07 National and international lemanic medicine

Médecine universitaire lémanique nationale et internationale - Plans stratégiquesThe HUG have reached a high level of excellence in many areas of advanced medicine, earning them national and international recognition. The progress of this academic medicine relies on coordination with the Lausanne University Hospital and other French-speaking and Latin hospitals to ensure a pool of patients big enough to guarantee the quality of cutting-edge medical activities and clinical research. Partnerships, particularly with EPFL (research institute/university in Lausanne) at Campus Biotech, as well as close collaboration with other centers for research and regional development, such as CERN or the medtech and biotech industry, have also been required. The HUG have a vital role to play in developing these partnerships because of their leading position in the clinical field.

Action 07.1 : Strengthening academic cooperation in medicine today

The HUG plan to continue to develop centers of excellence within the institution, both research and clinical-related, for the great benefit of the community. Currently, Geneva University Hospitals have achieved national and international recognition in many disciplines: cardiovascular diseases, complex illnesses in children and adolescents, pancreas and liver disorders and diabetes, musculoskeletal and sports medicine, genetics, neuroscience, oncology and humanitarian medicine. It also boasts high-profile specialisms at national level including medical imaging, liver transplantation in children, and the management, diagnosis, vaccination and treatment of emerging viral infections.

The HUG's participation in various local, national and international research projects also contributes to the scientific and medical influence of the institution and of Geneva.

Action 07.2 : Exploring the potential of medicine tomorrow

Exploring new avenues in the medical sector relies on a translational approach that the HUG has developed with the Faculty of Medicine, in fields as diverse as oncology, transplantation and even deep brain stimulation. The goal, ultimately, is to make advances in the treatment of cancer, as well as neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

Personalised medicine is one of these key avenues. This discipline consists of selecting the most appropriate treatment based on the patient's biological profile and the molecular features of their disease. To do this, clinical databases are essential. They make it possible to better target the people who are likely to respond favourably to treatment.

The HUG are keen to implement this recent approach and to actively participate in the creation of a multidisciplinary institutional platform of genomics and clinical proteomics for diagnostic, prognostic and preventive purposes. They also want to deploy a multidisciplinary council for molecular medicine.

At the same time, the institution wishes to participate in the development of a biobank for the Lake Geneva region, and in particular to contribute a Geneva-based component focused on specific pathologies.

In this context, Campus Biotech, a new centre of expertise in the fields of research in biotechnology and life sciences, will house the Lemanic Center for Personalized Health. This is a multidisciplinary centre established at the initiative of the hospitals and universities in Geneva and Vaud, as well as the EPFL and SIB (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics). The HUG will play an active role, particularly in the areas of advanced management of biomedical information (clinical, imaging, molecular) and its use for analytical and coordination purposes.

Last update : 21/03/2017