After three successful years within the EPICUR-SHAPE-IT project, the University of Basel was officially admitted to the European university alliance EPICUR on 19 February 2026. University President Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki discusses the role of the European higher education area in the 21st century and what prospects it has to offer members of the University of Basel.
Lakes play a vital filtering role in the ecosystem: they remove excess nitrogen from the water. An international research team led by the University of Basel and Eawag has now shown that climate change could weaken this natural purification process. This would have consequences extending all the way to coastal marine ecosystems.
The Senate discussed the criteria by which the successor to President Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki should be assessed. Vice President Professor Nadja Braun Binder also announced that she will not be standing for a second term in office.
The University Council has appointed Professor Heinz Läubli as Clinical Professor of Cellular Therapies at the Faculty of Medicine.
Different beak and jaw shapes are illustrative examples of how animal species have adapted to different food sources. In a new study published in the journal Nature, researchers now show how diet itself shapes the composition of intestinal tissue, using the highly diverse cichlid fishes as an example.
A blood stem cell donation can save the lives of people with leukemia. To collect these cells from the bloodstream, donors are given medication that mobilizes blood stem cells from the bone marrow. A pilot study now suggests that physical exercise could specifically support stem cell donation.
Millions of people worldwide carry viral infections they acquired at birth, often for life. For a long time it was assumed that the immune system hardly fights these pathogens. Researchers from the University of Basel show now that the body’s defenses do indeed act against the virus. This could be a useful starting point for future therapies.
The University of Basel closed the 2025 financial year with a deficit, as the newly published annual report shows. The balance sheet closed with a deficit of CHF 10.9 million, which was offset by funds from non-restricted equity.
The University Council has appointed Professor Samuel Allemann as professor of pharmaceutical care in the Faculty of Science. Furthermore, the university has initiated the process to select a successor to President Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki and has confirmed several additional academic appointments.
