Meet the team

Julian Garneau, PhD, is a Canadian microbiologist and bioinformatician with a long-term interest in pathogenic bacteria infecting humans, especially those resistant to antibiotics. During his master, he studied how genomic diversity can influence Clostridioides difficile’s dissemination, virulence, resistance and clinical outcomes in patients. Throughout his PhD completed at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada, he spent most of his time investigating how temperate bacteriophages can modulate bacterial fitness and virulence. In Vonaesch’s lab, he aims to better understand how different health-promoting compounds and bacteria can be used to reduce the deleterious impacts of childhood undernutrition in poor regions of the world. Julian’s favorites activities include running, hiking, watching and playing hockey. He also loves to read a good book beside the chimney fire and spend time with his loved ones.

Naika Prince, is a biomedical scientist with a keen interest in how gut microbes shape host physiology and brain development. During her PhD at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, she investigated the role of gut microbiota in the gut-brain axis, focusing on its implications in autism spectrum disorder. Now a postdoctoral researcher in the Vonaesch Lab, she is exploring how bacterial strain evolution influences host metabolism and cognitive development in mice exposed to dietary challenges such as high-fat and undernutrition. Her research aims to uncover mechanisms at the intersection of microbial adaptation, nutrition, and neurodevelopment. Outside the lab, Naika enjoys hiking, dancing, exploring new cafés, or practicing yoga.

Youzheng Teo, (pronounced You Journ, like in Journey) obtained his MSc in Infection Biology at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. During his master’s, he worked on the investigation of mycolactone as a potential candidate for a toxoid-based vaccine against Mycobacterium ulcerans. His interest in host-microbe interactions led him to join the Vonaesch group in September 2021 as a research associate. During his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, spending time with family and friends and hopefully skiing/snowboarding one day.

Sarah is an Irish expat who earned her Master’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology at ETH Zürich. During her thesis, she explored the role of the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium secretion systems in the generation of antibiotic persisters in vivo. Her great interest in the intricate interplay amongst microbiota, pathogens their host led her to join the Vonaesch lab in January 2022 for her PhD. Her work will focus on shedding light on the molecular mechanisms linking malnutrition and the development of metabolic syndromes. In particular, she will assess for a possible role of the very early life gut microbiome in metabolic changes as well as epigenetic imprinting in vivo. Outside of the lab, she enjoys travelling, hiking, sailing and socialising.

Simon Yersin started his PhD in the Vonaesch Lab in March 2022 and successfully defended his thesis in 2026. He is investigating the microbiota composition and function of children with different nutritional status and lifestyles in the Pastobiome project in Ethiopia. Simon obtained his MSc in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology at KTH in Sweden. He has a strong interest in the human gut microbiome, especially on microbiota-targeted interventions and effects of environmental factors and diet on the composition, development and function of the microbiome. In his spare time, he likes playing basketball, hiking, skiing, traveling and trail running.

Xiaobing earned her Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health at ETH Zürich. During her thesis, she validated a novel cultivation medium for producing different enterotype gut microbiota in vitro for FMT. Her strong interest in the human gut microbiome and microbiota-host interactions drew her to join the Vonaesch lab at the DMF as a PhD student in October 2023. Her work will focus on small intestinal bacteria and stunting children.
Besides work, she enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Sandra joined the Vonaesch Lab in August 2024 as a PhD student to focus on the multi-omic analysis of the gut microbiota in the context of early-life malnutrition. She previously conducted research on host-pathogen interactions at the University of Tübingen and explored tissue regeneration through transcriptomic analysis at the Complutense University of Madrid, leading her to earn her Master’s degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Sandra’s interests focus on microbial interactions and how dietary imbalances in children influence health and disease outcomes. Outside the lab, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with family and friends.

Jana is a pharmacist who worked as a community pharmacist. Upon arriving in Switzerland, she sought to transition into fundamental research to gain a deeper understanding of how genetic backgrounds influence responses to different treatments. In our lab, she will explore how early-life malnutrition shapes the gut microbial communities. Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and hiking.