LS2 Intersection Cardiovascular Biology

Cardiac vascular diseases (CVDs) are and will remain the first cause of mortality in the world accounting for 30% deaths worldwide. 15 million people died in 2015 from ischemic heart diseases and stroke. This number will increase to reach 23.3 million by 2030. CVDs are defined by the world health organization as “a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels”, suggesting that strong interactions exist between the cardiac and vascular fields.
That is why the working group of cardiovascular biology was founded by clinicians and researchers working in cardiology and in the vascular domain. This interaction is the specificity of our group, which is also supported by the Swiss Society of Cardiology.
At origin, the purpose of the working group of cardiovascular biology is:
- To provide an open forum for cardio-vascular scientists (basic researchers and clinicians)
- To promote and enhance education for young colleagues
- To intensify collaborations within Switzerland
- To provide an annual meeting platform for network programs
If certain aspects of our research are specific to the heart and the vessels, others are common with researchers working on stem cells, regenerative medicine, autophagy, and heart and vessel metabolism. That is why people who are not working in the cardiovascular field can also benefit from the knowledge acquired in the cardiovascular domain.
Therefore, LS2 and Swiss Society of Cardiology founded Cardiovascular Biology Intersection in November 2017 to aid interactions and networking among research groups from different fields.
Section Board
Sarah Longnus
University of Bern

Lucio Barile
Università della Svizzera italiana

Marie-Luce Bochaton-Piallat
University of Geneva

Jan Kucera
University of Bern

Anna Jazwinska
University of Fribourg

Nathalie Rosenblatt-Velin
CHUV Lausanne

Andrea Banfi
University of Basel

Giovanni G. Camici
University of Zurich

Gabriela Kania
University Hospital Zurich

Marie-Noelle Giraud
University of Fribourg

Carolina Balbi
University of Zurich

How to join the new LS2 intersection Cardiovascular Biology
Existing LS2 members: log in at www.ls2.ch using their member name and password, click on their name at the top right of the page, go to "Account overview" and add/change to the new intersection using the checkbox "Cardiovascular Biology".
New members: apply for the LS2 membership here and select "Cardiovascular Biology" in the online application form.
News and Events:
Attend our Symposium at LS2 Annual Meeting 2026
Our Mini-Symposium at LS2 Annual Meeting 2026 will be chaired by Marie-Noelle Giraud (University of Fribourg) and Giovanni G. Camici (University of Zurich): “Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiovascular Therapeutics”
Speaker: Philippe Menasche (Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France): "Extracellular vesicles for the treatment of heart failure: a translational experience"
Register by 11.01.2026
The Meeting will take place on 11 & 12 February 2026 at Campus Irchel of the University of Zurich.
LS2 Cardiovascular Research Meeting 2026
When: Tuesday 13 January – Wednesday 14 January 2026
Where: UniS – University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Are you pushing the boundaries in cardiovascular research? This is your chance to connect, share, and inspire.
Why attend:
- Hear from leading experts via plenary talks and lectures
- Present your own work
- Network with fellow researchers, clinicians, and industry partners
- Enjoy a dinner event for informal discussions and collaboration
- Take in the latest in cardiovascular science in one of Switzerland’s academic hubs
Registration and abstract submission has now closed.
Postdoctoral Position in Vascular Research, Geneva
The selected candidate will join the laboratory of Prof. Marie‐Luce Bochaton‐Piallat in the Department of Pathology and Immunology of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
The meeting was a great success!
We want to thank everyone for joining!
A big thank you to our sponsors for supporting this meeting!
Meeting pictures can be found HERE.
We hope to see you all next time!
Congratulations to prize winners!
Talks:
- Best Talk - Benedetta Coppe (University of Bern) - 500 CHF sponsored by ADInstruments
- 2nd Best Talk - Andrea Addorisio (University of Lausanne) - Nikon Camera (worth 500 CHF)
- 3rd Best Talks - Clarisse Simons (University of Lausanne) - 300 CHF
Posters:
- Best Poster (Category Cardiac) - Greta Scherler (University of Lausanne) - 300 CHF
- 2nd Best Poster (Category Cardiac) - Anja Helmer (University of Bern) - 150 CHF
- Best Poster (Category Vascular) - Anais Yerly (University of Bern) - 300 CHF
- 2nd Best Poster (Category Vascular) - Amedeo Tirandi (University of Zurich) - 150 CHF

Thank you very much to everyone who contributed to the LS2 Cardiovascular Research Meeting 2024!!
The meeting had more than 100 participants, 9 invited speakers, 16 selected talks and 32 posters. Moreover, we enjoyed a great conference dinner! Look at all pictures of the event here.
We awarded 7 prizes:
- Daniele Reggio (UNIBA) - Best Talk
- Stefano Ministrini (UZH) - 2nd Best Talk
- Greta Scherler (UNIL) - 2nd Best Talk
- Andrea Addorisio (UNIL) - Best Poster, category cardiac
- Selianne Graf (UNIBE) - 2nd Best Poster, category cardiac
- Luis Miguel Cardoso dos Santos (UNIGE) - Best Posterr, category vascular
- Yustina Maria Puspitasari (UZH) - 2nd Best Poster, category vascular
A great success that we plan to repeat in 2025!!

14-15 March, Swiss Integrative Center for Human Health SA, Fribourg (CH)
Including sessions on Heart Failure/Fibrosis, Atherosclerosis, Immune System/CV System & Regeneration, plus many talks selected from abstracts & a workshop on "Bioethics" with Samia Hurst (University of Geneva).
Congrats to the prize winners!
Best oral presentation: Duilio Michele Potenza (UNIBE)
Best poster: Antonija Sakic (UNIGE)
2nd oral presentation prize: Anne Jomard (ETHZ)
2nd poster prize: Nicole Bonetti (UZH)
All infos on:
https://meetings.ls2.ch/cardiovascular2019
Picture credit: Christian Zuppinger /UNIBE

University of Fribourg, Campus Pérolles, Fribourg
Including sessions on Metabolism and contracting cells, Aging and cell death, Vascular and heart remodeling & Heart failure. Plus many talks selected from abstracts & a workshop on "Innovation in Science"!
All pictures can be found at: goo.gl/XHFdV2
Photo credit goes to: Christian Zuppinger & Carolin von Schoultz.
Congrats to the prize winners!
Best oral presentation: Philippe Heim (University Hospital Basel)
Best poster: L. Cardoso dos Santos (UNIGE)
2nd poster prize: Maria Arnold (UNIBE)
3rd poster prize: Miguel Fernandez Tenorio (UNIBE)
All information on the meeting can be found here: https://meetings.ls2.ch/cardiovascular2018


