Technology transfer office Unitectra recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In the interview below, Managing Director Adrian Sigrist explains what has changed and why the organization has thrived. More …

Artificial heart valves save many lives. But the problem is that a prosthesis is never as robust as the real thing. This is why UZH Professor Maximilian Emmert wants to get the human body to rebuild the damaged valves itself. More …

Political scientist Fabrizio Gilardi and his colleagues established the Digital Democracy Lab. More …

Some parts of Zurich are colorful and full of life, while others appear drab and empty. Psychologist Alice Hollenstein knows what brings joy to city dwellers – and what doesn’t. More …

Open science is gaining momentum. According to Mark Robinson and Marc Thommen, the open science delegates newly appointed by UZH to support the transformation to greater cooperation, the movement will bring about major changes in the academic system. More …

Digitalization is bringing widespread and fundamental changes to the finance sector. Three doctoral candidates at UZH have organized an international workshop to explore where these changes might lead. More …

There should be interstellar comets hiding in our Solar system after making a journey of many lightyears. Maybe we have already seen one but believed it was a “normal” comet formed in the solar system, says Tom Hands, astrophysicist at the University of Zurich and member of the NCCR PlanetS. More …

Hydrogen is a clean source of electricity, fuel and fertilizer. The problem is that hydrogen still isn’t produced very sustainably. This could change – thanks to artificial photosynthesis. More …

A new National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) will be based at the University of Zurich. Entitled “Evolving Language”, it will investigate the origins and future of language. UZH linguist Balthasar Bickel will serve as co-director of the research network alongside Anne-Lise Giraud from the University of Geneva. The national network includes numerous other universities and research institutes within Switzerland. More …

Biophysicist Ben Schuler will serve as a fellow at the Biophysical Society starting early next year. The US-based organization has recognized Schuler’s innovative contributions to protein research, marking the first time a researcher at the University of Zurich has received this honor. More …

Robotics professor Davide Scaramuzza and his research group finished in second place at the AlphaPilot international drone race. Among the nine finalists, the first three places were all won by university teams. More …

Does our academic performance have an effect on our personal development? A new study by UZH education evaluation specialists has investigated this interesting question. More …

With hormonal swings and changes in our social situation, life after forty presents distinct challenges. Psychologists Hannah Süss and Jasmine Willi examine the best ways of managing this phase of our life. More …

Jane Goodall visited UZH and looked back on her eventful life with wild chimpanzees. The famous 85-year-old primatologist remains an energetic campaigner for animal welfare and environmental protection, and considers young people to be the biggest hope for the future. More …

Men and women not only get sick in different ways, they also react differently to pharmaceutical drugs. UZH visiting professor Vera Regitz-Zagrosek gave a presentation on research into these differences in the field of gender medicine. More …

Severe emotional disturbances have until now mainly been associated with violent young men. But girls can also display anti-social behavior. Studies show that changes in the brain can play a role. More …

The University Medicine Zurich initiative presented its new flagship project Immuno-TargET at its annual event this week. The project combines the latest technologies in developing immune therapies for specific types of endocrine cancer. More …

Through heat, saline soil or aridity, the environment can directly influence the activity of genes. As the biologist Ueli Grossniklaus has demonstrated, in plants these epigenetic changes can sometimes be inherited. More …

Specialists at the University of Zurich are thoroughly investigating the topic of social egg freezing — whereby egg cells are frozen as a precautionary measure with a view to a pregnancy at a later date. Increasing numbers of women in Switzerland are also interested in the idea. Legal expert Andrea Büchler and physician Bruno Imthurn discuss reasons and benefits, but also the possible constraints of the new method. Their concern is that women should make well-informed decisions. More …

Frank Rühli is an evolutionary medicine expert who is conducting pioneering research on mummified entrails. He recently became the first person to study the Egyptian Museum’s collection of canopic jars from an interdisciplinary perspective. More …