Zurich. For the 51st time, the Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation is presenting its renowned prize for medical research. This year, the prize is awarded for their outstanding research to: Professor Andrea Ablasser, lead researcher in innate immune systems at the EPFL (School of Life Sciences) in Lausanne, and Professor Andrea Alimonti, Director of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) in Bellinzona and Professor of Experimental Oncology at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and ETH Zurich.

Andrea Ablasser
Professor Ablasser’s research has been groundbreaking in uncovering how the innate immune system detects and responds to DNA from pathogens. Her work has opened new avenues for the development of therapies aimed at modulating the immune response, offering potential treatments for a variety of diseases.

Recently, her studies have demonstrated how the cGAS-STING DNA-sensing pathway is involved in chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases related to the aging process. These findings could lead to new strategies for combating these conditions.

Andrea Alimonti
The major scientific contributions of Professor Alimonti’s research include the discovery of a therapeutic approach based on the induction of cellular senescence and the immune response against tumors; the identification of an immune cell type, the so-called myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which can promote the progression of prostate cancer and resistance to standard therapies; and the discovery of a novel mechanism of therapy resistance in prostate cancer, involving the gut microbiome. Professor Alimonti’s vision is to develop cutting-edge, innovative treatments for cancer patients. Some of these treatments are currently being tested in clinical trials.

The award ceremony will take place at the EPFL on Friday, November 29, 2024, at 5 pm, at the hall SV 1717, Building SV, EPFL, Station 19, 1015 Lausanne.

Registration:

For mandatory registration, please use the following link https://qrco.de/bfSouR

In 2024, the Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation awards the Cloëtta Prize to two prestigious scientists. Andrea Ablasser, leading researcher on innate immune systems at EPFL in Lausanne, and Andrea Alimonti, Director of the Institute of Oncology Research in Bellinzona and Professor of Experimental Oncology at Università della Svizzera italiana and ETH Zurich, each receive the scientific prize remunerated with 50,000 Swiss francs.

The award ceremony is to be held on November 29, 2024, at 5pm at the EPFL.

A comprehensive press release will follow in fall 2024.

The call for applications 2024 for the Medical Research Positions has been issued.

Deadline is 30 June 2024.

You will find all necessary documents here.

The call for applications 2024 for the Clinical Medicine Plus scholarships is now closed.

Deadline was 31 May 2024.

The final selection will take place at the beginning of October 2024. Until then, we kindly ask all who submitted applications for their patience.