Bellinzona, December 10, 2021 – The European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) has selected Roger Geiger, group leader at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, affiliated to USI Università della Svizzera italiana), to the EMBO Young Investigator Programme in recognition of his scientific excellence. Geiger is the second IRB life scientist to join EMBO in 2021, after group leader Petr Cejka was elected full member in June.
Roger Geiger is one of 26 life scientists – 12 female, 14 male – that from January 2022 will join the EMBO community of Young Investigators, which counts 130 current and 368 former members. The EMBO Young Investigator Programme supports life scientists who have an excellent track record and have been group leaders for at least one but less than four years. As part of the programme, EMBO Young Investigators benefit from a variety of networking and training opportunities and have access to core facilities at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. They also receive a financial award of 15.000 euros and can apply for additional grants of up to 10.000 euros per year. The Young Investigators are active members in the programme for four years.
Roger Geiger’s group a particular type of immune cells, so called T cells. These play an important role in the defence against tumors. However, in tumors T cells often lose their proper functionality and therefore do not efficiently eliminate cancer cells. “Our goal is to identify therapeutic interventions that enhance the anti-tumour functions of T cells” – explains Roger Geiger, who adds – “I am very happy to be part of the EMBO Young Investigator programme, which offers my team and me excellent networking and training opportunities“. Roger Geiger is also an Assistant Professor at the USI Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and a recipient of an ERC Starting grant.
EMBO is an organization of more than 1.000 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences in Europe and beyond. The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information, and help build a research environment where scientists can achieve their best work. EMBO helps young scientists to advance their research, promote their international reputations and ensure their mobility. Courses, workshops, conferences, and scientific journals disseminate the latest research and offer training in techniques to maintain high standards of excellence in research practice. EMBO helps to shape science and research policy by seeking input and feedback from our community and by following closely the trends in science in Europe.
