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Archive Research 2018

78 articles
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Jahresauswahl

Article list Research

  • Astrophysics

    Sapphires and Rubies in the Sky

    Researchers at the Universities of Zurich and Cambridge have discovered a new, exotic class of planets outside our solar system. These super-Earths were formed at high temperatures close to their host star and contain high quantities of calcium, aluminum and their oxides – including sapphire and ruby.
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  • Neurobiology

    Firing Up the Brain

    Children learn to read in playful ways. But it’s not always easy for them to connect the abstract groups of letters with their meaning. Neurobiologist Silvia Brem researches how children learn to read and how those with reading difficulties can be helped.
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  • History

    Fridges and other Revolutions

    UZH students teamed up with historians to shed light on the little known Swiss Trotskyist movement during the Cold War. The seminar project was adapted into a book, which has now been published.
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  • Cancer research

    Turning Up the Heat on Cancer

    A new kind of heat treatment could be an effective way of supporting cancer therapy. Caroline Maake heats up tumors using naturally occurring nanoparticles, which has shown to eliminate cancer cells in animal models.
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  • University Medicine Zurich

    Precision Surgery of the Future

    At its annual event this week, the University Medicine Zurich initiative presented its new flagship project SURGENT. The new technology enables operations to be planned and carried out with the utmost precision, in part thanks to holographic navigation.
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  • Participatory Science Academy

    Citizen Science Zurich Style

    This past Wednesday the University of Zurich and ETH jointly unveiled the new Participatory Science Academy, an expansion of the Citizen Science Center Zurich that aims to bring citizen science to a new level. The Academy is generously sponsored by the Stiftung Mercator Schweiz.
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  • Medicine

    Andrin’s Rare Disease

    Most rare diseases have genetic causes and cannot yet be healed. But treatments are improving, and this benefits patients, as the example of Andrin Walt demonstrates.
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  • Astrophysics

    Encouraging prospects for moon hunters

    Astrophysicists of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich show how the icy moons of Uranus came to be. Their findings suggest that such potentially habitable worlds are much more abundant in the Universe than previously believed. The incredibly complex computer simulations were performed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano.
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  • Natural History Collections

    An Archive of Nature

    It’s not just the regular exhibits at the Zoological Museum that are spectacular — it also houses an impressive natural history collection. And while not normally accessible to the public, its doors will be open for a day on 17 November, National Natural History Collections Day, when visitors can enter the storage rooms and explore.
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  • Social and Cultural Anthropology

    Inventing the Future

    Financial analysts' expertise and predictions are imaginary constructs, says Stefan Leins. The social anthropologist researched their daily routines and their work.
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  • Forensic Medicine

    Gantenbein's Shot

    With virtually reconstructed crime scenes, suspects, lawyers and judges are instantly transported to the spot where it all took place – and clues to the crime are revealed.
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  • Epigenetics

    Inherited Trauma

    Traumatic events occurring shortly after birth cause changes to genetic traits that are passed on to offspring over as many as four generations, neuroepigenetics professor Isabelle Mansuy has shown.
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  • Phonetics

    Drawing the Voice

    By decoding voices, forensic phoneticians provide important clues for the police or secret services. UZH phonetician Volker Dellwo hopes that in the future it will be possible to make identikit images based on voices.
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  • Linguistics

    Death – A Public Affair

    Things that were once strictly in the private sphere are becoming increasingly public thanks to the internet – even the end of life. Linguist Karina Frick researches the niceties of online mourning.
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  • Center for Historical Mediology

    Center for Historical Mediology

    Fake news isn’t a new phenomenon. According to German philologist Christian Kiening, who has established a Center for Historical Mediology at UZH, authenticating information was already a problem back in the Middle Ages. In this interview he takes a historian’s look at today’s media landscape.
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  • Digital Day

    Hands-On Digital Transformation

    Digitalization is becoming the Fourth Industrial Revolution. On Digital Day, UZH showcased some of the possibilities of digital technologies and specific aspects of digital transformation in Zurich Main Station.
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  • Digitalization

    Digitalization

    The University of Zurich is investing in digital: With 18 new professorships, it is set to become a global hub for research into the digital revolution.
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  • Digital Day

    Breath-Taking Research

    Neuroscientist Olivia Faull researches the links between anxiety and breathing. Her research project is one of the many being presented on the upcoming Digital Day.
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  • 50 Years of Banking and Finance

    Artificial intelligence and Cryptobanks

    UZH’s Department of Banking and Finance was founded as the “Institut für Schweizerisches Bankwesen” in the winter semester of 1968/69. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary celebrations, we look back on half a century’s worth of successful research and teaching.
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  • Behavioral science

    Animals and us.

