

    Visual: John Cairns/University of Oxford

    Prof Benjamin Murrell
    Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology
    Karolinska Institutet

    Prof Murrell will speak about his work on the H2020 CoroNAb project, studying antibodies and isolating nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2.

    Prof Murrell's previous research interests surrounded the evolution of the HIV envelope protein, and antibodies against it. Recently, he has applied this expertise to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Together with colleagues, he has identified nanobodies from immunized alpacas that may be potential SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics, and has conducted preclinical immunization studies attempting to boost responses to SARS-CoV-2 variants. This work is part of the CoroNAb consortium research project, funded under Horizon2020 as part of the EU’s emergency funding call for COVID-19.

    Visual: Karolinska Institutet

    Prof Sai Reddy
    Laboratory for Systems and Synthetic Immunology
    Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich
    And Vice Director BRCCH

    Prof Reddy shares his recent work on developing a simultaneous diagnostic and genomic surveillance method for SARS-CoV-2 based on targeted deep sequencing. He will also present new data from his group related to identifying variants of SARS-CoV-2 using a novel method called deep mutational learning. 

    Prof Reddy’s research is focused on the emerging field of systems and synthetic immunology, with an aim towards developing technologies relevant to immunotherapy and biotechnology. He has developed a number of methods in systems immunology to improve our understanding of adaptive immunity, with a particular focus on immune repertoire sequencing. Recently, he founded two spin-off companies, deepCDR Biologics and Engimmune Therapeutics, which are both based on technologies developed in his research group on engineering antibodies or T cells.

    Webinar: Insights Into COVID-19 Research

    Webinar: Insights Into
    COVID-19 Research

    The BRCCH invites you to join us online for free webinars on COVID-19.

    **Update September 17th, 2020 ** Thank you to everyone that attended our webinars in September! We had a great turnout-- in case you missed the presentations or you would like to watch them again, you can now stream them below or on our YouTube channel

      Description: The pandemic is placing the world in a stress test that is unprecedented. In response, organizations across sectors from research to nonprofit are mobilizing resources and taking action. This 3-part webinar series will highlight the BRCCH's ongoing collaborative research efforts in Switzerland, as well as dip into the global conversation about the current challenges and latest developments in the race to respond to the pandemic, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

      Sept 2nd & 9th: We will take an in-depth look into recently launched research projects focused on diagnostics and the immunology of COVID-19, as well as others focused on novel medical interventions for COVID-19. The projects are part of our recent Fast Track Initiative for COVID-19.

      Sept 16th: During the panel discussion, we will hear first hand from international experts about the current landscape of public health and how technology and partnerships spanning borders could meet current challenges in the pandemic.

      Register: closed. In case you missed the webinars, you can now watch them here (scroll down) or on our Youtube channel
      More: Download our programme below for info on the talks and speakers

      Banner image: Produced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), this highly magnified, digitally colorized transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image reveals ultrastructural details exhibited by three, spherical shaped, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) virions.

      Webinar Archive

      Prof Janos Vörös (ETH Zurich) & PD Dr Michael Osthoff (University Hospital Basel) present "A mobile, rapid diagnostic test system for COVID-19 based on lateral flow assays diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infections at point-of-need," originally webcast on Sep 2nd, 2020.

       

      Prof Andreas Moor (ETH Zurich) presents "B cell immunity in convalescent COVID-19 patients with the aim of identifying high-affinity antibodies against SARS-CoV-2" originally webcast on Sep 2nd, 2020.

       

      Prof Melissa Penny (Swiss TPH) & Prof Roland Regoes (ETH Zurich) present "Modelling and machine learning to optimise medical interventions and health strategies for emergency response to the pandemic" originally webcast on Sep 9th, 2020.

       

      Prof Thomas Erb (University Children's Hospital Basel) & Prof Mirko Meboldt (ETH Zurich) present "The challenge of ventilation in the COVID-19 pandemic - improved patient care with low-cost ventilators based on novel integrated pressure sensors" originally webcast on Sep 9th, 2020.

       

      International Panel Discussion
      Prof Alain Labrique (Global mHealth Initiative, Johns Hopkins University) &
      Dr Solomzi Makohliso (EssentialTech, EPFL) &
      Prof Marcel Tanner (Swiss Academy of Sciences | Fondation Botnar)  &
      Akhona Tshangela (Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) &
      Moderated by Dr Maxine Mackintosh (One HealthTech | The Alan Turing Institute)

      Inaugural BRCCH Spotlight Day

      The inaugural Spotlight Day of the BRCCH marked the start of our initiative to build a community, both locally and globally, around the central mission of improving the health and well-being of children and adolescents worldwide. This event was an opportunity for local and international community to meet, start new dialogues and enable fruitful collaborations.

      More than 200 visitors joined the BRCCH at the inaugural Spotlight Day on January 30, 2020 – a great turnout to the Centre's first public event. After inspiring welcome addresses by Andrea Schenker-Wicki and Detlef Günther, four new BRCCH Multi-Investigator Projects showcased their vision for the next 5 years. Three international keynote speakers gave new perspectives on how research can be applied and translated. With this event, the BRCCH welcomed our new research projects at the Centre and the start of their research activities at the BRCCH.

      Watch a summary of the event:

       

      Artist Alex Hughes (Drawnalism) illustrated the event:

         

        The event programme: