MIDHOS Members

Maria Luisa Balmer, MD-PhD is SNSF Eccellenza Assistant Professor and head of the Translational Immunometabolism Laboratory at the Institute for Infectious Diseases. Her research focuses on the metabolic crosstalk between the gut microbiota and the immune system in metabolic disease. During her doctoral work with Andrew J. Macpherson, she demonstrated the role of the liver as an immunological firewall controlling systemic exposure to commensal bacteria.

In her postdoctoral work with Christoph Hess, she identified how systemic metabolites such as acetate regulate memory CD8⁺ T-cell function. Since establishing her independent group in 2021, she combines gnotobiotic models and multi-omics approaches to identify microbiota-derived metabolites driving obesity and metaflammation, with the aim of developing microbiota-targeted therapeutic strategies. 

• Balmer ML, Ma EH, Bantug GR, Grählert J, Pfister S, Glatter T, Jauch A, Dimeloe S, Slack E, Dehio P, KrzyzaniakMA, King CG, Burgener AV, Fischer M, Develioglu D, Belle R, Recher M, Bonilla WV, Pinschewer DD, MacphersonAJ, Hapfelmeier S, Jones RG and Hess C. Memory CD8⁺ T cells require stress-levels of acetate for optimal function. Immunity. 2016 Jun 21;44(6):1312-1324. DOI:10.1016/j.immuni.2016.03.016
• Balmer ML, Slack E, de Gottardi A, Lawson M, Hapfelmeier S, Miele S, Grieco A, Van Vlierberghe H, Fahrner R, Patuto N, Bernsmeier C, Ronchi F, Wyss M, Stroka D, Dickgreber N, Heim M, McCoy KD, and Macpherson AJ: The liver may act as a firewall mediating mutualism between the host and its commensal gut microbiota. Sci Transl Med.2014 May 21;6(237):237ra66. DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.3008618
• Scalise M, Simon M, Bernhardt J, Trümpi O, Hettich T, Gaugler S, Saulacic N, Gantenbein B, Zysset P, Balmer ML. Defined Microbiota Modulates Host Metabolome and Skeletal Adaptation to Diet-Induced Obesity. The FASEB Journal 40, no. 8 (2026): e71831, DOI:10.1096/fj.202600564RR. 

Dr. Johannes Dominik Bastian is a Swiss orthopaedic surgeon and professor at Inselspital, University Hospital Bern. Trained in Bern, he specializes in hip and pelvic surgery, including primary and revision hip arthroplasty, femoral and acetabular fractures, periprosthetic fractures, and pelvic-ring injuries. At Inselspital, he established the orthogeriatric service and the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) to improve acute care pathways and long-term outcomes for older adults with fragility fractures. He founded and serves as president of the Expert Group “Orthogeriatry and Geriatric Traumatology” within Swiss Orthopaedics, created the Orthogeriatric Research Center Bern—an interdisciplinary platform hosting the annual Swiss Orthogeriatric Day—and initiated the Fragility Fracture Network (FFN) Switzerland. These contributions have established him as a leading figure in orthogeriatric trauma care in Switzerland and internationally. His research focuses on hip and pelvic trauma, orthogeriatric care models, and clinical pathways for fragility fractures in ageing populations, with the aim of improving functional recovery, reducing complications, and advancing evidence-based care for older trauma patients.

• Egli RJ, Keel MJB, Cullmann JL, Bastian JD. (2017) Secure screw placement in management of acetabular fractures using the suprapectineal quadrilateral buttress plate: screw orientation and surgical guidance. BioMed Research International 2017:8231301. DOI: 10.1155/2017/8231301
• Lizano‑Díez X, Keel MJB, Siebenrock KA, Tey M, Bastian JD. (2020) Rehabilitation protocols in unstable trochanteric fractures treated with cephalomedullary nails in elderly: current practices and outcome. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery 46(6):1267–1276. DOI: 10.1007/s00068-019-01294-z
• Keel MJB, Siebenrock KA, Tannast M, Bastian JD. (2018) The pararectus approach: a new concept. JBJS Essential Surgical Techniques 8:e21. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.ST.17.00060
• Ivanova S, Prochazka O, Giannoudis PV, Tosounidis T, Tannast M, Bastian JD. (2025) Rehabilitation protocols for surgically treated acetabular fractures in older adults: current practices and outcomes. Journal of Clinical Medicine 14(14):4912. DOI: 10.3390/jcm14144912

Prof. Dr. med. Annalisa Berzigiotti is a Full Professor of Clinical Hepatology at the University of Bern, where she is Chief of Hepatology and a Director of the Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital Bern. She is internationally renowned for her research focusing on non-invasive methods for assessing liver diseases and the role of liver stiffness in the progression and regression of liver fibrosis.

