About us

2020/9 – Our group at the Gerland biotechnology campus (University Lyon)

In the iWays team, we are investigating how zoonotic viruses infect humans and domestic animals, and subsequently, spread throughout the host, specifically from a virology and cell biology perspective. Our group is part of the National Institute of Agronomic and Environmental Research (INRAE) at the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (Contact us). Our research is supported by multiple fundings (see here). On the Lyon Gerland campus, we have access to state-of-the-art core facilities (click here for details) and enjoy a brand new building entirely dedicated to research on infectious diseases. Parts of this new building are designed to perform live-cell and animal imaging with BSL3 pathogens.

Heads of the lab

Pierre-Yves Lozach

Research Director (DR, INRAE)

Pierre-Yves Lozach obtained his PhD degree in Virology at the Pasteur Institute. In 2007, he joined the lab of Ari Helenius (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), first as a Marie-Curie postdoc fellow and then as a group leader. In 2012, he was appointed as tenure-track Assistant-Professor in Canada, and in 2013, granted the Chair in Virology from CellNetworks at the University of Heidelberg. He is now Research Director at the INRAE-University Lyon where he has started on Oct. 1st, 2019. His group published a combination of 16 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, book chapters, and news during the last five years. Pierre-Yves Lozach is now building on his previous successes to pursue an exciting and dynamic scientific program in the field of vector-borne viral emerging diseases.

Carine Maisse

Research associate (CRCN, INRAE)

In 2003, Carine Maisse obtained a joint Ph.D. between the laboratories of Dr. Guido Kroemer in Paris and Dr. Gerry Melino in Rome, centered on apoptosis dysregulations in neuroblastoma. During 2 post-docs in Lyon between 2004 and 2011, she developed a growing interest in studying the links between inflammatory response and cell death. In 2011, she secured a position as a research associate in virology in Lyon. Her work is now focused on arbovirus entry and cellular responses to arboviral infections, in the context of vector/host transmission.

The Team

Fabienne Archer

Researcher (INRAE)

Fabienne Archer

Researcher (INRAE)

In the lab since 2021

Catherine Luengo

Engineer (INRAE)

Catherine Luengo

Engineer (INRAE)

In the lab since 2021

Alexandra Erny

Technician (INRAE)

Alexandra Erny

Technician (INRAE)

In the lab since 2021

Céline Garnier

Technician (INRAE)

Céline Garnier

Technician (INRAE)

In the lab since 2021

Maeva Duboeuf

PhD student (Lyon)

Maeva Duboeuf

PhD student (Lyon)

In the lab since October 2021

Yu Gu

PhD student (Lyon)

Yu Gu

PhD student (Lyon)

In the lab since October 2021

Léa Salvadori

PhD Student (Lyon)

Léa Salvadori

PhD Student (Lyon)

In the lab since 2023

Alumni (>1 year in the lab)

