Group Hale

Our laboratory studies the biology of the human interferon system in health and disease. Interferons are a critical component of host innate immune defenses that have evolved to protect us against severe infections. A major focus is to understand the interplay between interferons and human pathogenic viruses, both experimentally at the basic molecular level and clinically at the sick individual or population levels. We therefore collaborate extensively with researchers and clinicians from across Switzerland and beyond.

From a basic research point of view, we are particularly interested to study the detailed mechanisms by which different interferons function to trigger innate antiviral defenses and restrict viruses. We use a multidisciplinary approach that typically combines modern molecular virology, large-scale proteomics, and genetic tools to dissect these processes at the cellular and molecular levels. From a clinical point of view, we seek to determine the basis and consequences for how the interferon system sometimes fails to protect some individuals from severe infections. We therefore engage with clinical cohorts to study the molecular pathology underlying how interferon deficiencies (mainly mediated by pathogenic autoantibodies) increase susceptibility to certain viral diseases. By leveraging molecular biology, we aim to exploit the knowledge we gain to develop novel future immunotherapeutic concepts against infectious diseases.

We are grateful to be well-funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), the Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research, the Hartmann Müller Foundation, and the University of Zurich. In the past, our work has also been funded by the European Research Council (ERC), the Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society and the UK Medical Research Council (MRC).