Dr. Nikolche Gjorevski, Roche Pharma Research, lectures on Engineering Inflammation

UIPS International Seminar Programme

Dr. Nikolche Gjorevski, Institute of Human Biology, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Basel, Switzerland 
Title: From organoids to disease: engineering inflammation

Thursday 7 May 2026 from 11.00-12.00, David de Wied Building M2.01
Hosted by dr. Massimiliano Caiazzo, m.caiazzo@uu.nl 

Short Bio:

Nikolche is a group leader at the Institute of Human Biology (IHB) at Roche in Basel. His team focuses on increasing the (patho)physiological relevance and translational impact of organoids. They are particularly interested in building organoids with in vivo-like architecture and compartmentalization, and applying them to model disease, understand disease mechanism and develop therapies.

Nikolche completed his doctoral degree in the laboratory of Celeste Nelson at Princeton University. He conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Matthias Lutolf at EPFL, using synthetic biomaterials and microfabrication to study and control epithelial organoid formation. In 2018, Nikolche joined Roche, where, as a scientist and Lab Head, he focused on establishing patient-derived organoids and complex in vitro models as platforms for preclinical safety assessment. He started a group leader position at IHB in 2021.

https://institutehumanbiology.com/about-the-ihb/bioengineering/organoid-engineering/nikolche-gjorevski/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Nikolche+Gjorevski&sort=date&size=50

Abstract: 

Organoids approximate organ development, function and disease with previously unmatched fidelity. However, their impact on basic and translational research is held back by diverse limitations, including poor reproducibility, architectural inaccuracies and absence of tissue compartments. We have leveraged geometrically-guided organoid formation to build next-generation engineered intestinal models that are long-lived, exhibit superior maturation and feature in vivo-relevant microanatomy. The modularity and compartmentalization afforded by these systems allowed us to introduce intestinal tissue-resident lymphocytes and capture their functional interactions with the epithelium, opening previously inaccessible opportunities to study intestinal immune responses. We have validated the systems as platforms for safety profiling of immunotherapies, finding that they can recapitulate clinical adverse events previously overlooked by conventional preclinical models. The multi-compartment systems we describe here open possibilities to model, understand and treat intestinal pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease.