About us

Facts & Figures

The Competence Center for Systems Physiology and Metabolic Diseases (CC-SPMD)

• is a joint ETHZ/UZH interdisciplinary research and educational network
• started operation in January 2006
• was created to develop the scientific foundations for personalized and predictive medicine and for innovative therapeutics for metabolic diseases
• is currently comprised of 33 faculty members representing different disciplines (biology, computer science, mathematics, engineering, chemistry and medicine)
• is home for over 80 PhD students and postdocs

Education

The CC-SPMD has a Ph.D. program on «Molecular and Translational Biomedicine» that brings together the best students worldwide who are interested to pursue a career in biomedical research. More information »»

Research

Projects:

CC-SPMD projects apply systems biology to complex problems of mammalian physiology and metabolic diseases. Mostly they are dual-mentorship projects of PhD students.

Programs:

CC-SPMD research programs are larger integrated, interdisciplinary research efforts that cannot be done in a single laboratory. They focus on a systems approach to metabolic diseases as e.g.

• acquisition/integration of multiple, dynamic data types of signaling networks of normal and disease states and their analysis/mathematic modeling as hierarchically organized, dynamical networks
• discovery of new biomarkers that serve as signatures of diseases
• in vivo imaging to track disease progression
• discovery of novel targets for small molecule modulators and biologicals

The current major programs include:

• Systems Biology of beta-cells (in collaboration with Roche)
• LiverX - Systems Biology of Hepatic Insulin Resistance
• Systems Biology of Adipocytes
• Cancer Metabolism
• Biosensors and Biomarkers