Elena Carelli, PhD  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

Postdoctoral Researcher

Elena holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology from San Raffaele University (Milan, Italy). She earned her Ph.D. from the European School of Molecular Medicine in Milan, Italy, where she conducted research in the lab of Prof. Jens Geginat, focusing on immunology, autoimmunity, and cancer. 

During her Ph.D., she spent two years at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, Switzerland, working in the lab of Prof. Fabio Grassi. There, she performed in vivo studies to investigate the role of regulatory T cells in melanoma and colorectal cancer.

In our lab, Elena is exploring the role of IL-1 signaling in inflammaging—both in hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic compartments—with the aim of understanding and targeting age-related diseases to promote a healthier lifespan.​

Chiara Brandas, PhD  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

Postdoctoral Researcher

Chiara obtained her B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Cagliari, followed by an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Pavia. She then joined the San Raffaele – Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan in the group of Dr. Anna Villa, where she completed her PhD in Translational and Molecular Medicine, contributing to the development of an innovative genome editing strategy for the treatment of a rare severe combined immunodeficiency.

In April 2025, Chiara joined our group with a project focused on developing universal CAR T cell therapies. Her work leverages non-viral targeted CAR insertion and advanced gene engineering technologies to enhance the effectiveness and durability of T cell-based treatments, aiming to pave the way for more impactful clinical applications in acute myeloid leukemia and other malignancies.

Francesco Manfredi, PhD Dr. Med.  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

Physician Scientist

Dr. Francesco Manfredi is a physician scientist involved in cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy. 

After completing its MD in San Raffaele Hospital (Milan), and a PhD between Milan and Seattle under the supervision of Prof. Chiara Bonini and Prof. Philipp Greenberg, Dr. Manfredi moved to Zurich, where is involved in clinical activities as well as in furthering CAR T cell therapies, both at the basic and translational level. 

Especially, he is currently focusing of a GMP scaling up of CAR T cell production for an upcoming clinical trial with adaptor CAR T cells in the context of relapsing acute myeloid leukaemia.

Syndi Uhlig

Lab Manager

Syndi received her Engineer’s degree in Biotechnology at the University of Applied Science Berlin, Germany in 2003 working with PD Paolo Cinelli on the expression analysis of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. 

She then joined Prof. Christoph Handschin's group in Zurich as a research technician, where she focused on muscle physiology, and later moved to GlycArt Biotechnology AG/Roche, where she worked on preclinical in vivo cancer models. 

Syndi joined the Manz Lab in September 2009 as a lab manager and technical assistant.​

Angelina Oestmann, Dr. med. Vet.

Lab Manager

Angelina studied veterinary medicine at the Vetsuisse faculty in Zürich where she graduated with a main focus on biomedical research. 

She obtained her MD in the clinical laboratory of Prof. Regina Hofmann-Lehmann where she researched retroviral infections in the domestic cat.

She worked for three years as a lab manager at the Department for BioMedical Research in Bern supporting different Professors in the fields of Neurology and Haematology.

Angelina joined the Manz lab in September 2021 as a lab manager and technical assistant.

Mara Hofstetter  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

PhD Student

Mara Hofstetter holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Indianapolis, USA, where she also completed an internship at Eli Lilly, gaining early exposure to pharmaceutical research.

She went on to earn her Master’s degree in Chemical Biology from Yale University, working in the lab of Dr. Katerina Politi. There, she focused on genome-wide CRISPR screens, aiming to uncover mechanisms of acquired resistance to Osimertinib. She then joined the lab of Dr. Alexandre Theocharides, where she spent two years applying single-cell RNA sequencing to patient samples and PDX models, aiming to link functional and genomic characteristics of myelofibrosis stem cells.

In our lab, Mara focuses on the development and evaluation of bispecific antibodies, with a particular interest in co-stimulatory formats targeting acute myeloid leukemia.

Monique Maurer

Biomedical Analyst

Nagihan Gönüllü  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

PhD Student

Nagihan received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. 

During her undergraduate studies, she completed research internships at the University of Perugia in Italy and the University of Cologne in Germany, working on diverse topics across molecular and cellular biology. For her Master’s thesis, conducted in the laboratory of Prof. Bahar Değirmenci, she focused on elucidating the interaction between the enteric nervous system and intestinal stem cells in physiological and pathological contexts.

In our lab, she is pursuing her Ph.D. where her research centers on investigating the role of age-associated clonal hematopoiesis on the development and progression of non-hematological malignancies.

Benjamin Louis  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

PhD Student

Benjamin received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from EPFL, where he conducted research in the laboratories of Prof. Matteo Dal Peraro —applying deep learning to predict protein properties — and Prof. Joerg Huelsken, using RNA sequencing on organoids for drug combinations for colorectal cancer treatments.

After an intership at CILcare as a data analyst for auditory treatments development, he joined the laboratory of Prof. Mohammad Rashidian at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. There, he contributed to the development of the CAR-Enhancer technology, constructs aimed at increasing efficiency and memory formation of CAR-T cells by specific delivery of IL-2, first as a master's student and later as a research technician.

In our lab, Benjamin is developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies for acute myeloid leukemia, harnessing both the innate and adaptive immune system.

Clàudia Puig Moreno  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

PhD Student

Clàudia received her B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Barcelona. She conducted her bachelor’s thesis during an exchange semester in the lab of PD Dr. Kerstin Kampa-Schittenhelm at the University of Tübingen, where she stayed on for an additional year as a research assistant.

She pursued her M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zürich, conducting research in Prof. Michael Detmar’s lab on immune regulation in tumor-draining lymph nodes. She completed her master’s thesis at Philochem AG, where she compared drug-conjugates targeting fibroblast activation protein in solid tumors. During her studies, she also joined Novartis as a Clinical Development Intern, supporting Phase II/III clinical trials within the Global Health Program.

In our lab, Clàudia is developing cell- and protein-based immunological strategies for non-cytotoxic conditioning in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.​

Melanie Granados Rey

Master Student

Melanie transitioned from journalism to a carrier in medical science. 

She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedicine, where she specialized in immunology. 

In the Manz Lab she is completing her studies as a Master Student, researching on bispecific antibodies to treat acute myeloid leukemia. In addition, she pursues a minor in physics and photographs the deep sky.

Francisco Caiado, PhD  ​​​​​PubM​​ed

Senior Scientist

Francisco received his Ph.D degree from the University of Lisbon, where he conducted research in the laboratory of Dr. Sérgio Dias – addressing the role of the Notch-Delta pathway on neo-vessel formation in the context of wound healing and cancer progression.

He then joined the lab of Prof. Silva-Santos, in the Institute of Molecular Medicine, Lisbon, where during his postdoc he studied extensively the clonal dynamics underlying the development of therapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

In our lab, Francisco is a Senior Scientist investigating the effects of age-associated hematopoietic clonal disorders on the development of both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic neoplasia.