• Berzigotti A, Albillos A, Villanueva C, Genescá J, Ardevol A, Augustín S, Calleja JL, Bañares R, García-Pagán JC, Mesonero F, Bosch J,Ciberehd SportDiet Collaborative Group. Effects of an Intensive 16-week Lifestyle Intervention Program on Portal Hypertension in Patients with Cirrhosis and Obesity: the SportDiet Study. Hepatology. 2017 Apr;65(4):1293-1305.
• Stähli P, Becchetti C, Martiartu NK, Berzigotti A, Frenz M, Jaeger M. First-in-human diagnostic study of hepatic steatosis with computed ultrasound tomography in echo mode (CUTE). Comm Medicine 2023 Dec 9;3(1):176.
• Karlsen TH, Rutter H, Carrieri P, Zelber-Sagi S, Engebretsen E, Hutchinson S, Voigt K, Guha N, Berzigotti A, Schomerus G, Gines P, Buti M, Burra P, Manns MP, Krag A, Kleinert S. The EASL-Lancet Commission on liver health in Europe: prevention, case-finding and early diagnosis to reduce liver-related mortality. Lancet. 2024 Apr 0;403(10436):1522-1524
• Mendoza YP, Tsouka S, Semmler G, Seubnooch P, Freiburghaus K, Mandorfer M, Bosch J, Masoodi M, Berzigotti A. Metabolic phenotyping of patients with Advanced Chronic Liver Disease for better characterization of Cirrhosis Regression. J Hepatol. 2024 Jun 27:S0168-8278(24)02334-1.
• Dajti E, Huber AT, Ferraioli G, Berzigotti A. Advances in imaging - Elastography. Hepatology. 2025 Apr 2. Online ahead of print.

Dr. Elias Bührer is a board-certified physician in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine with a strong scientific background in tumor immunology. He is an academic clinician-scientist with active research interests in rheumatology and osteology, focusing on immune-mediated mechanisms of musculoskeletal disease and bone health. His work integrates translational immunology with clinical research to improve the understanding and management of inflammatory rheumatic diseases and osteoporosis.

PD Dr. med. Lisa Christ is attending physician and clinical scientist at the University Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology at Inselspital. Her research focuses on vasculitis, specifically giant cell arteritis, and Sjögren’s disease. She conducted the GUSTO trial, a proof-of-concept study in giant cell arteritis. Dr. Christ is a founding member of the Vasculitis Association Switzerland (VASAS), national PI of the Swiss Sjögren Cohort and in the scientific commission of the Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases Foundation (SCQM).

Yvonne Döring is Professor of Translational Angiology at the University of Bern and Inselspital, where she leads research within the Swiss Cardiovascular Centre. Her work focuses on immunological and inflammatory mechanisms driving atherosclerosis and vascular disease, with particular emphasis on chemokine receptor signaling, immune cell recruitment, and vascular–immune interactions. She integrates mechanistic studies in experimental models with translational and human data to identify clinically relevant targets for cardiovascular therapy.

Dr. Vissarion Efthymiou is a preclinical senior scientist specializing in systemic metabolism, with a strong focus on adipose tissue and liver biology in the context of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related metabolic diseases. His research integrates pharmacological and genetic in vitro and in vivo approaches, as well as single-cell omics and other state-of-the-art technologies, to better understand the role and function of human and mouse white and brown adipose tissue. He also aims to unravel inter-organ crosstalk in metabolic health and disease, including the metabolic actions of incretin-based therapies. Dr. Efthymiou leads multidisciplinary projects across academic and industry partnerships, has generated high-impact scientific publications and single-cell atlases of human adipose tissue, and is translating mechanistic insights into therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic disease.

