Tommaso Patriarchi

Group Leader

Tommaso obtained his PhD at the University of Siena in 2015 working on molecular mechanisms of synaptic regulation by G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. He did his postdoctoral research at the University of California Davis between 2015 and 2019. There he developed the first-in-class genetically encoded dopamine sensors based on GPCRs (dLight1) that enable in vivo imaging of dopamine dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution. In September 2019 he joined the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich as Assistant Professor for “Chemical Neuropharmacology”.

Xuehan Zhou

PhD Student

Xuehan grew up in Beijing, China. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her Master’s in neuroscience from University College London. She is interested in the intricate dynamics of neural circuit activity related to reward and reinforcement learning, and also developing new, cool tools to be implemented in system neuroscience research. Outside the lab, she is a film enthusiast and loves travelling.

Zacharoula Kagiampaki

PhD Student

Zacharoula grew up in Athens, Greece. She obtained her BSc in Psychology at Panteion University of Athens and her MSc in Neuroscience at King’s College London. After working as a research assistant in both clinical and animal behaviour experiments, she joined Prof. B. Rico’s lab for her MSc internship where she explored the role of myelin in parvalbumin-expressing basket cells using a new genetic model for cell-specific prevention of myelination. Through her PhD project, she aspires to develop better molecular tools that would elucidate how neuromodulators’ activity underpins behaviour.

Valentin Rohner

PhD Student

Valentin grew up in Zurich, Switzerland, where he completed both his BSc and MSc in Biochemistry at the University of Zurich. The biochemistry department’s focus and advanced research on protein structure and function is what spurred his interest and enabled his work in protein engineering and design. For his master’s thesis he joined the group of Prof. Andreas Plückthun on their mission to generate and characterize modular peptide binders, which target and inhibit KRAS4B, one of the most important oncoprotein in humans. In October 2021 Valentin joined Prof. Tommaso Patriarchi as a PhD student, sharing his vision to apply protein engineering to create new, innovative tools for neuroscientific research.

Annika Canziani

PhD Student

Annika grew up in Zurich, Switzerland, and completed both her BSc and MSc in Biology at the University of Zurich. She conducted her master’s thesis project in Prof. Christopher Pryce’s lab about how social isolation in adolescence affects the development and function of the prefrontal cortex in mice. Wanting to dive deeper into the complexity of neuronal circuits and how they give rise to behaviour, she decided to joined the Patriarchi Lab in October 2024 as a PhD student. Outside of the lab, she enjoys drawing, cooking (and eating even more) and playing basketball.

Vittorio Sandri

Research Assistant

Vittorio graduated in the Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology MSc at Wageningen University and Research. He conducted his master's thesis at the Bacterial Genetics department in the group of John van der Oost where he worked on the development of prime editors. After his thesis, he came to Zurich for an internship in the Schwank lab where he worked on improving genome editing tools through directed evolution. In June 2024 he joined the lab as a research assistant to work with Michael on the development of next-generation biosensors through protein engineering and directed evolution.

Caroline Spieles

Research Assistant

Caroline grew up in Luxembourg, and moved to Switzerland to obtain BSc and MSc in Biomedicine from the University of Zurich. She conducted her Master's Thesis in Prof. Lucas Pelkman's group, working on computational modeling of early developmental stages in embryoid bodies, developing an interest for high-throughput approaches in system's biology. Outside of the lab, she is a very active peron and a competitive gymnast. In her more quiet moments, she also enjoys reading, painting, or even playing the violin on occasion.

Paul J. Lamothe-Molina

Postdoc

After studying medicine, Paul obtained a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the National Autonomous University in Mexico City (UNAM). He studied the role of stress on pain perception using electrophysiology of spinal cord. Later on, he moved to Hamburg, Germany for his postdoc at the lab of Prof. Thomas Oertner, where he focused on spatial memory mechanisms (i.e. engrams) using optogenetics and conditional gene expression in the hippocampus of freely swimming mice. Additionally, he worked with photo-convertible fluorescent proteins to tag neuronal activity in subcellular compartments. He joined the Patriarchi Lab in February 2023, to develop molecular sensors using a novel technique that allows for whole-brain mapping with minimal invasion. Outside of the lab, he loves cooking, photography, jogging and to create art from data collected in the lab.

Michael Rappleye

Postdoc

Michael completed his Bachelor’s of Science in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Here, he was involved with research developing point of care diagnostic devices using bioMEMS. After graduating, Michael moved to Seattle, where he could play in the mountains while pursuing his graduate studies. In the lab of Dr. Andre Berndt at the University of Washington in the Department of Bioengineering, Michael engineered faster ways to optimize genetically encoded biosensors. After successfully defending his PhD in the fall of 2022, Michael joined the Patriarchi group in the spring of 2023 in Zurich. Here, he plans to continue constructing next generation biosensors. He looks forward to exploring Zurich and Switzerland. Outside of the lab, Michael is an avid back country skier, hiker and aspiring climber. When he is sitting still, he enjoys reading and cooking.

Ralph Gradisch

Postdoc

Ralph completed his diploma studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Vienna and subsequently enrolled in the international PhD Program Molecular Drug Targets at the Medical University of Vienna in 2019. He worked in the interdisciplinary lab of Prof. Thomas Stockner and Prof. Harald Sitte. During his PhD studies, Ralph combined biophysical computational approaches such as Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Docking, and protein modelling with radiotracer assays and electrophysiological measurements. He aimed to understand the dynamic behaviour of transmembrane transporters, particularly monoamine transporters. After completing his PhD, Ralph joined the Patriarchi Lab in January 2024. Here, he leverages his experience in protein dynamics and molecular pharmacology to engineer novel genetically-encoded sensors to broaden the available toolbox of fluorescent indicators. Besides the bench work, he enjoys exploring nature, hiking with his dog, and exploring the coffee business.