University of Zurich, Rämistrasse, Zürich, Switzerland

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University of Zurich

With its 26,000 enrolled students, the University of Zurich (UZH) is Switzerland’s largest university. Founded in the year 1833, UZH was Europe’s first university to be established by a democratic political system; today, UZH is one of the foremost universities in the German-speaking world. Made up of seven faculties covering some 100 different subject areas, the University offers a wide variety of Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programs. In addition, UZH’s continuing education programs offer excellent learning opportunities.

Exceptional
As a member of the “League of European Research Universities” (LERU), the University of Zurich belongs to Europe’s most prestigious research institutions. Numerous distinctions highlight the University’s international renown in the fields of medicine, immunology, genetics, neuroscience and structural biology as well as in economics. To date, the Nobel Prize has been conferred on twelve UZH scholars.

Sharing Knowledge
The academic excellence of the University of Zurich brings benefits to both the public and the private sectors not only in the Canton of Zurich, but throughout Switzerland. Knowledge is shared in a variety of ways: in addition to granting the general public access to its twelve museums and many of its libraries, the University makes findings from cutting-edge research available to the public in accessible and engaging lecture series and panel discussions.

Research fellow
University of Zurich
Full professor of neuroeconomics and decision neuroscience
University of Zurich
Professor of economics
University of Zurich
Associate professor of neuroeconomics and social neuroscience
University of Zurich
Professor of economics
University of Zurich
Visiting professor
University of Zurich
Professor
University of Zurich
NOMIS Professor for Decision and Neuroeconomic Theory
University of Zurich
Senior researcher and project leader
University of Zurich
President of UZH
University of Zurich
Professor of anatomy and research group leader
University of Zurich
Professor of neuropathology and director of the Institute of Neuropathology
University of Zurich
NOMIS Board of Directors
NOMIS Foundation, University of Zurich
February 26, 2024
How did cooperative behavior prevail in human evolution? NOMIS Board Member Ernst Fehr, together with other researchers from the Universities of Zurich, Lausanne and Konstanz, have challenged two prevailing explanations – […]
September 8, 2023
NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi and colleague Martin Kampmann have published a review article in Science exploring progress in treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. They ask the question, “What accounts for the […]
December 13, 2022
The Covid-19 global vaccine roll-out is considered one of the greatest achievements in modern medical history, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. However, it was marred by decisions that saw […]
November 18, 2022
In recent research by NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi and colleagues, the team found a striking dependence of specific Aβ plaque treatments on the location and maturity of Aβ plaques. Their […]
November 29, 2021
NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi and colleagues have identified a previously unknown relatively high prevalence of plasma anti-tau autoantibodies, as well as an association between plasma anti-tau autoantibodies and disease outside […]
November 24, 2021
In a feature story in Science, Elizabeth Pennisi discusses the importance of remote sensing research by plant ecologist Jeannine Cavender-Bares and colleagues, including NOMIS researcher and University of Zurich President […]
September 6, 2021
NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi and colleagues published their findings in bioRxiv demonstrating an association between disease severity, anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoreactivity and antiphospholipid antibodies against prothrombin in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Abstract Antiphospholipid […]
August 16, 2021
NOMIS researcher and UZH President Michael Schaepman and colleagues have demonstrated that their approach to deriving plant functional traits, phylogenies and genetics works on a regional level. Their research — […]
August 1, 2021
Carlos Alós-Ferrer, who is NOMIS Professor for Decision and Neuroeconomic Theory at the University of Zurich, and his colleagues have published a study indicating that human beings can simultaneously be […]
October 14, 2020
NOMIS researcher Anna Deplazes-Zemp and colleague Mollie Chapman have published a paper in Environmental Values (The White Horse Press) exploring the concept of “relational value” with respect to environmental ethics […]
October 7, 2020
NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi and colleague Elena De Cecco published an article in Science on Oct. 2, 2020, exploring the evolution of prions. Paradigm shifts are drivers of scientific progress, […]
October 5, 2020
NOMIS Awardee Janet Currie and economists David Dorn and Branko Milanovic will participate in a public online panel discussion, “Inequality – facts and consequences,” hosted by the University of Zurich […]
