A new research group at the IRB in Bellinzona led by Dr Gea Cereghetti

The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, affiliated with Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), has announced the arrival of Dr Gea Cereghetti as a new Group Leader. Since June 2026, she has been directing the new Protein Self-Organisation laboratory, helping to strengthen the IRB's research activities at the interface between cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics.

Dr Gea Cereghetti is a Swiss biochemist and cell biologist who studies the mechanisms through which proteins organise themselves into complex structures, and how these processes enable cells to coordinate their activities and adapt to changes in their environment. Following her training at ETH Zurich and Harvard Medical School, she earned her PhD in Biochemistry from ETH Zurich, receiving the ETH Medal and the SAIS Prize for her research. She subsequently carried out research at the University of Cambridge as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and member of Trinity Hall, supported by prestigious international funding programmes, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie UKRI Guarantee Fellowship and the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2024, she also secured an SNSF Ambizione grant and the Lopez-Loreta Prize for Academic Excellence, which enabled her to launch her own independent research programme.

At IRB, the Protein Self-Organisation laboratory studies how proteins assemble into functional macromolecular structures that regulate immune responses, cellular metabolism, and ageing processes. The group's objective is to understand how these structures form and are regulated, what role they play in cellular physiology, and how their disruption contributes to the development of various pathologies. Through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular engineering, Dr Cereghetti's group aims to identify the fundamental principles governing protein organisation in cells and to understand how these mechanisms influence health and disease.

"After several years spent abroad, I am very pleased to return to Switzerland and to join IRB. I look forward to contributing to the institute's vibrant scientific community and to the growth of the Ticino biomedical hub, by studying how protein self-organisation regulates immune responses and contributes to ageing-associated pathologies," Cereghetti commented regarding this new milestone. "We are very happy to welcome Gea Cereghetti to the IRB," stated Prof. Davide Robbiani, Director of the IRB. "Her excellent scientific track record and the innovative nature of her research lines will bring new expertise and perspectives to our scientific community."

The arrival of the Protein Self-Organisation laboratory further expands the scientific expertise present at IRB, confirming the institute's commitment to supporting talented young researchers and promoting innovative biomedical research.