    Language, intelligence, cooperation – the things that supposedly set humans apart are increasingly being discovered in the animal kingdom. Animals hold a mirror up to our own nature and help us understand what makes us human.
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  • Center for Reproducible Science

    Improving Research

    Many studies of empirical research do not stand up to scrutiny upon review. The new Center for Reproducible Science at UZH aims to improve the quality of research in this area and set the tone for research in Switzerland.
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  • End of Life

    Death with Dignity: Maria’s Story

    People who suffer from dementia are unable to express themselves. They rely on outside help, particularly at the end of their lives. The research team behind the Zurich Life and Death with Advanced Dementia Study has published a guide for relatives of dementia patients.
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  • 20 Years of the Center for Gerontology

    Aging Well

    Twenty years ago, the Center for Gerontology of the University of Zurich marked the start of interdisciplinary research on aging. In our interview, the center’s director Hans Rudolf Schelling discusses how gerontology research has developed since then.
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  • Biodiversity

    Biodiversity from Above

    Remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman wants to use a new aerial sensing method to investigate the complex interplay between ecosystems, species and genes. It could help measure global biodiversity. His research project is supported by the NOMIS Foundation.
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  • swissuniversities

    Tackling Global Challenges Together

    Two UZH researchers have been awarded grants under swissuniversities’ Development and Coordination Network program (SUDAC). These promote collaboration between Swiss higher education institutions and their partners from the Global South who are committed to researching and overcoming global challenges. The International Relations Office at UZH shares this goal, which is why it is staging a workshop on the topic.
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  • Precision Medicine

    Seeing Through Cancer

    Anita Rauch can make precise diagnoses of diseases through genetic analyses and find pointers for the right therapy, for example for breast cancer patients.
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  • Competence Center UZH and ETH

    “Citizen science means excellent research”

    After an intensive set-up phase, the Citizen Science Center of UZH and ETH is now ready to hit the ground running. With the new Participatory Science Academy, it aims to bring citizen science to a new level. In this interview, co-director Mike Martin, professor of gerontopsychology at UZH, co-founder Effy Vayena, professor of bioethics at ETH, and managing director Rosy Mondardini explain the concept and future plans for the center.
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  • Health

    "Arboviral diseases are spreading"

    Eva Veronesi researches arboviruses at the Institute of Parasitology. These viruses are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and cause diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika. Arboviral diseases are on the rise and should be given more attention, says Veronesi.
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  • Cancer Research

    "Skin cancer is a ticking time bomb"

    Burkhard Becher uses cutting-edge procedures to determine highly complex blood profiles. They provide the immunologist with information about how successful various cancer therapies are likely to be.
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  • International Cooperation

    Building Bridges with India

    Shraddha Karve is a postdoc at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. She researches the stress resistance of bacteria and the evolution of proteins. She is currently organizing a conference to strengthen cooperation between researchers from India and UZH. We met with her to find out more.
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  • Core Day

    In the Service of Research

    On Core Day, UZH’s technology platforms showcase their work on Irchel Campus. They make it possible to share the infrastructure needed for research and include small highly specialized facilities as well as large centers such as the Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis.
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  • Space Research

    NASA Lands at UZH

    UZH had the honor of welcoming Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. He was able to gain an impression of current aviation and spaceflight projects that are being carried out at the UZH Space Hub, which already is collaborating with NASA and further partners.
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  • Cyborgization

    "Siri never says no"

    Does the future belong to cyborgs and intelligent machines? Literature scholar Philipp Theisohn and ethicist Johann Roduit discuss the future of humans and society.
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  • Ethics

    Rethinking Our Relationship with Nature

    Should we protect nature because it provides us with resources, or do so simply for its own sake? Philosopher and biologist Anna Deplazes Zemp wants to look at this question from a new point of view using an argumentation of environmental ethics. Her research project is made possible thanks to the generous funding of the NOMIS Foundation.
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  • Medicine

    Lymphatic vessels spread cancer metastases

    Lymphatic vessels actively contribute to the spread of cancer metastases from various organs. This unexpected realization is the result of a joint study as part of the research initiative Skintegrity.
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  • Learning Process

    How birds learn

    Songbirds can acquire new abilities both through observation and through trial and error. However, skills acquired with the latter method are more easily adapted to new situations, as scientists at ETH and the University of Zurich have been able to demonstrate. The researchers also see parallels to how children learn.
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  • Medicine

    Joining Forces to Combat Cancer

    The University of Zurich and the UniversityHospital Zurich have been pooling their efforts in cancer research and medicine since the beginning of 2018 with the new Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich. By introducing a new funding program, the center is further stepping up its patient-centered cancer research efforts.
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  • Slavonic Studies

