25th International Summer School

The International Summer School offers a unique opportunity to spend three consecutive days working closely with internationally renowned researchers. Students and faculty members present their research projects in a relaxed atmosphere, with the program featuring oral presentations, poster sessions, and academic discussions. Students receive feedback on their own work and learn how leading researchers design their projects. Another key objective is to foster future scientific collaborations among the participating groups.

SummerSchool2026

© Image lake: Switzerland Tourism / Colin Frei

Registration

Registration: by invitation / upon request

Important: not open to the public; fee applies

Venue

Nestled in the breathtaking foothills of the Alps near Freiburg and surrounded by nature, this year’s venue offers the ideal setting for academic exchange, networking, and relaxation.

Hostellerie am Schwarzsee, Seestrasse 10, CH - 1716 Schwarzsee

Program

In progress; to be announced soon.

Speakers

Dr. Giusy Di Conza

Head of Research at iOnctura - translational and preclinical oncology research

Dr. Giusy Di Conza is Head of Research at iOnctura, where she leads translational and preclinical oncology research focused on cancer immunology and immunometabolism. She earned her PhD in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases from the National Research Council of Italy and completed postdoctoral training at KU Leuven and the University of Lausanne. Her research has advanced understanding of tumor–immune interactions, macrophage biology, hypoxia signaling, and metabolic regulation within the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Di Conza has made significant contributions to the development and translational characterization of novel immuno-oncology therapeutics, including roginolisib, a PI3Kd inhibitor currently in Phase II clinical trials. She is the author of numerous high-impact publications and is an inventor on multiple patents. Her work integrates biomarker discovery, mechanism-of-action studies, and clinical translation to support innovative cancer therapies.

Nicola Vannini, PhD

Professor and Chair of Pathology at OMI Department, University of Fribourg

Nicola Vannini, PhD, is Professor and Chair of Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine and Biology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He leads the Laboratory of Immunosenescence and Stem Cell Metabolism, where his research focuses on understanding how cellular metabolism and mitochondrial function regulate hematopoietic stem cells and immune cell function during aging and cancer. After earning a Master’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Parma and a PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Insubria, he pursued postdoctoral training at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). Since establishing his independent research group in 2016, Dr. Vannini has made significant contributions to the fields of stem cell biology, immunometabolism, and aging research. His work has demonstrated the central role of mitochondrial dynamics and metabolic regulation in stem cell self-renewal, immune system aging, and T-cell exhaustion. His research has been published in leading journals such as Nature Cancer, Nature Aging, Nature Immunology, Cell Stem Cell, and Nature Communications. Dr. Vannini is the recipient of numerous competitive grants and actively collaborates with clinical researchers to translate fundamental discoveries into clinical applications.

PD Dr. Martin Sadowski, PhD

Co-Leader of research group at the Institute of Tissue Medicine and Pathology, University of Bern

Dr. Sadowski is a cancer biologist with expertise in mRNA and protein biochemistry, natural product drug discovery, and cancer metabolism. After completing his PhD at the Biozentrum, University of Basel in 2002, he conducted research in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane before returning to Switzerland in 2020. His research focuses on understanding how metabolic reprogramming enables cancer cells in prostate cancer and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours to survive therapy, adapt to treatment-induced stress, and give rise to drug-tolerant cancer cells (DTCs), an early and reversible stage of therapy resistance. To investigate these processes, his group combines multi-omics, advanced live-cell imaging, and patient-derived models to study tumour heterogeneity and therapeutic responses at single-cell resolution. He has developed a multiplexed live-cell phenotyping platform for the functional characterization of DTCs in both 2D and 3D models, enabling the identification of metabolic vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted to eliminate DTCs and delay or prevent acquired drug resistance.

Credits

Participants may be eligible to receive 1 ECTS credit, subject to the compulsory requirements (full stay and presentation).

Sponsors

Comittee

PD Dr. Georgia Konstantinidou

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaufmann

Institute of Pharmacology

FAQ

1. What is the International Summer School?

The International Summer School offers a unique opportunity to spend three consecutive days working closely with internationally renowned researchers. Students and faculty members present their research projects in a relaxed atmosphere, with the program featuring oral presentations, poster sessions, and academic discussions. Students receive feedback on their own work and learn how leading researchers design their projects. Another key objective is to foster future scientific collaborations among the participating groups.

2. Do I have to cover any costs for the conference?

The registration fee for internal participants from the University of Bern and the Insel Group is 100 CHF, while external participants must pay 500 CHF. Participation is free for students enrolled in the “PhD Specialization in Precision Medicine” graduate program, as well as for invited speakers. Thanks to the support of the PKI, no registration fee will be charged to PKI members for the 2026 edition.

3. What about my travel costs?

Please note that travel expenses to and from Schwarzsee will not be covered and must be arranged by the participants or their institutions. Travel expenses will be covered only for invited speakers.

4. Will I get credits for participating?

Participants may be eligible to earn 1 ECTS credit provided they meet the required conditions (full attendance and presentation).

5. Compulsory excursion: What should I bring?

Don't forget comfortable outdoor shoes and a swimsuit.

6. Still have questions? Contact us!

Contact

Secretariat

Institute of Pharmcology, University of Bern
Inselspital, INO-F, CH-3010 Bern, Schweiz
Phone: +41-31-684-0900
E-mail: pki-sekretariat.pki@unibe.ch