Current Cloëtta Prize

Cloëtta Prize 2025: Honouring Excellence in Medical Research – Virginie Hamel and Paul Guichard, and Nicola Aceto

On October 31, 2025, the 52nd Cloëtta Prize ceremony of the Professor Dr Max Cloëtta Foundation took place at ETH Zurich. This year, three outstanding researchers were honoured for their groundbreaking scientific achievements.

Dr Virginie Hamel and Prof. Paul Guichard (University of Geneva) were jointly awarded for their pioneering work in developing Ultrastructural Expansion Microscopy (U-ExM). This innovative imaging technique has revolutionised our understanding of cellular architecture and opened new perspectives for gene therapy and cancer immunotherapy. Their research provides unprecedented insights into centrioles and cilia, whose structural defects can lead to diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, thereby offering new therapeutic opportunities. Furthermore, their methods are increasingly applied in cancer immunotherapy. Through their work, Hamel and Guichard have made an outstanding contribution to bridging basic science and clinical medicine, significantly shaping modern biomedical research. Prof. Nicola Aceto (ETH Zurich) received the prize for his groundbreaking research on the metastasis of cancer cells. His studies revealed that circulating tumour cell clusters (CTC clusters) play a central role in the formation of metastases. He identified key biological features of these clusters — including stem cell-like properties, interactions with immune cells, and the timing of their formation — that enable them to initiate and sustain the spread of cancer cells. Building on these discoveries, his team has developed novel therapeutic strategies to specifically eliminate CTC clusters, with promising proof-of-concept results in breast cancer patients. With his vision of developing innovative therapies to curb metastasis in aggressive cancers, Aceto combines world-class basic research with tangible prospects for clinical application.

The award ceremony was celebrated in a festive event held in the historic and newly restored Semperaula at ETH Zurich. Guests from science and medicine attended the event and used the occasion for both scientific and personal exchange.

With the presentation of the Cloëtta Prize 2025, the Professor Dr Max Cloëtta Foundation once again highlights its commitment to promoting outstanding medical research and strengthening the next generation of scientists in Switzerland.