University Hospital Basel
Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland
As a neurosurgeon, I witness first hand the devastation that malignant brain tumors cause both patients and families. The desire to help these patients motivates me to conduct basic science research, with the goal of translating experiments into therapies. During my research fellowship at Stanford, we used sophisticated preclinical animal studies in order to eventually conduct clinical trials in patients with malignant brain tumors including medulloblastoma and glioblastoma. We utilized a monoclonal antibody against CD47 on tumor cells to stimulate tumor associated macrophages and microglia to specifically target and remove these brain cancers with an emphasis on removal of the cancer stem cells. Using novel mouse models, cranial window and RNAseq technology, we found that brain-intrinsic macrophages, called microglia, are responsive to anti-CD47 treatment and can be modulated to elicit antitumor responses.
Back in Switzerland, I started my own brain tumor immunotherapy research group planning to boost novel immunotherapeutic approaches in neuro-oncology, especially glioblastoma. We aim at combining approaches that locally target microglia and the adaptive immune system, or directly interfere with the tumor cells. I am fully dedicated to achieving my goals through continuous collaboration, novel research discoveries, and excellent patient care.