August 3, 2020
NOMIS scientist Michael Schaepman recently took on the role of president of the University of Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland. In an interview published by UZH, he shares his insights on […]
June 4, 2020
NOMIS Awardee Adriano Aguzzi has published a study on medRxiv: “Population-wide Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Immunity Tracked by a Ternary Immunoassay.” Until recently, Aguzzi has been studying the molecular basis of […]
April 29, 2020
NOMIS researchers Michel Maréchal and Ernst Fehr, who is also a NOMIS board member, have published a study in Nature Communications: Motivated misremembering of selfish decisions. When people behave selfishly, […]
November 28, 2019
Perrine Huber of swissnex San Francisco explains how a collaboration between NASA in California and the University of Zurich will help scientists better understand how the Earth and its climate […]
October 12, 2019
(German-language article) Der BSE-Bändiger, der gerne provoziert von Nik Walter Der Neuropathologe Adriano Aguzzi von der Uni Zürich hat wesentlich dazu beigetragen, dass die Rinderseuche in den 90er-Jahren schnell wieder […]
October 11, 2019
Recognizing their outstanding contributions to the advancement of science and human progress through their pioneering, innovative and collaborative research, the 2019 NOMIS Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award was presented to […]
February 8, 2019
We are delighted to announce the three new recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award — congratulations to Adriano Aguzzi, Janet Currie and Antonio Rangel. Recognizing their outstanding […]
January 31, 2019
Carlos Alós-Ferrer, NOMIS Professor for Decision and Neuroeconomic Theory at the University of Zurich, has taken on the role or Editior-in-Chief of the Journal of Economic Psychology. The journal focuses on […]
December 12, 2018
A new kind of heat treatment could be an effective way of supporting cancer therapy. UZH’s Nathalie Huber describes in her article “Turning up the heat on cancer” how NOMIS […]
November 3, 2018
NOMIS scientist Michael Schaepman’s remote sensing and biodiversity research has been featured in an article by Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). The article, “Ein fliegender Wächter für die Ökosysteme […]
October 25, 2018
The collaborative work of NOMIS scientist Michael Schaepman has been highlighted in an article by Alex Jamis at NCEAS, “By air and sea, synthesis research is improving how scientists capture the […]
September 19, 2018
The University of Zurich (UZH) has published an article about remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman’s plans to use a new aerial sensing method to investigate the complex interplay between ecosystems, […]
August 17, 2018
The University of Zurich has published an article profiling NOMIS researcher Anna Deplazes Zemp’s new project, People’s Place in Nature. The project addresses the question, “Should we protect nature because […]
April 15, 2018
The work of NOMIS scientist Carlos Alós-Ferrer has been highlighted in an article by the American Economic Association (AEA). Alós-Ferrer emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary research between economists and social […]
April 11, 2018
Carlos Alós-Ferrer has been appointed NOMIS Professor for Decision and Neuroeconomic Theory at the University of Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland. He is an economist who, prior to joining UZH, was […]
December 20, 2016
The University of Zurich (UZH), a NOMIS partner and one of the leading research universities in Europe, has joined the Open Library of Humanities’ (OLH) Library Partnership Subsidy (LPS) system. […]
February 21, 2024
Abstract: Repeated interactions provide an evolutionary explanation for one-shot human cooperation that is counterintuitive but orthodox1,2,3. Intergroup competition4,5,6,7 provides an explanation that is intuitive but heterodox. Here, using models and a behavioural […]
November 16, 2023
Abstract: Biological conservation practices and approaches take many forms. Conservation projects do not only differ in their aims and methods, but also concerning their conceptual and normative background assumptions and their […]
January 24, 2023
Abstract: Values have always tended to play a central role in discourse on the environment, a tendency which is currently particularly evident in the biodiversity context. Traditionally, arguments about the environment […]
January 4, 2023
Abstract: Decisions in management and finance rely on information that often includes win-lose feedback (e.g., gains and losses, success and failure). Simple reinforcement then suggests to blindly repeat choices if they […]
December 9, 2022
Abstract: We provide an axiomatic characterization of Bayesian updating, viewed as a mapping from prior beliefs and new information to posteriors, which is disentangled from any reference to preferences. Bayesian updating is characterized […]
December 1, 2022
Abstract: Mammalian models are essential for brain aging research. However, the long lifespan and poor amenability to genetic and pharmacological perturbations have hindered the use of mammals for dissecting aging-regulatory molecular […]
December 1, 2022
