The focus of our activities is the investigation of inflammatory skin disease, especially neutrophil-mediated inflammatory dermatoses (NMID) and epidermal cohesional disorders such as Darier disease. We have three groups of investigators. The first is the Skin Mechanisms and Targets group, working on projects addressing genetic & pathophysiological questions (//biomedizin.unibas.ch/en/research/research-groups/navarini-lab/). The second is the Digital Dermatology group, a team of computer scientists whose aim is to transform visual information into quantifiable phenotypic data. The third is the Skin Allergy and Immunology Trial Unit (https://dkf.unibas.ch/de/forschungsgruppen/forschungschwerpunkte/immunologie-infektiologie/forschungsgruppe-navarini-a/, www.saitu.ch) performing clinical trials to establish new drugs and collect clinical data and samples.
Skin mechanisms and targets at the Department of Biomedicine:
Under the leadership of PD Emmanuel Contassot, our postdoctoral fellow Rishika Agarwal has developed a 3-dimensional model system recapitulating important aspects of the human epidermis: Human Epidermal Organoids. She is currently using them to reproduce Darier disease and screen for new drug targets. Our PhD students Erika Parente and Jane Olivia Fröhlich are investigating additional aspects of the HEOs. Our PhD student Fabio Poletti uses whole exome sequencing and bioinformatic search approaches to detect causative genetic alterations in a whole range of inflammatory skin conditions. Currently in the pipeline are pyoderma gangrenosum, Sweet syndrome, pustular psoriasis and primary immunodeficiencies. See each person’s detailed information and the project page for further information.
Digital Dermatology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering:
Our three PhD students Alvaro Gonzalez Jimenez, Philippe Gottfrois and Fabian Groeger drive these approaches forward. They are partly co-supervised with Prof. Marc Pouly (HSLU), Prof. Mathias Bonmarin (ZHAW). Our MD PhD student Christian Haas has developed a full-body infrared imaging device to detect unseen skin conditions. Please check out our classification algorithm demos on skinsifter.com.
Skin Allergy and Immunology Trial Unit in the Department of Clinical Research:
Our team, lead by Ivana Cvijetic, performs the full range of clinical trials starting from phase I to IV in dermatology, allergology and immunology. Clinician-scientists currently working in SAITU are Elisabeth Goessinger, Alina Müller, Sara Cerminara, Lina Weiss and several doctoral (MD) and master students contribute as well.
Many skin diseases and questions related to them cannot be addressed effectively working alone. In fact, most of our research is done in collaborations. We are glad to be part of the Swiss Dermatology Network of Targeted Therapy (SDNTT), International Rare and Severe Psoriasis Expert Network (EIRASPEN, PI Navarini), and have helped to start the international registry for toxic epidermal necrolysis (IRTEN). Also, we help to drive forward the production of Swiss clinical guidelines including for psoriasis and rosacea.
We are proud to have a number of high-impact alumni of our group, namely PD Dr. med. Antonios Kolios, PD Dr. med. Julia-Tatjana Maul, PD Dr. med. Florian Anzengruber, Dr. med. Lara Valeska Maul, Dr. med. Dr. sc. nat. Elisabeth Roider.
