The team

People make the science.

A group working across structural, molecular and cell biology at the University of Geneva.

AB Andreas Boland
Principal Investigator

Andreas Boland

Andreas completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen in the group of Elisa Izaurralde, where he discovered his passion for structural biology. He moved to Cambridge for his postdoc, joining David Barford at the MRC-LMB, where he used cryo-EM to investigate the structure and function of proteins involved in cell-cycle regulation.

He continues to work on important cell-cycle regulatory proteins at the University of Geneva, addressing biological questions through in vitro biochemistry, structural biology and cell biology. Outside the lab, Andreas likes all kinds of sport — especially running.

Get in touch ✉
Members

The group

EB Elda Bauda
Postdoctoral Fellow

Elda Bauda

Elda's passion for EM began during an undergraduate internship in Navraj Pannu's lab in Leiden, in collaboration with NeCEN. She then joined the Morlot lab at the Institute of Structural Biology (IBS) in Grenoble for her PhD, working closely with the IBS EM facility on bacterial sporulation using CEMOVIS, resin TEM, cryo-FIB/SEM and cryo-ET. For her postdoc in the Boland and Loewith groups she applies cellular EM to study yeast ultrastructure. Outside the lab she is often in the mountains.

Get in touch ✉
MB Margherita Botto
Postdoctoral Fellow

Margherita Botto

Margherita studied Physics at the Sapienza University of Rome (2012–2015), then Biological and Soft-Matter Physics at Leiden University (2015–2017), and obtained her PhD in Structural Biology at Leiden University Medical Center in Meindert Lamers' lab (2018–2022). She joined the lab as a postdoc in November 2023 to work on the structural basis of cell-cycle regulation. A mountain lover, she skis and hikes in the Alps.

Get in touch ✉
FF Fatma Findik
PhD student

Fatma Findik

Fatma received her bachelor's in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Abdullah Gül University and is completing her Master's at İzmir Institute of Technology in Şerife Ayaz Güner's group, working on nanobodies for therapeutic purposes. She has worked in proteomics since her undergraduate years and is interested in proteomics, structural biology and biochemistry. She recently joined the group to gain experience in structural biology. Outside the lab she enjoys reading and films.

Get in touch ✉
AR Aline Reynaud
Lab manager

Aline Reynaud

Aline joined the lab in November 2024 and is responsible for the smooth operation of all the wet-lab work.

Get in touch ✉
AS Andrea Švorinić
Postdoctoral Fellow

Andrea Švorinić

Andrea obtained her Bachelor's and Master's in Molecular Biology from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, then completed a PhD in Biochemistry in Heidelberg in the labs of Christof Niehrs (DKFZ) and Irmi Sinning (University of Heidelberg), focusing on proteins involved in Wnt signalling. In 2024 she joined the Boland and Stoeber labs as a postdoc, working on selected GPCR targets by cryo-EM. Outside the lab she likes reading and travelling.

Get in touch ✉
LY Li Yao
PhD student

Li Yao

Li obtained her BSc from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2012–2016) and a Master's in Structural Biology at Tianjin University (2018–2021) with Dr. Michael Yuchi, developing a fluorescence-based high-throughput screen for ryanodine-receptor-targeting insecticides. She then worked as a research assistant at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory with Dr. Jianchuan Wang on structure-based drug research. She joined the lab as a PhD student in August 2023. Outside the lab she likes painting, swimming and dancing.

Get in touch ✉
JY Jun Yu
Senior Scientist

Jun Yu

Jun obtained his BSc from Zhengzhou University, China (2013), then joined the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences for his Master's and PhD in Song Xiang's lab, working on the structural analysis of protein phosphatase 1 and the Rad18 E3 ligase by X-ray crystallography. In May 2019 he joined the lab as a postdoc, working to elucidate the molecular mechanism of chromosome segregation by separase using cryo-EM alongside biochemical and biophysical techniques. He enjoys badminton and table tennis.

Get in touch ✉
XZ Xuefeng Zhang
Postdoctoral Fellow

Xuefeng Zhang

Xuefeng obtained his bachelor's from Northwest A&F University in Xi'an, China, and his Master's at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (Chinese Academy of Sciences). During his PhD with Prof. Qiang Zhao he characterised the cholecystokinin receptors structurally and functionally. He joined the group in September 2022 to work on specific membrane-protein targets using cryo-EM.

Get in touch ✉
Alumni & collaborators
Sophia Schmidt ↗Pierre Raia ✉Anna Höfler ↗Yvan Pfister ✉Caroline Gabus ↗Ilse Schaeffner ↗Lina Poulain ↗