Luisier Raphaëlle
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I am a Researcher at Idiap Research Institute, leading the Genomics and Health Informatics Group and a group leader at the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics. I also lecture at EPFL Life Science School (BIO-463). Before joining Idiap in November 2019, I was leading RNA metabolism research projects at the Francis Crick Institute, focusing on its impact on neurological disorders. I earned my Master's in Bioengineering and Biotechnology at EPFL in 2009 and a PhD in Bioinformatics from Basel University in 2013. Leading a dynamic research group, comprising a postdoc, two PhD students, and two MSc students, my lab's core activities are funded by one Swiss National Science Foundation grant, an Idiap grant, and a Young Investigator Grant from the Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research, where I am the principal investigator, totaling more than 600,000 CHF. With my affiliation to the CRTOH, I aim to 1) develop data-science solutions tailored to pertinent CRTOH research questions; 2) contribute to clinical education by teaching subjects such as bioinformatics and AI, and by conducting seminars; 3) enhance the diversity and multidisciplinarity of the department with a computational background and its visibility with peer-reviewed publications.
My vision is to transform our understanding and treatment of incurable human diseases by developing computational methods, inspired by diverse signal processing fields like computer vision and language processing, to analyze multimodal biological data. Collaboration is integral to my research philosophy, and I actively engage with scientists across disciplines, fostering partnerships both nationally and internationally. Over my four years at Idiap, I have established collaborations with groups in computer vision (Dr. Andre Anjos) and natural language processing (Prof. Lonneke Van Der Plas). Additionally, ongoing collaborations with researchers at the Francis Crick Institute (Prof. Rickie Patani) and University College London (Prof. Antonella Riccio) underscore my commitment to cross-disciplinary research. Locally, I collaborate with clinicians such as Prof. Olivier Michielin and Dr. Igor Letovanec, ensuring the translational potential of my work. In my postdoctoral and junior group leader roles, I've made significant contributions to understanding RNA processing in neuronal cells, with publications in esteemed journals like Brain, Nature Communications, and Cell Reports. Building on this foundation, I am now focused on leveraging advanced deep learning methods to analyze high-content sequencing, clinical, and histopathology data, exploring how molecular biology shapes diversity in cancer and its implications for therapy resistance.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
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R Luisier*, C Andreassi*, L Fournier, A Riccio. The predicted RNA-binding protein regulome of axonal mRNAs. Genome Research (2023). *These authors contributed equally.
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C Verzat, J Harley, R Patani, R Luisier. Image‐based deep learning reveals the responses of human motor neurons to stress and VCP‐related ALS. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology (2022).
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C Hagemann, GE Tyzack, DM Taha, H Devine, L Greensmith, J Newcombe, R Patani, A Serio, R Luisier. Automated and unbiased discrimination of ALS from control tissue at single cell resolution. Brain Pathology (2021).
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C Andreassi*, R Luisier*, H Crerar, M Darsinou, S Blokzijl-Franke, T Lenn, NM Luscombe, G Cuda, M Gaspari, A Saiardi, A Riccio. Cytoplasmic cleavage of IMPA1 3′ UTR is necessary for maintaining axon integrity. Cell Reports (2021). *These authors contributed equally.
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R Luisier*, GE Tyzack*, CE Hall, JS Mitchell, H Devine, DM Taha, B Malik, I Meyer, L Greensmith, J Newcombe, J Ule, NM Luscombe, R Patani. Intron retention and nuclear loss of SFPQ are molecular hallmarks of ALS. Nature communications ( 2018). *These authors contributed equally.
Link to full publication list HERE