[FG] Bernsmeier Christine

Area of Research

Monocyte and macrophage biology in cirrhosis of the liver.

Approved Research Projects

12/2012 - 11/2014 EASL Sheila Sherlock Postdoctoral Fellowship: "Hepatoadrenal syndrome: Does inflammatory response dysfunction explain poor survival?"

1/2015 - 12/2015 Research Fund Medical Research Centre, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen Nr 14/17: "Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?"

10/2015 - 9/2019 Swiss National Science Foundation Project Grant 320030_159984: "Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?"

8/2019 - 7/2020 University of Basel, Research Fund Junior Researchers: “Assessment of circadian rhythm in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”

1/2020 - 6/2024 Swiss National Science Foundation Project Grant 320030_189072 including Protected Research Time for Clinicians: “Diversity and compartmentalisation of monocytes & macrophages and immuneparesis in patients with cirrhosis”

10/2024 - 9/2028 Swiss National Science Foundation Project Grant 10003152: "Reciprocal effects of bacterial infection and immune responses in liver cirrhosis"

Collaborations

National Collaborations

• Prof. Dr. Markus Heim, University Centre for Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases Basel and Hepatology Laboratory, Basel
• Prof. Dr. Christian Cajochen, Centre for Chronobiology, University of Basel
• PD Dr. Dr. David Semela, Gastroenterology & Hepatoloigy and Liver Biology Laboratory, St. Gallen
• Prof. Dr. Burkhard Ludewig, Immunobiology, Medical Research Centre, St. Gallen
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Annalisa Berzigotti, Hepatology, Inselspital Bern
• Prof. Mojgan Masoodi, University of Bern
• PD Dr. Montserrat Fraga, Gastroenterology & Hepatologie, CHUV, Lausanne
• PD Dr. Benedetta Terziroli, Epatocentro Ticino, University Ticino
• Dr. Patrizia Künzler, Departement Nursing Sciences, University of Basel
• Prof. Dr. Matthias Matter, Institute of Pathology, University of Basel
• Dr. Julien Roux, Bioinformatics Facility, DBM, University of Basel

International Collaborations

• Prof. Dr. Julia Wendon & Dr. Mark McPhail, Institut of Liver Studies, King’s College London, UK
• Prof. Dr. Mark Thursz & Dr. Evangelos Triantafyllou, Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Imperial College London, UK
• Dr. Christopher Weston, Centre for Liver & Gastro Research, University of Birmingham, UK
• Prof. Dr. Luigi Terracciano, Anatomic Pathology Unit, Humanitas University Research Hospital, Milano, Italy

Previous Research Projects

Activation of MERTK-signalling in monocytes/macrophages - a mechanism to explain susceptibility to infection in patients with cirrhosis and a future therapeutic target?

Assessment of circadian rhythm in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Diversity and compartmentalisation of monocytes & macrophages and immuneparesis in patients with cirrhosis

Ongoing Research Projects

SASL Swiss Cirrhosis Cohort Study (SSCiCoS, SASL 46)

Reciprocal effects of bacterial infection and immune responses in liver cirrhosis

Clinical Multicentre Studies as local PI:

National:

- SASL 38 Swiss registry on Autoimmune Hepatitis (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)

- SASL 39 Swiss registry on Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)

- SASL 40 Swiss registry on Primar Sclerosing Cholangitis SWISS PSC (PI PD Dr. B. Terziroli, Ticino)

- SASL 44 DAA Treatment Failure in Chronic Hepatitis C - The Swiss Experience (Dr. M. Fraga, Lausanne)

International:

- Pro-Euro-DILI Registry: Creation of a multicentre and multidisciplinary European registry of prospective drug-induced liver injury cases (PI: Prof. G. Aithal, University of Nottingham, UK)

- Investigation of Liver Involvement in Patients with alpha1-Antitrypsin Deficiency (PI: PD Dr. med. Pavel Strnad, University Hospital Aachen, Germany)