Department of Pneumology and Allergology

Inselspital Bern

The Department offers comprehensive clinical services for patients with lung diseases and respiratory disorders. It conducts experimental (primarily in cell and tissue cultures) and clinical research and strives to bridge the gap between these fields to bring new knowledge from experimental-translational research to the patients.

To the Inselspital website

Director and Chief Physician

Prof. Thomas Geiser

Profile

  • Pathomechanisms of interstitial lung diseases: lung injury, inflammation, regeneration and fibrosis
  • Tuberculosis research in global health
  • Validation of 3D lung tissue models for inhalation of environmental particles
  • Investigating the human lung bacterial microbiome and its impact on the lung immune system
  • Exacerbations of fibrotic lung diseases
  • Biomarkers for lung fibrosis
  • Long-term effects of COVID on the lung
  • Clinical phenotype, cytokine pattern and T-cell phenotype in patients with drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS)
  • Evaluation of quantity and avidity of anti-FcεRI and anti-IgE autoantibodies in chronic spontaneous urticaria
  • Treatment response and sensitization patterns in patients with hymenoptera venom allergy

External Partners

  • Prof. Olivier Guenat, OOC-ARTORG, Universität Bern
  • Prof. B. Rothen-Rutishauser und Prof. A. Fink, Adolphe Merkle Institut, Universität Fribourg
  • Prof. Schiller H, Heimholtz Center, Munich
  • Prof. Chris Ryerson, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CA

Grants

  • SNF Grant to Prof. Manuela Funke-Chambour on lung inflammation and fibrosis, supporting the Swiss ILD cohort studies
  • Bern MedTech Collaboration Grant: Electrical Impedance Tomography for the Assessment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Chronic Lung Diseases (S. Guler)
  • Bern MedTech Collaboration Grant: Digital companion diagnostics of respiratory impairment & frailty for long-term oxygen therapy - a proof of concept study (S. Guler)
  • Lungenliga Schweiz (T. Geiser, A. Gazdhar)
  • Lungenliga Schweiz (T Geiser, F. Blank, PI);
  • NRP79 (F. Blank, Co-PI)
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (Weave) Investigating the pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension with organ-on-chip technology (O. Guenat)

Highlights 2025

Logo oft he Pulmonary Fibrosis Learning and Self-Management Program FILIP

FILIP Project (Pulmonary Fibrosis Learning and Self-Management Program): Patient education and selfmanagement of patients with interstitial lung diseases

Collaboration project with zhaw, University of Zürich and University of Bern / Inselspital on a blended (both digital and analogue) education and self management program for patients with fibrotic lung disease in stationary and ambulatory rehabilitation programs.

Riegler et al., ERJ Open Res. 2025

Riegler et al., BMJ Open Respir Res. 2025

Ward-Based High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Therapy in Acute Respiratory Failure: A Retrospective Analysis of Long-Term Mortality

During the pandemia, high-flow nasal oxygen therapy saved the life of many patients suffering from acute respiratory failure due to COVID. The effect of short and long term mortality was studied in patients receiving high-flow oxygen therapy on the ward.

Horvath et al., Respiration. 2026

 Immunofluorescence staining in precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) from BLM-treated mice instilled with HGF-CD3+ T cells imaged with confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Adoptive Transfer of T Cells as a Potential Therapeutic Approach in the Bleomycin-Injured Mouse Lung

Experimental study on the role of modulated T-lympohcytes on the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

Mutlu et al., J Gene Med. 2025