Molecular strategies in pediatric surgery | Stephanie Gros

The research of my group lies at the interface of developmental biology, translational medicine, and pediatric surgery, with a strong focus on systems approaches to child health and disease. Our research aims to translate molecular understanding of cell differentiation processes  into preclinical and clinical applications, particularly in pediatric tumors and congenital malformations. My molecular research as a clinician-scientist is fundamentally shaped by the questions arising from the patients` needs.

In the context of solid pediatric tumors and neuroblastoma, we use systems approaches by employing patient derived culture and organoid models to study neuroblastoma development and tumor dynamics, tumor cell migration, therapy response, and immune interactions. We develop test platforms and novel cell therapies approaches for pediatric solid tumors, and contribute to interdisciplinary initiatives in engineering translational medicine.

We investigate molecular drivers of congenital diseases including Hirschsprung`s Disease using 3D organoid and tissue models, integrating multi-omics to study epithelial differentiation, water transport, and long-term outcomes after surgery.  We are exploring how prenatal environmental exposures impact fetal development and birth outcomes through integrative, multi-omic approaches, using both cellular models and real-world data.

On the clinical side, we aim to develop innovative surgical tools, such as 3D reconstruction techniques and image-based risk assessment models, to enhance surgical planning for rare and complex pediatric solid tumors.

We actively collaborate with scientists and clinician from the Department Biomedicine Basel, the Department of Biomedical Engineering of the University of Basel, the USB, the D BSSE of ETH Zurich, the University of Florence, the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, and the University of Ghana.

• Joanna Bielanska, PhD
• Zihe Huo, PhD

• Etienne Madörin, BMA

• Rebecca Angresius, MD
• Remo Bilang, MD
• Cristiana Riboni MD

• Piotr Jasko, PhD candidate
• Julius Rüth, PhD candidate
• Jin Shi, PhD candidate

• Dominique Feller, MD student
• Byurhan Rashid, MD student
• Sebastian Silva Kühne, MD student

• Marina Holdener Costa, MA student
• Laura Lardi, MA student
• Zoe Mrose, MA student