Dr. Eggimann-Stuck is a physician–scientist and geriatrician at Inselspital Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern, where she serves as Senior Physician and Co-Lead of the Orthogeriatrics Center within the Department of Geriatrics in close collaboration with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology.
Her work focuses on improving outcomes for older adults with musculoskeletal injuries and age-related functional decline through interdisciplinary clinical care and translational research.

Manuela Eugster is an Assistant Professor of Robotics and Micromechatronics at the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research and the Department of Neurosurgery. She leads the Neuro Robotics Group, an interdisciplinary research team with expertise in robotics, mechanics, and electronics. Her research focuses on the development of robotic and micromechatronic surgical instruments, aiming to create innovative systems and devices that enhance the precision, efficiency, and safety of surgical procedures. In addition, she oversees several core facilities, including a 3D printing laboratory, an electronics laboratory, and a mechanical workshop.

Prof Benjamin Gantenbein is an Associated Professor of the Medical Faculty and Group Head of Bone & Joint Research Program and the Tissue Engineering for Orthopedics & Mechanobiology (TOM) group at the Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR) and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, at the Medical Faculty of the University of Bern. His research focuses on intervertebral disc repair using biomaterials and scaffolds, mesenchymal stem cells or a combination thereof. He started his career at the University of Bern in the field of evolutionary biology / phylogenetics where he completed his Master of Science degree and also his PhD at the Computational and Molecular Population Genetics (CMPG) laboratory at University of Bern.

Dr. Janine Gote-Schniering is incoming SNSF Starting Grant Assistant Professor at the Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology at Inselspital and a principal investigator within the Lung Precision Medicine Program at the Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern. Since 2023, she has led an interdisciplinary research program dedicated to understanding and treating chronic inflammatory and fibrotic lung diseases.

Her research bridges fundamental and translational science, focusing on the pathomechanisms underlying impaired lung regeneration and the development of pulmonary fibrosis. In particular, she investigates how immune ageing, especially aged T cells, disrupts lung regenerative cellular networks and drives fibrotic remodeling of lung tissue.

To address these questions, Dr. Gote-Schniering integrates high-resolution imaging, AI-based radiomic analyses, and single-cell multi-omics approaches in preclinical models and deeply phenotyped patient cohorts. She further employs advanced human 3D tissue models to dissect cellular interactions and molecular pathways underlying immune-mediated regenerative dysfunction and pulmonary fibrosis.

Judith Everts-Graber (MD) is a rheumatologist and clinical researcher at Inselspital Bern with a focus on osteoporosis and osteoimmunology. She leads a large multicenter osteoporosis registry (www.osteoregistry.ch) and oversees research on the effectiveness and safety of anti-osteoporotic therapies, fracture risk prediction, and osteoporosis care in Switzerland.

PD Dr. med. Hemmatazad is a board-certified Radiation Oncologist and Senior Physician at Inselspital Bern, specializing in stereotactic body radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and online adaptive radiotherapy. He serves as single point of contact for advanced precision radiotherapy techniques, with expertise in gastrointestinal, neuroendocrine, and pediatric malignancies. His work combines clinical innovation with translational research, focusing on imaging-guided treatment, response assessment, and optimization of modern radiotherapy approaches. He is actively engaged in international collaborations, professional society leadership, resident education, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Knobel is a clinician-scientist operating at the intersection of medicine and digital health. With a dual background as an MD-PhD, he possesses extensive expertise in developing and validating digital biomarkers for neurodegenerative disorders. He is currently translating this methodological experience to the field of Rheumatology ("Digital Rheumatology"). His primary research focuses on the objective quantification of hand function, stiffness, and dexterity using sensor-based technologies. Dr. Knobel leads translational projects validating novel devices, such as the "DextEgg-System," to enable continuous home monitoring and early flare detection in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Systemic Sclerosis.

PD Dr. Kerstin Klein is research group leader at the University Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology at the Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern. Her research projects focus on molecular mechanisms underlying connective tissue diseases, with special emphasis on Sjögren’s disease. Her research group follows a multi-OMICS approach using human biosamples, complemented with in vitro disease models for functional studies. The aim of Dr. Klein’s translational projects is the generation of comprehensive pre-clinical data sets underlying Sjögren’s disease to pave the way towards a personalized medicine and a better care for patients in the future.

Prof. Dr. Antje-Christin Knopf serves as Director of the sitem-insel School and is full professor at the University of Bern, specializing in Applied Data Sciences and Decision Support Systems with a focus on radio-oncology. Affiliated with the Department of Radio-Oncology and the Department of Digital Medicine, she drives strategic development in digital medicine, data‑driven decision support, and interdisciplinary collaboration, often in international constellations.

She earned her physics degree from Heidelberg University and completed her PhD at MGH / Harvard Medical School. Her academic journey spans institutions in Switzerland, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands and Germany. Her research centers on personalized radio-oncology, particularly particle therapy.

Prof. Dr. Lisa Koch is an assistant professor for data science in diabetes care and leads the Machine Learning in Medicine Lab at the Department for Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism and Department of Digital Medicine. Her research focuses on the development of certifiably safe, reliable, and effective machine learning methods for patient care. She received degrees in electrical and biomedical engineering from ETH Zürich and a PhD in computer science from Imperial College London, followed by research appointments at ETH Zürich and the University of Tübingen. Her work builds on experience across academia and the medical device industry, with a strong emphasis on trustworthy and safety-critical AI for clinical applications.

Dr. Matthias Moor is a clinical nephrologist and translational research group leader working at the intersection of bone health and kidney disease. Dr. Moor earned an MD degree at University of Bern, an MD-PhD at University of Lausanne and was a visiting scientist at Karolinska Institutet.

His clinical activity focuses on chronic kidney disease-associated osteoporosis at the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension of University Hospital Bern. His research group addresses the heterogeneity of renal osteodystrophy, mineral and bone disorders, and the pathophysiology of bone hormone FGF23 excess. For his research work, he combines patient cohorts, animal and cellular models, population genetics and bioinformatics.

Seraina Netzer (MD) is an Internal Medicine specialist working toward her Geriatric Medicine certification, with a clinical and research focus on multimorbid older adults and functional outcomes after acute and post‑acute care. Her work centers on understanding functional performance, independence, and patient priorities during recovery, with growing expertise in geriatric rehabilitation pathways and functional assessment. Her developing clinical‑scientific profile integrates geriatric medicine, rehabilitation, and patient‑centered outcome evaluation, contributing to innovative models of care for older adults.

Dr. Tuyet-Vi Caroline Nguyen is a cardiologist and translational researcher specializing in valvular heart disease, advanced cardiac imaging, and transcatheter interventions. Her work integrates clinical phenotyping, echocardiography, and mechanistic insights to improve risk stratification and outcomes for patients undergoing structural heart interventions.

Her research focuses on the pathophysiology of valvular heart disease and the gut–heart axis, investigating how gut microbiota and microbial metabolites influence cardiovascular disease progression. Trained in France at Bichat Hospital, Paris, APHP, she now pursues an academic and clinical career in Switzerland, bridging clinical cardiology with translational and systems-based approaches while mentoring and fostering multidisciplinary collaborations.

Prof. Dr. Nikola Saulacic is research group leader at the University Clinic for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery at the Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern. His research focuses on the biological processes related to the bone regeneration with a strong translational character. His work integrates the development of different biomaterials including various types of bone grafts, titanium and biodegradable osteosynthesis devices and the 3D-printing technologies. For his research work he combines cellular and animal models, with the aim to improve the management and rehabilitation of patients with bone deficiencies.

Professor Eva Segelov (MBBS, PhD, FRACP) is Full Professor at the University of Bern where she is the Director of the Department of Clinical Research, and academic medical oncologist at the University Cancer Centre, Inselspital, Bern. She is a recognized international expert in the field of gastrointestinal and breast cancer, with over 30 years of experience in managing patients in a multidisciplinary setting. She has led multiple international oncology clinical trials, including investigator-initiated studies. Her research interests are values-based health care, patient-centered care, and global oncology.

Matthias Wilhelm is a cardiologist, internal medicine specialist, and sports physician. He is Associate Professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and serves as Medical Director of the Centre for Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine at Inselspital, Bern University Hospital. He is active nationally and internationally in the field of cardiac rehabilitation. His research focuses on exercise physiology, functioning, and digital health technologies in prevention, prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and healthy ageing.