Qilin (Colin) Xin

Lyon

Qilin (Colin) Xin

Lyon

PhD student, 2019 - 2023

Jana Koch

Heidelberg

Jana Koch

Heidelberg

MSc/PhD student, 2017 - 2023

Zina Uckeley

Heidelberg

Zina Uckeley

Heidelberg

PhD student, 2017 - 2022

Stef. Windhaber

Heidelberg

Stef. Windhaber

Heidelberg

MD student, 2019 - 2022

Franziska Wölfl

Heidelberg

Franziska Wölfl

Heidelberg

M.Sc. student, 2018 - 2020

Psylvia Léger

Heidelberg

Psylvia Léger

Heidelberg

Postdoc, 2014 - 2019

Anja Hoffmann

Heidelberg

Anja Hoffmann

Heidelberg

PhD student, 2015 - 2019

Shawon Gupta

Heidelberg

Shawon Gupta

Heidelberg

SMRF postdoc, 2017 - 2019

Mag. Mazelier

Heidelberg

Mag. Mazelier

Heidelberg

PhD student, 2014 - 2017

Nicoles Cordes

Heidelberg

Nicoles Cordes

Heidelberg

Student assistant, 2014 - 2016

Nele Villabruna

Heidelberg

Nele Villabruna

Heidelberg

Internship student, 2015 - 2016

Marilou Tetard

Zurich & Laval

Marilou Tetard

Zurich & Laval

M.Sc. student, 2011 - 2013

Roger Meier

Zurich

Roger Meier

Zurich

PhD student, 2008 - 2012

Rob. Mancini

Zurich

Rob. Mancini

Zurich

Research Assistant, 2008 - 2012

Ben. Radestock

Zurich

Ben. Radestock

Zurich

M.Sc. student, 2010 - 2011

And. Kühbacher

Zurich

And. Kühbacher

Zurich

M.Sc. student, 2009 - 2010

David Bitto

Zurich

David Bitto

Zurich

M.Sc. student, 2008 - 2009

And all the other people who crossed our way in Switzerland, Canada, Germany, and France

Holda Anagho, Sven Blobner, Antonia Boehmert, Chloé Bourg, Thomas Braunschweiler, Thomas Burkard, Aude Charpenay, Myriam Dosso, Désirée Evjen, Hannah Fleckenstein, Erik Fumi, Noa Gamet, Elena Hagelauer, Martin Kampmann, Tim Kühnlenz, Aiste Kudulyte, Kathlyn Laval, Sheryline Loison, Ann-Kathrin Mehnert, Emmanuelle Münger, Christian Najjar, Lisa Oestereich, Felix Pahmeier, Sarah Peterl, Kristin Rädecke, Claudia Robens, Nina Rolfs, Alicia Rosenberg, Ronan Rouxel, Paulina Schad, Malte Simon, Christian Sommerauer, Felix Streicher, Yannik Voss, Julia Wegner, Lea Woltereck, Michelle Yee, Berthe Youness, and Michael Zumstein.

Our lab fun picture gallery

  • Lab cleaning!
    Lab cleaning!
    2020/02
  • On the way back (!) from the lab retreat 2019
    On the way back (!) from the lab retreat 2019
    Lyon, 2019/06
  • On the way to the lab retreat 2019
    On the way to the lab retreat 2019
    Lyon, 2019/06
  • Lab 2019
    Lab 2019
    Botanical gardens, Heidelberg, 2019/05
  • PY's birthday, real life!
    PY's birthday, real life!
    2019/05
  • AG Dalton!
    AG Dalton!
    CIID, 2018/12
  • Lab 2018
    Lab 2018
    Botanical gardens, Heidelberg, 2018/05
  • PY, Moussa, Amadou, Martin, and Hervé
    PY, Moussa, Amadou, Martin, and Hervé
    Shanghai, 2017/05
  • PY and Amadou
    PY and Amadou
    Shanghai, 2017/05
  • Ke, PY, and Xi
    Ke, PY, and Xi
    Wuhan, 2017/05
  • Lab 2017
    Lab 2017
    Botanical gardens, Heidelberg, 2017/05
  • PY and Flo
    PY and Flo
    GfV meeting, social diner, Marburg, 2017/03
  • Steeve very focused!
    Steeve very focused!
    GfV meeting, social diner, Marburg, 2017/03
  • Lab 2016
    Lab 2016
    Botanical gardens, Heidelberg, 2016/05
  • Psylvia, PY, and Magalie
    Psylvia, PY, and Magalie
    NSV meeting, 2015/06
  • PY's birthday gift
    PY's birthday gift
    Heidelberg, 2015/05
  • Lab 2015
    Lab 2015
    Botanical gardens, Heidelberg, 2015/03
  • PY and Andrès
    PY and Andrès
    CHUM, Montreal, 2015/02
  • First poster presentation of Marilou
    First poster presentation of Marilou
    Ottawa, 2013/06
  • PY
    PY
    Institut Armand-Frappier, 2013/05
  • Lab 2013
    Lab 2013
    Institut Armand-Frappier, 2013/03
  • Alfred!
    Alfred!
    Former Helenius lab members know! 2012/06
  • The Bunya team 2012
    The Bunya team 2012
    ETHZ, Switzerland, 2012/06
  • The Bunya team 2010
    The Bunya team 2010
    ETHZ, Switzerland, 2009/10
  • Ralf, Anna, and PY
    Ralf, Anna, and PY
    Karolinska Institue, 2007/03