Contributors

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Host

Professor Marianna Kruithof-de Julio

Director Organoid Core at University of Bern. Head of The Urological Research laboratory. Chair of the Scientific Review Board.


Passionate scientist with extensive experience in stem cell and cancer biology. Focus on personalized medicine with particular interest in ex vivo tissue slices of GU cancers, organoid generation from patient specimens and patient derived xenografts and establishment of PDX from GU cancers and bone metastasis.


https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannakruithofdejulio
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Professor Steven Ray Wilson

I am a professor in analytical chemistry, specializing in separation science and mass spectrometry. My current focus is applying these approaches to studying organoids, i.e. lab-grown organs (drug metabolism, proteomics). I am a PI in a Center of Excellence on this topic (Hybrid Technology Hub). I also have several collaborations with clinicians related to diagnostics (proteomics, metabolomics). I am a teacher of several topics including analytical chemistry and biochemistry, and have won several teaching awards. In addition, I am an active communicator of science, with numerous contributions through television, newspapers, and radio/podcasts.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-ray-wilson/
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Rizwan Chaudhrey

Blogger on Life Science/ Pharma Bio-Pharma from Drug Discovery to Drug Delivery and all things in between.

Aim to Connect and Inform those working across the whole value chain, through news, video interviews, podcasts and content.

I work with Associations, Event organisers, Vendors and experts to create content which help inform the sector

https://youtube.com/channel/UC9vdET2xLlGweqveW6JmQdQ

Guests

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Prof. Dr. med. Bernhard Kiss

As a surgeon-scientist, I play a pivotal role in the development and execution of clinical trials, along with overseeing both translational and basic research components associated with these studies. My involvement ensures that our findings translate effectively into improved patient outcomes.

Currently, we are embarking on a significant advancement in this area through the Phase 3 multi-center clinical trial known as GAIN-INST II. This initiative follows the promising results from our Phase 2 bladder cancer trial, GAIN-INST, and aims to evaluate further the efficacy of a novel, individualized treatment strategy. Specifically, we are exploring the use of organoid-based testing to tailor therapies for bladder cancer patients. This approach investigates how treatment plans derived from patient-specific organoids compare to standard therapy in a cohort of 200 bladder cancer patients.


https://urologie.insel.ch/de/ueber-uns/details/person/detail/bernhard-kiss-1
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Prof. Roland Seiler-Blarer

Prof. Roland Seiler-Blarer, the Head of Urology at the Hospital Center in Biel, has made remarkable advancements in the field of urology, particularly with his innovative research using organoids in bladder cancer studies. Under his guidance, the department has led pioneering clinical trials, including the GAIN-INST Trial, which employs patient-derived organoids (PDOs) to customize treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This revolutionary strategy seeks to enhance treatment effectiveness and lower cancer recurrence by tailoring therapies based on the specific drug responses of individual patients' organoids. Dr. Seiler-Blarer's efforts are setting the stage for more precise and effective treatments in urologic oncology. 

https://medin-bielbienne.ch/team/dr-med-roland-seiler-blarer-roland