Patrick Aebischer

Education

Aebischer was trained as an MD (1980) and a neuroscientist (Dr. Med., 1983) at the University of Geneva and University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

Academic career

From 1984 to 1992, he worked at Brown University in Providence (Rhode Island, United States), as Research Scientist, Assistant and then associate professor of Medical Sciences. In 1991, he became the chairman of the Section of Artificial Organs, Biomaterials and Cellular Technology of the Division of Biology and Medicine of Brown University.

In autumn 1992, he returned to Switzerland as a professor and director of the Surgical Research Division and Gene Therapy Center at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) in Lausanne.

In 1999, Aebischer was nominated President of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, by the Swiss Federal Council. He took office as president in March 2000 and was reelected to this position in 2004 and 2008. He has decided to leave this position at the end of 2016. Since 1 January 2017, the president of the EPFL is Martin Vetterli.

His current research focuses on the development of cell and gene transfer approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Aebischer was influenced and inspired by the "American model" of university management, which he describes as a meritocratic system that encourages innovation. Some employees and observers criticised the mutation from a European model to an American model (with values such as money, competition and rankings).

Aebischer is a founder of three start-ups: CytoTherapeutics Inc. (1989), Modex Therapeutics Inc. (1996) and Amazentis SA (2007). He sits on the boards of Nestle Health Science (since 2011) and Lonza Group (since 2008).

The parents of Aebischer are artists Émile Aebischer, known as Yoki, and Joan, born O'Boyle. He is married and the father of two children.