PD Dr Annick Mühlethaler-Mottet PhD – Laboratory Head & Neuroblastoma Group Leader
Dr Annick Mühlethaler-Mottet studied biology at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and received her PhD in Biology from the same university in 1998 working on the regulation of CIITA gene expression, the master controller of MHC-II gene expression, in the Laboratory of Prof. Bernard Mach (Department of Genetics and Microbiology). After a first postdoctoral training with Dr Walter Reith at the University of Geneva, focusing on the MHC-II enhanceosome, she joined the LHOP in 2001as a postdoctoral fellow and was appointed Senior Research Fellow in 2009. Since 2015, she is Deputy Head of the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Laboratory, Neuroblastoma Subgroup Leader and the delegate of Switzerland to the SIOPEN Biology group for clinical studies. Her main interests are the identification of the genes and mechanisms involved in neuroblastoma oncogenesis, aggressiveness and resistance to chemotherapy. She was awarded a Privat-Docent title of the University of Lausanne in 2022 and Head of the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Laboratory in August 2023.
PD Dr Raffaele Renella MD PhD – Pediatric Hematology Group Leader
After medical school at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Raffaele trained in Pediatrics at the University Hospital of Lausanne (Switzerland), and in Pediatric Hematology/Immunology/Stem Cell Transplantation in Paris (France). He was awarded the Lord Florey Scholarship of the University of Oxford (UK), and joined the MRC Molecular Hematology Unit at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine to work in Professor William G. Wood’s laboratory on congenital dyserythropoietic anemias. Concomitantly to his work in the lab (PhD from the University of Oxford), he was a Honorary Clinical Specialist Registrar at the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit of The John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford, UK). In 2010, he joined Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School in Boston (USA), where he completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplantation. While clinically active as Instructor of Pediatrics and Attending Physician at those institutions, he worked in the laboratory of Dr David A. Williams as a post-doctoral SNSF-funded researcher. In 2015, he became Attending Physician-Consultant in the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Switzerland, and led the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Research Laboratory until July 2023. He was appointed Head of the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Unit in August 2023. His main scientific interest is the study of the anomalies affecting hematopoietic stem cells along their differentiation, and how to translate discoveries in this field into therapeutic approaches for children with cancer and inherited blood disorders.
Dr Luisa Cironi PhD – Staff Researcher
Dr Luisa Cironi studied biology at the University of L’aquila (Italy) and received her PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Bologna (Italy). During her PhD, she worked in Italy and in Canada (University of Sherbrook, Quebec) in immunology labs with interest in mechanisms of activation and cytotoxic functions of natural killer cells. In 1995 she joined the lab of Prof. Ivan Stamenkovic at the pathology department of the MGH in Boston (USA), where she worked as a postdoctoral fellow on projects regarding the role of signal transduction in CD44-mediated tumorigenesis. In 2001, she moved to Switzerland, at the DFR of the CHUV where she was appointed Research assistant. She worked in Professor Stamenkovic’s laboratory on the mechanisms of tumorigenesis of synovial and Ewing’s tumors and in the laboratory of Prof. Nicolo Riggi on the epigenetic characteristics of synovial, clear cells and Ewing’s like sarcomas. In 2022 she joined the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Laboratory working in the Neuroblastoma Subgroup.
Dr Nastassia Gobet PhD – Staff Bioinformatician
After a bachelor in Biochemistry in Geneva, Nastassia Gobet obtained her master in Molecular Life Science with a bioinformatics specialization at the University of Lausanne. Her PhD recently obtained in May 2023 focused on a multi-omics approach of sleep regulation with Ioannis Xenarios and PaulFranken. While finishing her PhD, she joined the LHOP in October 2022 where she was involved in the analysis and data visualization of diverse research projects.
Maya El-Natour – PhD Student
Maya El-Natour obtained a Master in Science from the Lebanese University (Lebanon) and has joined the lab to work with Dr Annick Mühlethaler on the project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. She is studying the functional role of ALK activating mutations in neuroblastoma development and progression.
Estelle Guillot – PhD Student
Estelle obtained her Bachelor in Biology and Master in Medical Biology at the University of Lausanne. She joined the LHOP in March 2023 for her PhD. Her work focuses on establishing the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay as a new in vivo model for studying neuroblastoma biology and drug development.
Katia Balmas-Bourloud BSc – Research Assistant
Katia Balmas Bourloud obtained her Diploma of “Technicienne en analyses biomédicales ES” (TAB) in Lausanne in 1995. Then she joined the LHOP where she carries out IHC analyses for the detection of residual neuroblastoma cells in bone marrow of patients. She is also involved in the diverse research projects of the lab and in the management of laboratory equipments.
Dr Nicolas Jauquier MD – Research Associate
Pediatric surgeon specialising in Surgical Oncology, Nicolas has been active in the laboratory on neuroblastoma projects. Winner of the “Jack Plaschkes ” Award of the Swiss Society of Paediatric Surgery, he is currently Associate Physician in the Department of Pediatric Surgery and continues to contribute to several ongoing investigations.
Former lab members:
Dr Julien Delobel, PhD, Post-Doctoral researcher (2017-22), became Staff Scientist, INSERM, France
Dr Maria-Vittoria, PhD, Post-Doctoral researcher (2017-21), became Medical Scientific Liaison Manager, Ideogen Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland
Dr Lucie Vivancos, PhD Student (2016-2020), became Post-Doc at the Kinderspital Zurich, Switzerland
Katya Nardou Auderset, MSc, Research Assistant
Dr Nicole Gross, PhD, MER & PD, former Head of the Laboratory
Dr Marjorie Flahaut, PhD, Post Doc
Dr Gisèle Montavon, MD thesis
Dr Julie Liberman, PhD student
Dr Kelly Ascenção, Research associate
Nadja Chevalier, Master student
Dr Aurélie Coulon, PhD student
Dr Roland Meier, MD-PhD student
Dr Gilda Raguenez,
Lucienne Lagopoulos, Research Associate
Dr Pu Yan, MD, Post Doc
Dr Sally Hopkins-Donaldson, PhD, Post Doc