Me­ta­bo­lic re­se­arch / ga­stro­en­te­ro­lo­gi­cal re­se­arch

Obesity is a multifactorial, chronic disease. The mechanisms underlying the development of obesity are still not fully understood. Treatment requires a combination of therapeutic measures. Lifestyle adjustments such as a change in diet, increased physical activity, targeted medication and obesity surgery can be helpful individually or in combination.

The main goals of our research area are to gain a deeper understanding of appetite regulation - including the interaction between the gut and the brain - to get to the bottom of the causes of obesity and gastrointestinal diseases and finally to investigate the effectiveness of different treatment options in detail.

In gastroenterological research, the focus is on chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This disease is characterised by an excessive activation of the immune system of the intestinal mucosa. A disturbed mucosal barrier plays an important role here, where local inflammation can be triggered by invading pathogens, for example. We are therefore interested in the immune response of a specific subset of immune cells that are stimulated by antigens originating from the intestinal microflora. The analyses that we carry out can potentially provide conclusions about the individual clinical course or the response to therapy in individual IBD patients with different patterns.

Study results are regularly published in recognised journals and presented at national and international congresses. We give invited lectures and are in close contact with the public media in order to educate experts and the general public about the causes and treatment options for obesity and gastrointestinal diseases. We are particularly keen to combat the stigma of severe obesity by providing new insights into the biological causes of this disease and therapeutic measures.

An extensive national and international research network and a broad clinical network allow us to pursue our goals in multi-centre studies using the latest examination and analysis techniques. Our research projects are supported by public funders (Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)) and private foundations (e.g. Botnar Foundation, Uniscientia). The transfer of knowledge and the mentoring of young scientists is particularly important to us. Numerous students (Master's students, doctoral students, PhDs and postdocs) from the University of Basel, ETH Zurich, the University of Hohenheim and the Technical University of Munich are therefore involved in our research projects.