Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP)

The Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology (DIP) carries our biomedical research in view to improve health and well-being of animals and humans. The DIP is strongly involved in teaching and education in veterinary medicine, and includes not only students of veterinary medicine, but also those of medicine and natural sciences. The DIP participates in post-graduate formation and specialisation, and is member of the Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB) of the University of Bern. The DIP offers research-supported diagnostic services to various stakeholders, including academic and private clinics, veterinary public health institutions and medical laboratories and clinicians.

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News

Dr. Lutz and Dr. Celia Zwillenberg award for Martín González-Fernández

Martín González-Fernández has received the Dr. Lutz and Dr. Celia Zwillenberg prize for uncovering a novel mechanism of chemotherapy response in BRCA1-mutated mammary tumors. Congratulations!

Award of the Albert Heim Foundation for Leonore Aeschlimann

For her dissertation entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Immunohistochemical Analysis of the BRAF V595E Mutation in Canine Lower Urinary Tract and Prostate Tumors”, Leonore Aeschlimann from the Institute of Animal Pathology has been honored with this year’s Recognition Prize of the Albert Heim Foundation. The prize, endowed with 3,000 CHF, was awarded on 14 November 2025 at the Natural History Museum of Bern.

SRF Einstein

Lynxes in Switzerland suffer from genetic diseases, as research by Janna Niehaus at FIWI shows. SRF Einstein investigates possible solutions.

Award for outstanding teaching

Based on the students' evaluations, the faculty honored Nicolas Diserens on September 15 for outstanding achievements in teaching (“Fish in Veterinary Medicine”). Congratulations!

Dr. Michalis Petropoulos has joined the DIP

We are very happy to welcome Dr. Michalis Petropoulos as SNSF Ambizione Fellow at the DIP. Dr. Petropolous is establishing his own group to study DNA transcription-replication conflicts and their relevance in anti-cancer therapy response.

Young Scientist Paper Award 2025

Die zuständige Vetsuisse-Kommission zeichnet Marina Maurizio (Institute of Animal Pathology, Bern) und Patricia Beer (Kleintierchirurgie, Zürich) mit dem diesjährigen Award aus. Der Preis wurde am 4. September im Rahmen des Science & BBQ Day in Zürich verliehen.

Important Step in the Fight Against Malaria and Theileriosis

Single-celled parasites are capable of causing a variety of life-threatening diseases in humans and animals. Of particular global significance are the pathogens of malaria (in humans) and theileriosis (in cattle), which have substantial impacts, especially in the countries of the Global South. As part of an SNF Sinergia project, researchers from the University of Bern, EPFL, and Justus Liebig University Giessen have now discovered a common Achilles' heel of these two parasites, which could be useful for new therapies. Read our article in Nature Communications for more information.

Contact

University of Bern

Länggassstrasse 122
3012 Bern

Phone: +41 31 684 21 11