USI research grows stronger through international collaborations
Institutional Communication Service
Research conducted at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) also stands out for its scientific collaborations with universities and research institutes in other countries. The quality and international reach of this research are reflected, among other things, in the funding awarded under the Swiss National Science Foundation's (SNSF) Weave, Lead Agency, and International Co-Investigator Scheme (ICIS) programmes. Over the three-year period from 2024 to 2026, ten projects involving researchers from USI and its affiliated institutes were approved, securing more than CHF 5.2 million in total funding. The research spans a wide range of fields, from communication sciences to biomedical sciences, computer science, and oncology.
The Weave, Lead Agency, and ICIS programmes are part of the SNSF's Project Funding scheme and support joint research projects between Swiss and foreign institutions through agreements with the respective national funding agencies. Weave supports collaborations involving several countries, while Lead Agency covers bilateral projects. In both cases, each agency funds the research carried out in its own country. Under ICIS, the SNSF can also fund the activities of researchers involved in the project who are based abroad.
These instruments have taken on particular importance in 2026, following a revision of the Project Funding rules, which requires researchers to use Weave, Lead Agency, or ICIS to include co-applicants based at foreign institutions.
Below are the ten projects funded over the past three years under the Weave, Lead Agency, and ICIS programmes, organised by Faculty and affiliated institute.
Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society
- Prof. Colin Porlezza – Agents of transformation and the future of journalism. A comparative study in democratic societies (CHF 313,339, USI share – Weave, 2026)
The project examines the future of journalism in democratic societies, focusing on the people and organisations helping to transform the profession in response to economic, technological, and social challenges. By comparing Austria, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland, the research will analyse the characteristics, values, and strategies of so-called Agents of Transformation: professionals and innovators experimenting with new forms of journalism. The project involves interviews, 120 case studies, and the development of scenarios for the future of the profession, with the aim of producing a report on journalism in 2040. The collaboration involves Prof. Klaus Meier of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Prof. Matthias Karmasin of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and, on the Swiss side, Prof. Vinzenz Wyss of ZHAW. Total funding for the Swiss part of the project amounts to CHF 503,939.
- Prof. Andrea Rocci – ReCOUNT – Reasons of the others: concession and counterargument in polylogues (CHF 575,360 – Weave, 2025)
The ReCOUNT project examines how people recognise, take up, and challenge other people's arguments in discussions involving multiple participants, with a particular focus on debates about generative artificial intelligence on social media. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of a large corpus of online discussions, the research will explore the role of concessions and counterarguments to understand how agreement, disagreement, and argumentative strategies develop in public debates. The project combines linguistic, rhetorical, and logical-argumentative approaches and is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Marcin Koszowy of Warsaw University of Technology, Poland.
- Prof. Lena Pellandini-Simanyi – Investing in Meaning: How Symbolic Meanings Shape Lay Investor Stock Choices (CHF 376,274 – Lead Agency, 2024)
The project analyses how the symbolic meanings associated with companies can influence the investment choices of non-professional investors, going beyond traditional considerations of return and risk. In particular, it will examine whether factors such as personal identification with a brand, the values attributed to a company, or memories associated with its products can influence decisions to buy shares. Through interviews with investors in Switzerland, Israel, and the United States, as well as quantitative experiments, the research aims to explore the relationship between financial decisions, identity, and culture, while also offering insights that may help protect consumers. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Adam Hayes of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Faculty of Biomedical Sciences
- Dr Anne-Linda Camerini – AWARE: Mental Health Portrayals on Social Media and Implications on Adolescents' Awareness and Well-being (CHF 399,736 – Weave, 2024)
The AWARE project examines how depression and anxiety are portrayed on social media and the effects these representations may have on the awareness and well-being of adolescents aged 12 to 19. The research analyses how digital content influences young people and how their well-being and mental health knowledge shape their interactions with it. Through focus groups, post-analysis, and longitudinal surveys, the project also explores the role of algorithmic literacy and peer social norms. The findings could contribute to the development of prevention strategies and digital education initiatives. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Kathrin Karsay of Universität Wien, Austria, and Prof. Ruth Wendt of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
Faculty of Informatics
- Prof. Kai Hormann – Coordinate-based representations of time-varying meshes (CHF 182,156 – Weave, 2025)
The project addresses a challenge in computer graphics: efficiently representing moving three-dimensional objects captured using 3D scanning technologies. Current techniques produce sequences of geometric models whose structures may change from one instance to another, making it difficult to establish correspondences between different representations. The research will investigate two new methods based on geometric coordinates to improve the management, compression, and editing of these dynamic models. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Libor Váša of the University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic.
- Prof. Monica Landoni – SOL – Scaffolding to foster independence when children search Online for Learning (CHF 631,174, USI share – ICIS, 2024)
The SOL project examines how to help children aged 9 to 12 search for information online more independently and effectively as part of their schoolwork. The research is based on the concept of scaffolding, whereby gradual support is provided throughout the learning process and progressively reduced as skills develop. Through a participatory design process involving pupils and teachers, the project will develop search tools and interfaces tailored to the needs of younger users, assessing their effects on independence, search skills, and learning. The project involves Dr Maria Pera of Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, and has received total funding of CHF 897,754.
Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), affiliated with USI
- Prof. Francesco Bertoni – Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein in Lymphomagenesis: Unraveling the Interplay Between Somatic Mutations, B-cell Receptor Signaling and Actin Dynamics (CHF 730,857 – Weave, 2025)
The project investigates the role of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) in lymphoma development, focusing on a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The research will analyse how certain genetic mutations can alter this protein's activity, the organisation of the cellular cytoskeleton, and the signals transmitted by B-cell receptors. It will also explore the protein's functions in the cell nucleus and how cancer cells respond to compounds that affect its activity. The aim is to identify new mechanisms involved in tumour development and potential therapeutic targets. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Ondrej Havranek of Charles University, Czech Republic.
Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), affiliated with USI
- Prof. Samuel Philip Nobs – Discovering the Diversity and its Drivers of Novel Lung Dendritic Cell Subsets in Asthma (CHF 998,300 – Weave, 2025)
The project explores the role of lung dendritic cells in asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease. These immune cells help determine how the body responds to allergens, but the functions of their different subpopulations are not yet fully understood. Using advanced gene-expression analyses and new experimental models, the research will investigate the identity, tissue distribution, and regulatory mechanisms of dendritic cells to clarify their contribution to allergic inflammation. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Dr Aleksandra Kolodziejczyk of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Poland. The funding was awarded to Prof. Nobs while he was working at the University of Zurich, before moving to IRB in August 2025.
- Prof. Davide Robbiani – Human antibodies to flavivirus threats (CHF 600,000 – Weave, 2024)
The project investigates the human immune response to flaviviruses, a family of viruses transmitted mainly by mosquitoes and ticks, with a focus on tick-borne encephalitis virus and West Nile virus. Both can cause severe neurological infections and are an increasing public health concern in Europe. The research aims to identify and characterise human antibodies capable of neutralising these viruses, while also exploring the role of specific autoantibodies produced during infections. The findings could contribute to developing new monoclonal antibody-based therapies and vaccines effective against several flaviviruses. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Daniel Ruzek of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
- Prof. Roger Geiger – Programmable and dynamically-responsive bacterial therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy (CHF 400,000 – Lead Agency, 2024)
The project explores the use of genetically modified bacteria as tools for cancer immunotherapy. The research aims to develop bacteria capable of recognising specific signals from tumour cells and producing therapeutic substances directly within the tumour environment, thereby stimulating the immune response. A second objective is to make administering bacteria through the bloodstream safer, reducing the risk of widespread inflammation and improving their ability to reach tumour tissue. The project combines expertise in immunology and bioengineering and is being carried out in collaboration with Prof. Jesse Zalatan of the University of Washington, United States.
The funding awarded highlights the participation of researchers from USI and its affiliated institutes in international scientific networks, fostering joint projects and the exchange of expertise between institutions in different countries. These collaborations span fields ranging from fundamental research to technological and biomedical applications, helping to address issues of scientific and social importance.
