EPFL, UNIL and CHUV join forces in cancer research

© Jamani Caillet / 2020 EPFL

© Jamani Caillet / 2020 EPFL

Professor Christoph Merten, from the School of Engineering, has been awarded a Sinergia 2020 grant from the Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique.

Christoph Merten is a part of a Lausanne-based consortium, led by Dr. Alexandre Harari, Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, in collaboration with professors David Gfeller and Vincent Zoete (UNIL and SIB). The researchers from the three institutions, all affiliated to the Lausanne branch of Ludwig, are working to develop new cancer therapies. The Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique has awarded them a grant of 2.3 million francs to develop technologies to establish experimental immunotherapy treatments in order to better understand their mecanisms.

To achieve this goal, the interdisciplinary team of experts from CHUV, UNIL and EPFL will be able to draw on unique expertise in the fields of cellular immunology, bioinformatics, molecular modelling and microfluidics.

In addition to scientific outreach, these discoveries will pave the way to the creation of new treatments such as vaccines and cellular therapies for cancer patients.