[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”1px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”1px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”3px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” border_width_top=”0.5px” border_color_top=”#505358″ border_width_bottom=”0.5px” border_color_bottom=”#505358″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”10px||10px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjI1In19@” button_text=”Back to News” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”12px” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#FFFFFF” button_border_width=”0px” button_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” button_icon=”#||divi||400″ button_icon_color=”#89bbe5″ button_icon_placement=”left” button_on_hover=”off” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_text_color__hover=”#89bbe5″ button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” button_bg_color__hover=”#FFFFFF” button_bg_enable_color__hover=”on”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”80px||80px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”80px||80px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”40px||80px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title title=”off” author=”off” date=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” module_id=”meta-new” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”64px” title_line_height=”70px” meta_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” meta_text_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” meta_font_size=”10px” meta_line_height=”16px” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” custom_css_post_meta=”text-transform: uppercase;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_post_title author=”off” date_format=”j \u00b7 M \u00b7 Y” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”64px” title_line_height=”70px” meta_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” meta_text_color=”#000000″ meta_font_size=”14px” meta_line_height=”24px” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”” title_font_size_phone=”42px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” title_line_height_tablet=”” title_line_height_phone=”48px” title_line_height_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_post_meta=”text-transform: uppercase;” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”24px” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The winner of this year\u2019s Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin Prize is Maria Luisa Balmer. The SNSF is awarding her the prize for her research into intestinal bacteria and their role in the development of diabetes and morbid obesity.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.dcberne.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/image-1.png” title_text=”\u00a9SinaLou_Ravasio_WebRes-DSC06463″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/www.dcberne.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/\u00a9SinaLou_Ravasio_WebRes-DSC06463.jpg” parallax=”on” height=”300px” custom_margin=”64px||0px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”48px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||40px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||40px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ module_id=”post-content” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”20px” ol_item_indent=”20px” module_id=”post-body” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#505358″ text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”24px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
In Switzerland, approximately one child in six is overweight, and the number is increasing. This is concerning, given that being severely overweight increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. \u201cWe have known for some time that intestinal flora play a key role in the development of obesity,\u201d says Maria Luisa Balmer, a specialist in Internal Medicine at Inselspital and head of a research group at the University of Bern. But the links are complex. In her research, Balmer is investigating the interactions between intestinal bacteria, their metabolic products and the immune system (*1). <\/span><\/p>\n In recognition of her research work, she has been awarded the Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin Prize 2023 by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The award ceremony will take place at the University of Bern on 21 November.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.dcberne.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/\u00a9SinaLou_Ravasio_WebRes-DSC06463.jpg” title_text=”\u00a9SinaLou_Ravasio_WebRes-DSC06463″ show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||16px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||8px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#505358″ text_line_height=”20px” custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Maria Luisa Balmer (Photo: Sina Lou Ravasio)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”36px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”20px” ol_item_indent=”20px” module_id=”post-body” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#505358″ text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”24px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It is already known that morbidly obese people generally have different intestinal flora from slim, healthy people. Certain types of bacteria proliferate very vigorously, suppressing others as they do so. But what does that mean? And is the change in intestinal flora a cause or consequence of obesity? One of the researcher\u2019s approaches to investigating these questions involves germ-free mice, which the University of Bern breeds in a facility that is unique in the world. \u201cWe can use these animals to investigate what effect individual bacterial species have and elucidate cause and effect relationships,\u201d Balmer explains.<\/span><\/p>\n Using this approach, her team was actually able to identify five bacterial species that increase the susceptibility of the mice to obesity. As a next step, the team intends to investigate how this comes about \u2013 for example, which bacterial metabolic products contribute to the fattening effect, and what impact they have on the immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n In a preceding study, Balmer had already demonstrated that the metabolic product acetate has a positive effect on immune cells (*2). By doing so, she illustrated the link between diet, intestinal flora and the immune system, because one of the conditions under which acetate is formed is when bacteria in the intestines metabolise dietary fibre of the type contained in vegetables or wholegrain products.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”36px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”20px” ol_item_indent=”20px” module_id=”post-body” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#505358″ text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”24px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Balmer\u2019s research group is currently investigating the effect of dietary fibre in more detail in a clinical study involving over 100 severely obese children. The team has developed a chewing gum that has been enriched with water-soluble dietary fibre. And the best thing about this completely new idea is that the children do not realise the \u201cFibreGum\u201d is medicine. Like normal chewing gum, it tastes of mint. It is intended to promote intestinal metabolism in children almost without them noticing and at the same time help them reduce snacking on other sweets. \u201cLow-threshold treatments are particularly important for children,\u201d says Balmer. She hopes the study will demonstrate whether the nutritional fibre consumed with the FibreGum does actually improve intestinal flora, and ultimately whether it helps the children lose weight more easily. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”36px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text ul_item_indent=”20px” ol_item_indent=”20px” module_id=”post-body” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#505358″ text_font_size=”18px” text_line_height=”24px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Maria Luisa Balmer\u2019s research already won her an SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship in 2020. She says she regards winning the Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin Prize as a huge accolade. But she also sees the prize as an opportunity to gain visibility as a researcher who is a doctor and mother as well. \u201cAs far as that\u2019s concerned, our whole society needs an urgent rethink,\u201d she emphasises. \u201cWe need to update our traditional role models for group leaders at higher education institutions because the bar for couples with jobs is unrealistically high for both mothers and fathers. I feel it is important to demonstrate that you can have a family or hobbies that demand a lot of time and still conduct cutting-edge research and be successful if you have people around you to support you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n (*1) J. L\u00f6tscher and M.L. Balmer: Sensing between reactions \u2013 how the metabolic microenvironment shapes immunity. Clin Exp Immunol (2019). doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/cei.13291.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n (*2) M.L. Balmer et. al: Memory CD8+ T Cells Balance Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Activity by Reprogramming Cellular Acetate Handling at Sites of Infection. Cell Matabolism (2020). doi: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cmet.2020.07.004.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”36px” link_font=”||||on|||#89BBE5|” link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||16px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Contact<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb title=”Maria Luisa Balmer” url_new_window=”on” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”22px” module_id=”media-blurb” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” header_text_color=”#000000″ header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”20px” body_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” body_text_color=”#505358″ body_font_size=”12px” body_line_height=”18px” body_link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ image_icon_custom_margin=”4px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” image_icon_custom_padding=”4px|4px|4px|4px|false|false” custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”28px|16px|28px|16px|false|false” custom_css_blurb_image=”position: absolute;||right: 0px;” custom_css_blurb_title=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;” custom_css_blurb_content=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px -10px;” border_width_all=”0.5px” border_color_all=”#505358″ border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_width_all_image=”1px” border_color_all_image=”#89bbe5″ global_colors_info=”{}” icon_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” icon_color__hover=”#FFFFFF” image_icon_background_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” image_icon_background_color__hover=”#89BBE5″]<\/p>\n Universit\u00e4tsklinik f\u00fcr Diabetologie, Endokrinologie, Ern\u00e4hrungsmedizin & Metabolismus (UDEM)<\/span><\/p>\n Inselspital<\/span><\/p>\n Freiburgstrasse 15<\/span><\/p>\n CH-3010 Bern<\/span><\/p>\n Tel.: +41 31 632 96 40<\/span><\/p>\n E-Mail: maria.balmer@unibe.ch<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_testimonial quote_icon=”off” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Award for outstanding women researchers<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The SNSF awards the Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin (MHV) Prize each year to an outstanding young woman researcher. Prizewinners are inspiring role models who produced remarkable results and significantly progressed their careers while benefiting from an SNSF grant. Since 2020, the prize has been awarded to former female grantees of the MHV, Doc.CH, Postdoc.Mobility, Ambizione and PRIMA funding schemes.<\/span><\/p>\n Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin, who gave her name to the award, became the first Swiss woman to study medicine when she was admitted to the University of Zurich\u2019s medical faculty in 1868. On completing her studies, she opened a gynaecological practice where she continued to work after giving birth to two children. She is regarded as one of the pioneers in the struggle to give women access to higher education. <\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.snf.ch<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||64px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|||0px|false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||40px|0px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover_enabled=”off|desktop”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Avant Regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”26px” custom_margin=”0px||16px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Links<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb title=”Interview with Maria Luisa Balmer” url=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/5z8RhcxBaXE” url_new_window=”on” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”$||divi||400″ icon_color=”#89bbe5″ icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”22px” module_id=”media-blurb” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” header_text_color=”#000000″ header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”20px” body_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” body_text_color=”#505358″ body_font_size=”12px” body_line_height=”18px” body_link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ image_icon_custom_margin=”4px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” image_icon_custom_padding=”4px|4px|4px|4px|false|false” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”28px|16px|28px|16px|false|false” custom_css_blurb_image=”position: absolute;||right: 0px;” custom_css_blurb_title=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;” custom_css_blurb_content=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px -10px;” border_width_all=”0.5px” border_color_all=”#505358″ border_width_bottom=”0px” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_width_all_image=”1px” border_color_all_image=”#89bbe5″ global_colors_info=”{}” icon_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” icon_color__hover=”#FFFFFF” image_icon_background_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” image_icon_background_color__hover=”#89BBE5″]<\/p>\n www.youtube.com<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Marie Heim-V\u00f6gtlin Prize” url=”https:\/\/www.google.com” url_new_window=”on” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”$||divi||400″ icon_color=”#89bbe5″ icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”22px” module_id=”media-blurb” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” header_text_color=”#000000″ header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”20px” body_font=”Calibri Regular||||||||” body_text_color=”#505358″ body_font_size=”12px” body_line_height=”18px” body_link_text_color=”#89BBE5″ image_icon_custom_margin=”4px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” image_icon_custom_padding=”4px|4px|4px|4px|false|false” custom_margin=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||80px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”||48px||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”28px|16px|28px|16px|false|false” custom_css_blurb_image=”position: absolute;||right: 0px;” custom_css_blurb_title=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;” custom_css_blurb_content=”padding: 0px;||margin: 0px 0px 0px -10px;” border_width_all=”0.5px” border_color_all=”#505358″ border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_width_all_image=”1px” border_color_all_image=”#89bbe5″ global_colors_info=”{}” icon_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” icon_color__hover=”#FFFFFF” image_icon_background_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” image_icon_background_color__hover=”#89BBE5″]<\/p>\nIdentified: Fattening Bacteria<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Promoting health with chewing gum<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Career snapshots: “We need a change of ideas”<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n