Research & development
We see ourselves as intermediaries between university-level basic research and its practicable application in the world of work and society as a whole.
Research & Development
In the four research units, Bioinformatics, Cognitive Computing; Computational Health, Digital Labs and Production, we offer application-oriented research, development and services on issues concerning digitalisation and data science in the life sciences. The aim of our research and development activities is to develop innovative solutions in the field of data science and computation for the life sciences.
Organisation and People
The Institute is divided into four centres of expertise with 14 research groups; these work closely together in an interdisciplinary manner and achieve project goals professionally and efficiently.
«We develop practical solutions at the interface of biology, medicine and computational sciences.»
Prof. Dr. Maria Anisimova
Head of the centre
The Centre for Bioinformatics focuses on the theoretical and computational aspects of modelling the molecular biology processes, genome evolution and adaptive change, as well as biomedical data representation and integration. The goal is to bring basic research and new bioinformatics methods to real-world applications, ranging, for example, from biotechnology and forensics to biomedical research and environmental applications. The research area is represented by the several research groups, each focusing on certain methods or application domains.
«With Cognitive Computing, we offer new solutions for the life sciences that are based on the fundamental understanding of man and machine as a learning system.»
Dr. Yulia Sandamirskaya
Head of the centre
The Centre for Cognitive Computing for Life Sciences deals with the development and use of computational methods and models for the field of life sciences, whose properties are inspired by the learning and adaptive abilities as well as self-organisation principles of natural systems. The solutions developed support demanding human activities and decision-making processes or can be used for process automation. The following general aspects are central to our research and development: learning ability/adaptability of the systems, context-bound solutions (application context in the life sciences), systemic consideration of the application and the context.
Our research groups
Bio-Inspired Methods and Neuromorphic Computing
Autonomous Systems and Reinforcement Learning
Predictive Analytics
Digital Environment and Sustainability
«The devision of Computational Health is specialised in the confluence of data-driven and mechanistic modelling approaches in medicine and biology.»
Prof. Dr. Sven Hirsch
Head of the centre
The centre Computational Health addresses fundamental questions in biology and medicine using computer-assisted, data-driven methods. Important tools are machine learning for image and signal analysis, parameter estimation for differential equation systems and multiphysics simulation. Effective validation strategies are used to deal with the unknown.
Our research groups
Biomedical Simulation
Medical Image Analysis
Medical Data Modelling
Biosensor Analysis & Digital Health
«The research group Digital Labs & Production connects people, spaces and processes in the life sciences. From mixed-reality digital twins via progressive web applications to machine-to-machine interfaces, we connect physical and digital worlds through data and analytics.»
Dr. Robert Vorburger
Head of the centre
The centre combines specific methodological and technological expertise in the digitization and virtualization of laboratories, processes and production facilities in the life sciences. This includes, on the one hand, the networking of devices, processes and people using interfaces, data pipelines and data management and, on the other hand, the mapping of physical systems and infrastructures to models and simulation environments. Digital twins are a good example of how these topics interact.
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TRANSFER newsletter
A spotlight on selected research projects in the fields of life sciences and facility management.
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On the pulse of society and at the cutting edge of science.
TRANSFER newsletter
Research Blog
Research in the LSFM
A spotlight on selected research projects in the fields of life sciences and facility management.
The ZHAW Blog for research and development.
On the pulse of society and at the cutting edge of science.