🔬 We’re hiring in Zürich🇨🇭!
My lab is recruiting a new PhD student in molecular immunology (interferons, autoantibodies & viral disease). Position is fully-funded. Starting date anticipated to be late 2026/early 2027.
Further details and how to apply: tinyurl.com/IMVPhD2026
Deadline 1st May 2026.
🔬 We’re hiring in Zürich🇨🇭!
My lab is recruiting a new PhD student in molecular immunology (interferons, autoantibodies & viral disease). Position is fully-funded. Starting date anticipated to be late 2026/early 2027.
Further details and how to apply: tinyurl.com/IMVPhD2026
Deadline 1st May 2026.
In a new article with Kevin Groen, we review the most recent scientific developments relating to autoantibodies targeting type I interferons and their impacts on severe viral disease:
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
Increased prevalence of #autoantibodies neutralizing IFNλ2/3 in young individuals with #CysticFibrosis. New report from Kevin Groen, Emanuela Bruscia, Marc Emmenegger, Benjamin Hale @benhale.bsky.social and colleagues: rupress.org/jhi/article/...
#Autoimmunity #Infections
Happy to join @jem.org as an Associate Editor for 2026 and to contribute to the journal’s publishing process and community!
Groen, @benhale.bsky.social et al. @virology.uzh.ch identify interferon-λ #autoantibodies in 11.8% of those with #CysticFibrosis, a prevalence >10-fold higher than expected. In vitro & clinical analyses suggest the antibodies may impact mucosal pathology. rupress.org/jhi/article/...
Type I interferon autoantibody footprints reveal neutralizing mechanisms and allow inhibitory decoy design. From Kevin Groen, Benjamin Hale (@benhale.bsky.social) and colleagues 👉 rupress.org/jem/article/...
📘 Part of 2025: The Year in Experimental Medicine rupress.org/jem/collecti...
#Autoimmunity
Nice to see our study led by Kevin Groen included in the 2025 ‘Best of JEM’. We dissected the mechanisms by which pathogenic autoantibodies block IFN-I function and used the information to design decoy molecules that might form the basis for future therapies.
rupress.org/jem/article/...
How does fever work?
Our new Science paper shows how elevated body temperature can protect against severe influenza and that avian-origin viruses escape this defence.
This is likely one reason why bird flus and some pandemic influenzas can be so severe.🧵
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
I very much enjoyed my time in St Andrews, Scotland as a PhD student. If I was still considered an Early-Career Researcher just starting my own laboratory (in my head, I am!), I would certainly be interested in this fellowship opportunity...
Thank-you @casanovalab.bsky.social for the kind invitation to be a participant at your celebratory Novo Nordisk Prize Symposium. I appreciated being able to present alongside a great array of leading researchers, & to meet so many welcoming people in the field of Inborn Errors of Immunity! Congrats!
'TRIM28 is a target for paramyxovirus V proteins'. Work led by Gauthier Lieber seeks to address whether host activation of endogenous retroelements contributes to antiviral defences. In support of this idea, he describes a viral mechanism that might limit this host response.
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Regulated localization of transposable element #RNA during #influenza A #virus #infection.
-> www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Now in press: Marie Lork & our collaborators studied host transposable elements during influenza A virus infection. We found evidence that some produce dsRNA, but that these host dsRNAs are limited from reaching the cytosol by the viral NS1 protein. @emboreports.org
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
A nice photo from last week’s ’Celebration of 50 years of Virology’ in St Andrews - marking a milestone in the distinguished career of Rick Randall - a great virologist, colleague and friend - congratulations Rick!
It's a great idea to involve those interested in IFNs at different levels (not just molecular/infections, but also cancer community, clinicians and those using IFNs as treatments etc). Would love to do a similar thing in ZH - will be a lot to learn from the different perspectives. Good luck with it!
Disappointed to miss out as a non-Heidelbergian! Sounds like a great meeting to bring together all your local Interferon friends!
Anti-interferon autoantibodies are always on my mind....even at Easter!
Type I interferon autoantibody footprints reveal neutralizing mechanisms and allow inhibitory decoy design. New study from Kevin Groen, Benjamin Hale (@benhale.bsky.social) and colleagues @virology.uzh.ch: rupress.org/jem/article/...
#Autoimmunity #Immunodeficiency #InfectiousDisease
An atlas of protein phosphorylation dynamics during interferon signaling @benhale.bsky.social
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
A follow up on @benhale.bsky.social and colleagues' research published in @jem.org : How "decoy molecules" intercept harmful auto-antibodies, restoring antiviral immunity.
www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...
AutoAbs neutralizing IFN-Is exacerbate severe viral diseases. Groen, @benhale.bsky.social et al. @virology.uzh.ch identify IFN-I regions commonly targeted by these autoAbs and develop a proof-of-concept decoy strategy to alleviate pathogenic effects. rupress.org/jem/article/...
Interferon research has a long history at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Charles Weissmann, Professor of Molecular Biology, led the group that first cloned interferon genes. This allowed large-scale production and facilitated the medical use of interferon.
@uzh-ch.bsky.social
In our most recent work, Kevin Groen from the lab made AIR cells for rapid & sensitive functional detection of interferon types I, II & III. AIR cells can be used with a live cell luciferase substrate, are highly sensitive & can detect autoantibodies neutralising interferons.
doi.org/10.1002/eji....
