Department of Dermatology

Inselspital Bern

The Department covers the entire spectrum of dermatological diseases. In addition to clinical services and teaching, it conducts high-quality clinical and translational research focusing on the underlying immunological mechanisms of inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases and the regulation of cytoarchitecture and cell integrity.

To the Inselspital website

Profile

  • Investigation of how T cell metabolism and T cell function are linked in inflammatory skin diseases
  • Investigation of the skin-specific cytokine interleukin 9 (IL-9) and its role in skin inflammation
  • Investigation of epithelial barrier dysfunction and type 2 inflammation
  • Translational and precision medicine studies in cutaneous T cell lymphoma
  • Dissect the autoimmune response in pemphigus with a focus on multi-omics characterization of the autoantibody-mediated tissue damage and skin blistering
  • A comprehensive systems biology approach to stem cell-mediated skin homeostasis implicating genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, biochemical, and biophysical circuits
  • Investigation of bioelectricity to reduce stress, enhance wound healing, and harmonize skin homeostasis
  • Clinical trials with novel biologics and targeted therapies for atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and melanoma
  • Deciphering the molecular mechanism of action of novel topical treatments for inflammatory skin disease
  • Investigating the role of upstream regulators of Th2 cells in atopic dermatitis
  • Analyzing the role of the cytokine interleukin 9 (IL-9) in skin inflammation

External Partners

Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona; Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai; Department of Immunology, University Hospital, Zurich; C.H.U. Henri Mondor, Paris; University Hospital, Düsseldorf; Universitätsklinikum Marburg; Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH, Zurich; Centro Studi GISED, Bergamo; Lübeck Institute for Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck; Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zürich; Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, CA USA; The Regional Dermatology Training Centre, Tanzania; Department of Dermatology, Lausanne; Institute of Computational Biology, Munich; Department of Dermatology, Copenhagen; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Copenhagen; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen; Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Parkville; Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover; Center for Allergy and Environment, Munich

Grants

  • Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): Project grant: Unraveling the role of IL-9 in human skin inflammation. 07/2020 – 06/2024, CHF: 700'000
  • Ruth & Arthur Scherbarth Foundation: The IL-18 Conundrum: Investigating the role of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. CHF 20'000; 2024-2025
  • LEO Foundation: The IL-18 Conundrum: Investigating the role of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis. CHF 514’621; 2024-2027
  • Stiftung für klinisch-experimentelle Tumorforschung (SKET): The interleukin 9 receptor as therapeutic target in cutaneous T cell lymphoma. CHF 80'000; 2024-2027