In 2026, three new professors will take up positions in the Faculty of Medicine, while one professor will be joining the Faculty of Psychology. In addition to these appointments, the University Council has approved two promotions.
If gut bacteria are too similar to the protective layer of nerves, they can misdirect the immune system and cause it to attack its own nervous system. This mechanism can accelerate the progression of multiple sclerosis, as researchers at the University of Basel have shown in trials with mice. However, their results also open up opportunities for treatments that make use of the microbiome.
The Chinese mathematician Hong Wang has been awarded the 2025 International Ostrowski Prize in Higher Mathematics. The Ostrowski Prize is worth 100,000 Swiss Francs and is named after Alexander M. Ostrowski, a professor of mathematics who taught at the University of Basel.
The European Research Council (ERC) awards Consolidator Grants to support excellent project ideas from advanced researchers. Those who succeed in the competition for these coveted grants are among the best in their respective fields of research. Four scientists from the University of Basel have now been awarded ERC grants.
Construction of the University of Basel’s new biomedicine building is progressing as planned and is even ahead of schedule: the shell was completed in December – around three months earlier than anticipated.
Some bacteria use a kind of molecular “speargun” to eliminate their rivals, injecting them with a lethal cocktail. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that certain bacteria can protect themselves against these toxic attacks. But this defense comes with a surprising downside: it makes them more vulnerable to antibiotics.
Professor Viktoria Jansesberger is to become the new assistant professor of political science, with a focus on environment and development. The professorship is being financed by the Max Geldner Foundation.
14 December marks the 30th anniversary of the end of the Bosnian War. Two researchers from the University of Basel are examining how its effects are being felt today, both locally and in the diaspora.
An international study led by the University of Basel has discovered that nuclear pore complexes – tiny gateways in the nuclear membrane – are not rigid or gel-like as once thought. Their interiors are dynamically organized, constantly moving and rearranging. The findings reshape our understanding of a vital transport process in cells and have implications for diseases and potential therapies.