    Seeing through the Masquerade

    Slavonic studies expert Sylvia Sasse grew up in the German Democratic Republic. The state wanted her to take up a commercial training program, but she headed to the West and went to university. Today she researches how performance artists stood up against the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe.
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  • Innovators Camp

    Meet the Hipsters, Hackers and Hustlers

    The first UZH Innovators Camp was held recently at the University of Zurich. Aimed at students and young researchers, it gave participants the chance to work together on developing business ideas from their projects.
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  • Epigenetics

    Tumor Therapy of the Future

    Four group heads from different departments across faculties have joined forces in a pioneering three-million franc project. This collaboration will enable research into new epigenetic approaches for treating cancer.
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  • Developmental Psychology

    Systematische Babys

    A research group at the chair for developmental psychology in infancy and childhood has shown that babies as young as six months can recognize changes in patterns of activity. The findings also have consequences for our understanding of language development in young children.
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  • Economics

    In the Engine Room of the World

    Can poverty be tackled by systematically influencing the behavior of those affected? Or does that just perpetuate it? Christian Berndt and Guilherme Lichand discuss the effects of social intervention.
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  • Medicine

    Targeted Treatment for Leukemia

    Nicole Bodmer can use the individual genetic fingerprint of blood cancer cells to determine a suitable therapy for children suffering from leukemia. Often this helps – but not always.
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  • Medicine

    DNA Set to Replace the Stethoscope?

    Family doctors have always done personalized medicine. While genetic patient data might sometimes make their lives easier, it won’t change the profession in itself, claims Thomas Rosemann, director of the Institute of Primary Care.
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  • Robotics

    Learning by Flying

    Will our cities soon be full of whirring aerial devices? Robotics expert Davide Scaramuzza is working on making drones so smart that they can navigate fully autonomously.
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  • Medicine

    The Secrets of Kidneys

    The National Center of Competence in Research Kidney.CH, with UZH as its leading house, is highly successful. Its kidney research is now entering its third funding period.
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  • Psychiatry

    Nobody Likes Me

    Coming off anti-depressants can be difficult. Quentin Huys wants to find out what goes on inside the head during the process. That would make the decision about whether to stop taking medication or not easier.
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  • Precision Medicine

    How Cancer Cells Communicate

    Bernd Bodenmiller’s research provides in-depth insights into tumors. The quantitative biologist investigates how different cells in diseased tissue interact, paving the way for increasingly targeted interventions.
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  • Political Science

    “Media loss is a threat to democracy”

    The less the press report on local politics, the lower the voter turnout in the municipalities, a study by political scientist Daniel Kübler has shown. He warns that the crisis of local journalism poses a threat to democracy.
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  • Theology

    World News from the Reformer

    It should be impossible to mention Zwingli without also invoking Bullinger. And yet Zurich’s second-most important reformer has remained an unknown figure. This is about to change thanks to the work of UZH researchers. Bullinger's writings are important for interpreting the events of his time, as shown by an exhibition at UZH.
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  • Research Expedition to Greenland

    Researching Arctic Vegetation

    Gabriela Schaepman-Strub of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies and a research group are set to travel to Greenland on a mission to strengthen cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland in the area of ecological Arctic research.
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  • Campus

    Research in Pictures

    The SNSF Scientific Image Competition encourages researchers to pick up a camera and present scientific work from a different angle. Our picture gallery features some of the photos submitted by UZH researchers.
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  • Genetics

    Atlas of human cells

    First there was the Human Genome Project. Now, something even bigger is starting: the Human Cell Atlas. UZH statistician Mark Robinson is part of this global endeavor, developing computational tools to analyze large datasets of human cells.
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  • Eastern European Studies

    “Russia has not yet found its place in the world”

    A dangerous dynamic is developing in Russia’s foreign policy, says UZH Professor Jeronim Perović in an interview. He is director of the Center for Eastern European Studies at UZH, which opens next week with a discussion event on the subject of “Russia and the West”.
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  • Privacy

    Privacy on the Web

    Modern technologies are dangerous. Does this mean that individuals should be as seamlessly protected as possible? UZH professor of law Florent Thouvenin believes that this, the current approach to data protection, is misguided.
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  • Day of Clinical Research

    Scientists Honored

    Nephrologist Johan Lorenzen and gastroenterologist Michael Scharl have received the renowned Georg Friedrich Götz Award. This prize is awarded annually at UZH for outstanding contributions in the field of medical research. The award was presented at the Day of Clinical Research at the UniversityHospital Zurich, alongside the presentation of the 2018 Hartmann Müller Memorial Prize.
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  • Preventive Medicine

