Sylvie Roke2011 present: Julia Jacobi Chair in photomedicine, École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), CH. 2005 2012: Max Planck Research Group Leader (W2 /C3) of a centrally announced open theme independent research group. Host: The Max-Planck Institute for Metals Research, Stuttgart, DE. 2005 2005: Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, dept. of Applied Physical Chemistry, Heidelberg University, DE. 2004 2005: Postdoctoral Fellow, FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics, NL.
Esther AmstadEsther Amstad studied material science at ETH in Zurich. She also carried out her PhD thesis at the same University under the supervision of Prof. Marcus Textor; for her thesis, she worked on the surface modification and steric stabilization of oxide nanoparticles. As a postdoctoral fellow, she joined the experimental condensed soft matter group of David A. Weitz at Harvard University where she used droplet based microfluidics to assemble different types of functional micro- and nanomaterials. In addition, she developped new microfluidic devices that enable the production of very small, airborne drops as well as devices that produce highly monodisperse emulsion drops at a very high throughput. In June 2014, Esther joined the material science department (IMX) of EPFL where she is leading the Soft Materials Laboratory (SMAL).
Florian Maria WurmFlorian Wurm received his academic training as a Biologist and Molecular Geneticist at the University of Giessen. He joined the Hoechst AG (Behringwerke) in Marburg as head of a laboratory in Virology. Working with immortalized mammalian cells for the establishment of production processes for alpha-interferons provided the first opportunity to combine basic research with medical application. In 1984 he joined Harvard Medical School in Boston as a Research Fellow in Molecular Biology. 1986 he took an offer from Genentech Inc. in San Francisco to work in Process Sciences on the development of large scale manufacturing processes for recombinant proteins. There he has held a number of leading positions and has acquired intimate knowledge in the generation of protein pharmaceuticals in mammalian cells in bioreactors (a number of which are now marketed products). In 1995 he joined the EPFL as a Professor for Biotechnology. Wurm has published more than 250 scientific papers and holds more than 20 patents/patent-applications. His H-index stands at 60 in 2021. He was Chairman (2005-2009) and is member of the Executive Board of the European Society of Animal Cell Technology (ESACT). He serves as a consultant to the pharmaceutical Biotech Industry, mainly in the fields of animal cell technology for recombinant protein production and in regulatory affairs. He works as a scientific reviewer and editior/asscciate editor for a number of international journals in the Biotech field. F.M. Wurm teaches classes to pre- and postgraduate students in the fields of Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology.
He was founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ExcellGene SA, a 2001 established company in Monthey, Switzerland. He took the position of President and CEO of ExcellGene in 2015. He retired from the CEO position in 2017 and continues to be President and Chief Scientific Officer of ExcellGene.
In 2008 Dr. Wurm was appointed Visiting Professor for Biotechnology at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China. He retired from his position at the EPFL in 2015. His laboratory is closed. With his team at ExcellGene and in collaboration with Dr. Paco Pino, Director of R&D, he continues to explore manufacturing sciences with animal cells in bioreactors.
Lucia Baldi Unser01/2021 - present Deputy to the Associate VP for Research / Deputy to the Associate VP for Centers & Platforms, EPFL06/2017 - 12/2020 Deputy to the Dean, School of Basic Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ;01/2015 - 11/2017 Lecturer/Communication and outreach manager at the School of Life Sciences, EPFL04/1998 - 03/2015: Research and Teaching Associate/Lecturer, Laboratory of Cellular Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences; 01/1994 - 07/1997: Visiting Fellow, Laboratory of Immunoregulation, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA;1991 - 1994: Research Fellow, Laboratory of Pediatric Oncology, G. Gaslini Scientific Institute, Genova, Italy;1987 - 1990: Research Fellow, Clinical Immunology and Immunogenetics Dept., Nat. Inst. for Cancer Research, Genova, Italy.
Sebastian GautschSebastian Gautsch is section adjunct in Microengineering at EPFL. He received his M.A.Sc. Degree in Electronical physics from the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland in 1998. He did his Ph.D. degree in the field of micro-mechanical systems at the Institute of Microtechnology (IMT), University of Neuchâtel, in 2001. His PHD thesis was done in collaboration with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena and led to the successful operation of an Atomic Force Microscope on the Phoenix Mission to the Planet Mars in 2008. This achievement had a broad impact in the media. In parallel to his research activities he pursued an international swimming career until 2003. He then acquired the Federal Certificate in Sport Coaching in 2007 delivered by the Swiss Olympic Federation and coached the Elite Swimming Team of Red-Fish Neuchâtel between 2004 and 2009. He was instrumental in initiating and coordinating the Cantonal Olympic Project to support potential olympians. He was part of the coaching delegation at several international events for the Swiss Swimming National Team and qualified more than 20 swimmers for European, World Championships and the Olympic Games of Beijing in 2008. Between 2004 and 2013 he successfully led the research activities in the field of Tools for Nanoscience at the Institute of Microengineering of EPFL at the Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Laboratory (SAMLAB) of Prof. Nico de Rooij. In 2011, he led the R&D activities in Electron Beam Lithography for the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM). He was instrumental in creating the Swiss Chapter of the Mars Society in 2011 and is currently Vice President. Between 2011 and 2018 he lectured at the Bern University of Applied Science in the field of Micro and Medical Technology.Between 2012 and 2020 he coordinated the Industrial Internships Program for Master students at the School of Engineering. He was instrumental in setting up coordinated master thesis in industry, the Engineering Industry Day, and the sustainable internships label. Between 2018 and 2020 he coordinated academic outreach initiatives like the E3 research internship program and the Engineering PhD Summit . Google Scholar publication page:
