A countless amount of studies show that people who exercise regularly live longer, healthier, and even happier lives. On the other hand, skeletal muscle dysfunction has been reported to play a major role in many diseases. What is less well known is how skeletal muscle function promotes health. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind the skeletal muscle function might result in the discovery of novel treatment targets for many patients struggling with different diseases from metabolic disorders to muscle dystrophy. 

The Laboratory of Exercise and Health aims to unravel the metabolic and molecular pathways through which different cell types in the muscle communicate. In the muscle microenvironment, muscle stem cells, muscle fibroblasts and blood vessels closely interact with myofibers to control muscle function. To understand this crosstalk, we are working on different in vitro, in vivo and translational projects and use a wide range of technologies available at ETH. We are especially interested in studying the role of the vasculature, and in identifying molecular and metabolic drivers of muscle angiogenesis.