    Fighting the Kilos

    A growing number of people are overweight. Studies show that the worst affected are those in more disadvantaged sections of society. Food manufacturers could have a key role to play in the fight against obesity.
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  • Medicine

    New Heart, New Life

    What does it mean to have another person’s heart in your body? As part of the lecture series of the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, heart surgeon Michele Genoni reported on his experiences with heart patients and on alternatives to donor hearts.
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  • Cultural Studies

    Wolf Territories

    Wolves are here and making political waves: their presence is fueling wild debate about different moral values, and even causing cantonal boundaries to be redrawn. These are the findings of researchers at the UZH Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies.
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  • Cell Biology

    Burned-Out Cancer Cells

    Cancer cells are very resourceful when it comes to evading the body’s repair mechanisms. Cell biologist Matthias Altmeyer researches these strategies, paving the way for novel therapies.
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  • Social and Cultural Anthropology

    Dried Stars

    Star anise is a popular spice used in cooking and also known for its medicinal properties. Social and cultural anthropologist Annuska Derks follows the fruit from its cultivation in Vietnam on its journey through a globalized world.
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  • Innovation Park Zurich

    Research and Innovation Fly High

    The Innovation Park Zurich promises great opportunities for research at UZH. The information pavilion was officially opened at an event in Dübendorf on Friday. Air and space travel was the topic of the hour – and UZH's Space Hub initiative is already using the airfield infrastructure for projects from all over Switzerland.
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  • Economy

    Out of the Poverty Trap by Text Message

    Poverty reduces people’s ability to think and take action. Poor people often make the wrong decisions, which means they stay poor. Brazilian economist Guilherme Lichand wants to change this – by text message.
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  • Swiss National Science Foundation

    The Swiss National Science Foundation has this year awarded 39 professorships to outstanding young researchers. Almost one in four of them are at the University of Zurich.
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  • Education

    The Swiss education system is full of hurdles. For children from less privileged families, navigating the route to university is tough. Reforming the system could change that
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  • Psychology

    "Leave the mobile phone in your bag"

    The first thing many of us think about in the morning is our mobile phone. Indeed, our daily lives are dominated by smartphones. According to psychologist Theda Radtke, we should deliberately keep our mobile phones out of sight as well as out of the hands of small children. By Thomas Gull and Roger Nickl
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  • Endowed Professorship

    Breastfeeding Research

    With the help of a 10 million franc donation, the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics of the University of Zurich is to establish a center to research the long-term effects of breastfeeding. The professorship and associated research fund is financed by the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation.
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  • Debate

    «Die Publikationspraxis muss sich ändern»

    A deluge of scientific publications is pushing the system to its limits. Studies are questioning the reproducibility of results. In this interview, neuropsychologist Lutz Jäncke and systems biologist Lawrence Rajendran talk about the crisis in the publication process and new solutions such as the Matters of Reproducibility platform.
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  • Law and Ethics

    Surrogacy and Child Protection

    Surrogacy has become a trans-national industry. At UZH, an international group of experts has come together to develop principles for the protection of the children involved. In this interview, UZH professor of law Andrea Büchler discusses the challenges.
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  • Exhibition

    Pacific Entanglements

    The new exhibition in the Johann Jacobs Museum focuses on Japan's rise as a global power. The exhibition was developed in cooperation with the professorial chairs of UZH art historian Hans Bjarne Thomsen and UZH historian Martin Dusinberre.
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  • Communications research

    Learning to Surf

    The Swiss National Science Foundation elected UZH communications scholar Eszter Hargittai to be a member of its National Research Council from April 2018 onwards. Her research focuses among other things on the different ways in which people can benefit from the internet.
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  • Debate

    The Conflicts around Data Protection

    Research requires more and more data, while data protection rules exist to protect the privacy of the people involved. Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger, epidemiologist Milo Puhan, and data protection delegate Robert Weniger came together to discuss conflicts arising from these contradictory needs.
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  • Film Studies

    Utopian Cinema

    Movies such as Blade Runner paint a grim picture of the future. Positive utopias, hardly ever seen in entertainment cinema, have found a home in documentaries. Film studies scholar Simon Spiegel tells us why.
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  • Japanese Studies

    Water Clocks and Eternity

    Medieval Japan wasn’t a pre-modern timeless paradise, says Raji C. Steineck. The Japanese studies scholar is examining the nature of time and researching how time is perceived in the land of the rising sun.
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  • Psychology

    Sleepless Nights

    According to a study by psychiatrist Wulf Rössler, almost 30 percent of people in Zurich have problems sleeping. The main cause is stress.
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