Department for BioMedical Research DBMR

Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR)

The Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR) of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bern, led by Prof. Mark A. Rubin, MD, was established in 1994 by the University of Bern and the Inselspital (Bern University Hospital). The DBMR is divided in 13 Research Programs with about 100 participating individual labs and several Independent Research Labs whose research spans across all biomedical fields. To realize its mission to bridge the gap between bench and bedside, the DBMR promotes an integrative perspective to clinical research with a strong emphasis in the development of translational approaches, the use of omics and other cutting-edge technologies, and extensive interaction and collaboration between laboratory-based and patient-oriented clinical research. The DBMR is also committed to fostering the careers of young academics.

News

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Loss of Pi5P4Ka slows the progression of Pten mutant basal cell model of prostate cancer

Research Article:
Loss of Pi5P4Ka slows the progression of Pten mutant basal cell model of prostate cancer: Joanna Triscott, Marika Lehner, Andrej Benjak, Matthias Reist, Brooke M. Emerling, Charlotte K.Y. Ng, Simone de Brot, Mark A. Rubin

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.

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.

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.

The DBMR Annual Report 2023 is now available!

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!

SNSF Starting Grant 2023

Congratulations to Prof. Joel Zindel for his successful application!

SNSF Starting Grant 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Jakob Zimmermann for his successful application!

SF Board Call 2023

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Andreina Schoeberlein, Prof. Dr. Deborah Stroka, Prof. Dr. Paola Luciani (DCBP), Prof. Dr. Katia Monastyrskaya, PD Dr. Amiq Gazdhar, Dr. Ali Hasemi Gheinani and Prof. Dr. Benjamin Gantenbein on their successful SF Board Call 2023 Grant for establishing an extracellular vesicle (EV) Core Facility to standardize EV isolation, purification, and analysis for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, pushing the boundaries of EV-based technology at the University of Bern.

Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC)

Have a look at the interview video of Prof. Mark A. Rubin where he discusses his 3RCC-funded research! Videos are available in German and English.

Dr. La Manna's project on prostate cancer awarded at SAKK Translational Urogenital Cancer Network Meeting

Congratulations to Dr. Federico La Manna, whose project was selected as one of the best projects presented at the 4th Swiss SAKK Translational Urogenital Cancer Network Meeting. The award sponsored by Advanced Accelerator Applications is endowed with CHF 10’000 and aimed at supporting ongoing prostate cancer research.

Prof. Dr. Yvonne Döring awarded with the Outstanding Achievement Award 2023

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Yvonne Döring, who was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award 2023 by the European Society of Cardiology on Basic Cardiovascular Science.

Recap of the Day of BioMedical Research with Mark Rubin

Highlights/impressions of the Day of BioMedical Research created by UniBEFoundation, featuring Prof. Mark Rubin, Director DBMR, about the challenges of young researchers and the importance of awards like the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR research award.

"Forever young? How we live better longer "- SRF Puls

Prof. Dr. Alexander Eggel, Translational Immunology, DBMR, spoke about sucessfully prolonging labour mice’s live in a SRF Puls report on «Für immer jung? Wie wir besser länger leben» (Forever young? How we live better longer.)

DBMR Day of BioMedical Research

Impressions of the DBMR Day of BioMedical Research 2023! Thank you to all participants, the keynote speaker Prof. Hans Clevers, to our sponsors, and organizing team.

Prizes - DBMR BioMedical Research Day 2023

Congratulations to all awardees of the prizes announced at the DBMR BioMedical Research Day 2023! Read more.

Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2023

At the DBMR BioMedical Research on Wednesday, 5 July 2023, Prof. Volker Enzmann announced the winner of the Johanna Dürmüller-Bol DBMR Research Award 2023. The DBMR congratulates Mattia Aime, for the project “REM sleep and emotions: the missing link for a better life quality”.

New target against cancer

Prof. Rubin and Dr. Augspach have identified a previously unknown weak point of prostate cancer cells. The study was just published in Molecular Cell. Read more.

Dr. med Joel Zindel awarded with a Cloëtta Medical Research Position

Congratulations to Dr. med Joel Zindel, who was awarded a five-year research position by the Foundation Board of the Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation!

NIH Grant for a personalized, antigen-directed immunotherapy project

Congratulations to PD Dr. Mona Mohsen (MPI), Bachmann Lab, and her project partner Prof. Eva Sevick (PI, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) for being awarded NIH grant (NIH parent R01) with the project: “Personalized, antigen-directed immunotherapy delivered to lymph nodes”.

Promega Art + Science 2023 Collection

Congratulations to Anke Augspach, whose artwork "Lineage plasticity" was selected for the collection of the 2023 edition of the Promega Art Contest for Creative Scientists!

Bladder cancer organoids as models to test personalized treatment strategies

Bladder cancer heterogeneity is the primary cause of treatment failure. In a study just published in Nature Communications, Martina Minoli from the Urology group (led by Prof. Marianna Kruithof-de Julio) used patient-derived bladder cancer organoids to develop a drug screening pipeline and identify potential markers of treatment response.

Innosuisse project to develop a translational bladder cancer-on-chip model

Congratulations to Prof. Marianna Kruithof-de Julio and Dr. Nina Hobi from AlveoliX for their successful Innosuissse project "iBloC: a ground-breaking translational bladder cancer-on-chip model to empower development of novel immuno-oncology drugs“. We are looking forward to seeing the results of this project.

DBMR researchers receive grant from the Wilhelm Sander Foundation

Congratulations to Prof. Marianna Kruithof-de Julio, Dr. Sofia Karkampouna, and Dr. Panagiotis Chouvardas! Their project "Identification of a spatial single-cell proteome atlas of bladder cancer to characterize disease heterogeneity by imaging mass cytometry" was selected for funding by the Wilhelm Sander Foundation, a foundation from Germany supporting experimental and clinical research with a focus on cancer research.

Technological advances in cancer therapy

Article in Cancer Cell "Clinical application of advanced multi-omics tumor profiling: shaping precision oncology of the future":
Dr. Dilara Akhoundara and Prof. Mark A. Rubin (University of Bern / Inselspital) provide an overview of the latest technologies in precision oncology. Translating these into clinical application is still a major challenge. With research projects, the Bern Center for Precision Medicine (BCPM) contributes to bringing technological progress to the patient.

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