Prof. Dr. Helmuth Gehart
Prof. Dr. Helmuth Gehart
Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology
Additional information
Research area
Cell identity is not a hard-coded attribute, but rather a feature that is dynamically gained or lost during interaction of a cell with its environment. This fundamental process guides regeneration of all tissues but also drives cancer progression when tissue repair gets out of hand. The Gehart group aims to unravel the intricate interactions between adult stem cells/tumor cells and their environment in vivo and to develop new technologies to study these mechanisms in vitro. By combining organoid technology, advanced reporter systems and single-cell sequencing we seek to uncover the common guiding principles of regeneration and tumorigenesis. The ultimate goal of our effort is to devise new treatment strategies that enhance the inherent regenerative capacity of damaged tissues and prevent tumour spread.
Helmuth Gehart is Assistant Professor for Tumor and Stem Cell Dynamics at ETH Zurich.
Helmuth was born in 1984 in Vienna, Austria. He studied molecular biology at the University of Vienna and subsequently moved to Switzerland, where he received his PhD from ETH Zurich. During his PhD training with Romeo Ricci, Helmuth studied the mechanisms behind type 2 diabetes and the complex cellular checkpoints that maintain balance to prevent disease. Thereafter, Helmuth aimed to combine his knowledge of signaling and metabolism with the fascinating field of stem-cell biology. Thus, he joined the group of Hans Clevers in Utrecht, Netherlands, where he investigated adult tissue stem cells in the liver and intestine and their use in clinical research and regenerative medicine. Since 2020, Helmuth leads his own research group at ETH Zurich, where he studies the dynamic interactions of stem cells and cancer cells with the help of mouse genetics, single-cell sequencing and organoid technology.
Honours
| Year | Distinction |
|---|---|
| 2020 | ERC Starting Grant |
| 2016 | ERC Proof of Concept grant |
| 2016 | VENI - Innovational Research Incentives Scheme |
| 2014 | EMBO Longterm Fellowship |
| 2013 | Early.Postdoc mobility fellowship |
| 2013 | ETH Zurich medal |
Course Catalogue
Autumn Semester 2024
| Number | Unit |
|---|---|
| 551-1511-00L | Parallels Between Tissue Repair and Cancer |