Abstract: A defining characteristic of mammalian prions is their capacity for self-sustained propagation. Theoretical considerations and experimental evidence suggest that prion propagation is modulated by cell-autonomous and non-autonomous modifiers. Using a […]
December 1, 2022
Abstract: The effectiveness of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is highly variable. As target recognition of mAbs relies on tight binding affinity, we assessed the affinities […]
December 1, 2022
Abstract: Ultrasounds are often used in cancer treatment protocols, e.g. to collect tumor tissues in the right location using ultrasound-guided biopsy, to image the region of the tumor using more affordable […]
December 1, 2022
Abstract: In this paper we suggest an interpretation of the concept of ‘relational value’ that could be useful in both environmental ethics and empirical analyses. We argue that relational valuing includes […]
October 1, 2022
Abstract: Background: Multiple System Atrophy is a rare neurodegenerative disease with alpha-synuclein aggregation in glial cytoplasmic inclusions and either predominant olivopontocerebellar atrophy or striatonigral degeneration, leading to dysautonomia, parkinsonism, and cerebellar […]
September 1, 2022
Abstract: Although prion infections cause cognitive impairment and neuronal death, transcriptional and translational profiling shows progressive derangement within glia but surprisingly little changes within neurons. Here we expressed PrPC selectively in […]
September 1, 2022
Abstract: Deposits of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brains of rodents can be analysed by invasive intravital microscopy on a submillimetre scale, or via whole-brain images from modalities lacking the resolution or […]
August 1, 2022
Abstract: Prion infections cause conformational changes of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and lead to progressive neurological impairment. Here we show that toxic, prion-mimetic ligands induce an intramolecular R208-H140 hydrogen bond […]
June 15, 2022
Abstract: Observing functional diversity continuously in time and space using satellite imagery forms the basis for studying impact, interactions, and feedback of environmental change mechanisms on ecosystems and biodiversity globally. Functional […]
June 1, 2022
Abstract: The question of whether or not people are part of nature is relevant to discuss humans’ role on earth and their environmental responsibilities. This article introduces the perspectival account of […]
June 1, 2022
Abstract: Different arguments in favor of the moral relevance of the concept of biodiversity (e.g., in terms of its intrinsic or instrumental value) face a range of serious difficulties, despite that […]
April 8, 2022
Abstract: Recent efforts in understanding the course and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections have highlighted both potentially beneficial and detrimental effects of cross-reactive antibodies derived from memory immunity. Specifically, due to a […]
March 1, 2022
Abstract: An increased incidence of chilblains has been observed during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and attributed to viral infection. Direct evidence of this relationship has been […]
February 1, 2022
Abstract: Despite being caused by a single protein, prion diseases are strikingly heterogenous. Individual prion variants, known as strains, possess distinct biochemical properties, form aggregates with characteristic morphologies and preferentially seed […]
February 1, 2022
Abstract: The clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections, which can range from asymptomatic to lethal, is crucially shaped by the concentration of antiviral antibodies and by their affinity to their targets. However, […]
February 1, 2022
Abstract: A variety of different nanomaterials (NMs) such as microbubbles (MBs), nanobubbles (NBs), nanodroplets (NDs), and silica hollow meso-structures have been tested as ultrasound contrast agents for the detection of heart […]
January 1, 2022
Abstract: Relational values have recently been proposed as a concept to expand our understanding of environmental values from the categories previously dominating the discourse: instrumental (nature for people’s sake) and intrinsic […]
January 1, 2022
Abstract: Plant functional traits can predict community assembly and ecosystem functioning and are thus widely used in global models of vegetation dynamics and land–climate feedbacks. Still, we lack a global understanding […]
December 1, 2021
Abstract: Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), assumed to cause antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), are notorious for their heterogeneity in targeting phospholipids and phospholipid-binding proteins. The persistent presence of Lupus anticoagulant and/or aPL against cardiolipin […]
October 1, 2021
Abstract: The misfolding and aggregation of the human prion protein (PrP) is associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Intermediate conformations forming during the conversion of the cellular form of PrP into […]
October 1, 2021
Abstract: The cellular prion protein PrPC is necessary for prion replication, and its reduction greatly increases life expectancy in animal models of prion infection. Hence the factors controlling the levels of […]
September 7, 2021
Abstract: Brain-matter vacuolation is a defining trait of all prion diseases, yet its cause is unknown. Here, we report that prion infection and prion-mimetic antibodies deplete the phosphoinositide kinase PIKfyve—which controls […]
September 7, 2021
Abstract: While the initial pathology of Parkinson’s disease and other α-synucleinopathies is often confined to circumscribed brain regions, it can spread and progressively affect adjacent and distant brain locales. This process […]
August 15, 2021
Abstract: Widespread evidence from psychology and neuroscience documents that previous choices unconditionally increase the later desirability of chosen objects, even if those choices were uninformative. This is problematic for economists who […]
June 8, 2021
Abstract: Neuropathological and experimental evidence suggests that the cell-to-cell transfer of α-synuclein has an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is not […]
June 1, 2021
Abstract: Abstract: The progression of prion diseases is accompanied by the accumulation of prions in the brain. Ablation of microglia enhances prion accumulation and accelerates disease progression, suggesting that microglia play […]
April 1, 2021
Abstract: To improve the prognosis of cancer patients, methods of local cancer detection and treatment could be implemented. For that, iron-based nanomaterials (IBN) are particularly well-suited due to their biocompatibility and […]
October 2, 2020
Abstract: null
September 7, 2020
Abstract: Prion immunotherapy may hold great potential, but antibodies against certain PrP epitopes can be neurotoxic. Here, we identified > 6,000 PrP-binding antibodies in a synthetic human Fab phage display library, 49 of […]
September 1, 2020
Abstract: Prion diseases are caused by PrPSc, a self-replicating pathologically misfolded protein that exerts toxicity predominantly in the brain. The administration of PrPSc causes a robust, reproducible and specific disease manifestation. […]
August 30, 2020
Abstract: Various living organisms, such as bacteria, plants, and animals can synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP). The mechanism of nanoparticle (NP) formation is usually described as relying on the reduction of […]
August 1, 2020
Abstract: Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) synthesize iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (NPs), called magnetosomes, with large sizes leading to a ferrimagnetic behavior and a stable magnetic moment at physiological temperature, a chain structure […]
June 30, 2020
Abstract: Transmission of prion infectivity to susceptible murine cell lines has simplified prion titration assays and has greatly reduced the need for animal experimentation. However, murine cell models suffer from technical […]
June 1, 2020
Abstract: The clinical course of prion diseases is accurately predictable despite long latency periods, suggesting that prion pathogenesis is driven by precisely timed molecular events. We constructed a searchable genome-wide atlas […]
February 18, 2020
Abstract: We report the synthesis in large quantity of highly pure magnetosomes for medical applications. For that, magnetosomes are produced by MSR-1 Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense magnetotactic bacteria using minimal growth media devoid […]
February 1, 2020
Abstract: Microglia play vital roles in the health and diseases of the central nervous system. Loss of microglia homeostatic state is a key feature of brain aging and neurodegeneration. However, the […]
January 1, 2020
Abstract: In nanomedicine, iron oxide nanoparticles are at an advanced stage, being commercialized for cancer treatment and iron-deficiency anemia treatment. Their therapeutic efficacy comes from their ability to target a tissue, […]
January 1, 2020
Abstract: Traditional anti-cancer treatments are inefficient against glioblastoma, which remains one of the deadliest and most aggressive cancers. Nano-drugs could help to improve this situation by enabling: (i) an increase of […]
November 1, 2019
Abstract: Light-sheet microscopy is an ideal technique for imaging large cleared samples; however, the community is still lacking instruments capable of producing volumetric images of centimeter-sized cleared samples with near-isotropic resolution […]
May 28, 2019
Abstract: IONP (iron oxide nanoparticles) commercialized for treatments of iron anemia or cancer diseases can be administered at doses exceeding 1 g per patient, indicating their bio-compatibility when they are prepared […]
April 12, 2019
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease attack different parts of the central nervous system (CNS) and elicit distinct symptoms, yet they share many […]
April 1, 2019
Abstract: SARM1 (sterile α and HEAT/armadillo motif-containing protein) is a member of the MyD88 (myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88) family, which mediates innate immune responses. Because inactivation of SARM1 prevents […]
January 1, 2019
Abstract: In medicine, obtaining simply a resolute and accurate image of an organ of interest is a real challenge. To achieve this, it has recently been proposed to use combined methods […]
September 13, 2018
Abstract: The different drugs and medical devices, which are commercialized or under industrial development for glioblastoma treatment, are reviewed. Their different modes of action are analyzed with a distinction being made […]