Welcome to the SYNLAB world of research. Innovation is an integral part of our every day work and our experts are committed to staying on top of new findings and research by publishing in renowned scientific journals. Take a look at our Club of Experts to learn more about our leading professionals or read more about their work below.
To find publications by our SYNLAB experts, visit the PubMed library from the link below.
All SYNLAB Publications
Dr. Päivi Forsblom (née Laitinen), PhD, ErCLG, is a specialist in human genetics. She is one of the pioneers of preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) in Germany. Her professional passion is providing PGT patients with the best possible diagnostic options and developing tailored methods for complicated PGT cases.
Päivi Forsblom studied biology in University of Helsinki, Finland and received her PhD with distinction in 2004. Her thesis, titled Genetic defects of calcium and potassium signaling in inherited ventricular arrhythmias, concentrated in finding genetic variants underlying severe inherited, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Parallel to obtaining her PhD, she commenced her diagnostic work as a geneticist at Yhtyneet Laboratoriot in Helsinki (United Laboratories, nowadays part of the SYNLAB group) and started pursuing a specialization in clinical laboratory genetics. From 2011 she has been part of SYNLAB Human Genetics team in Munich, Germany. She single-handedly established the preimplantation genetic testing of monogenic disorders (PGT-M) in the laboratory and continues to strive for the best methods and approaches in preimplantation diagnostics from there on. Since 2014 she holds the position of department head and is responsible for both chromosomal microarray diagnostics and PGT. Päivi obtained the Finnish title for hospital geneticist in 2016 and the certification of European Clinical Laboratory Geneticist (ErCLG, EBMG) in 2018.
Academic and professional qualifications
2001 Master of Science, University of Helsinki
2004 PhD, University of Helsinki
2016 Hospital geneticist, University of Helsinki
2018 European Clinical Laboratory Geneticist, European Board of Medical Genetics
Awards
2004 Young scientist award of Paavo Nurmi Foundation
2005 Award for the best doctoral thesis in University of Helsinki
Current memberships
European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
German Society of Human Genetics
For more than 15 years Dr. Harald Hoffmann has dedicated most of his professional life to develop worldwide laboratory capacities to improve tuberculosis and mycobacteriological diagnostics. He took over the leadership of the prestigious Institute of Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, WHO Supranational TB-Reference Laboratory (SRL) in 2004.
For more than 15 years Dr. Harald Hoffmann has dedicated most of his professional life to develop worldwide laboratory capacities to improve tuberculosis and mycobacteriological diagnostics. He took over the leadership of the prestigious Institute of Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine, WHO Supranational TB-Reference Laboratory (SRL) in 2004. In 2010, the IML became the central mycobacteriological unit of SYNLAB Germany and has evolved since ever to one of the largest diagnostic centers for TB and non-tuberculous mycobacteria in Europe. The SRL Munich-Gauting has entered WHO endorsed SRL-NRL partnerships with Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Novosibirsk. A multitude of international collaboration and developmental aid projects are granted by the German and US governments, the Global FUND, WHO and other UN organizations.
Dr. Hoffmann has built a team outstanding scientists who are involved in several international projects and are managing consortia with partner organizations from public health, NGOs, industry, universities and research centers as primary investigators. With funds from the German government, the TB-SeqDisK consortium aims to develop a fully automated cartridge assay which allows for reliable TB and resistance diagnostics of first and second line drugs. With the USAID funded StopTTH project, Dr. Hoffmann’s team has lead the implementation of Next Generation Sequencing and an Interferon gamma Release Assay in the Kyrgyz NRL and is now coordinating the implementation of targeted sequencing for rapid resistance testing. Several epidemiological projects are run by scientists of the institute.
Harald Hoffmann’s main expertise is in the areas of
Harald Hoffmann has studied medicine at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Bonn, Germany, and at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He gathered clinical experience in the Hôpital régional of Mopti, Mali, in the Ben Taub County and the Texas Children’s’ Hospitals of Houston, USA, and the University Children’s Hospital of Cologne, Germany. He conducted a morbidity study on intestinal schistosomiasis at the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar, for which he received a doctorate (summa cum laude) from the University of Hannover. Mr. Hoffmann was trained as a medical microbiologist at the Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he performed studies on systematics and virulence of enterobacteria. He described new bacterial species and subspecies, analyzed the phenomenon of small colony variants, performed a national multi-centre study on the prevalence of extended spectrum betalactamases of Enterobacter, detected a heavy-metal efflux system and the heme uptake system of E. cloacae. In 2019, Dr. Hoffmann’s name was given to the sub-species E. asburiae hoffmanii in honor of his research on the systematics of the genus Enterobacter. More than fifty peer-reviewed articles on intestinal schistosomiasis, Asceris lumbricoides, Enterobactereaceae, MRSA, and TB have been published under his primary or senior authorship.
Specialist in internal medicine and haematology and oncology Laboratory for Molecular Hematology and Oncology Focal points: Hematological diagnostics, acute leukaemia, myelodysplastic syndromes
Dr. Karl-Anton Kreuzer attended the medical schools at the University of Bonn/Germany, the Technical Univer-sity Munich/Germany, the University of Pittsburgh/USA and the University of Zurich/Switzerland. He completed his scientific education through scientific trainings at the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia/USA, and the Weiz-mann Institute of Science, Rehovot/Israel. Until his board certification in internal medicine he spent his residency at the Department of Hematology/Oncology at the Virchow-Klinikum of the Charité in Ber-lin/Germany.
Since 2004 Dr. Kreuzer is affiliated to the Department I of Internal Medicine where he received his venia legendi in 2006 on “Molecular diagnostics in hematology”. At this clinic which has been rewarded in 2007 by the German Cancer Aid as one of four German Centers of Excellence in Cancer Medicine, Dr. Kreuzer is responsible as a consultant for the clini-cal care of patients with various hematological conditions. Further, he heads the rou-tine diagnostic laboratory where a broad panel of hematological methods (cytomor-phology, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, genomics) is performed. This lab acts also a central diagnostics facility for international multicenter trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) by the German CLL study group (GCLLSG).
He is member of various national and international societies on the field of hematol-ogy and oncology. Further he is a referee and advisor for domestic and foreign re-search funds as well as scientific journals. Dr. Kreuzer is member of various editorial boards, associate editor of Leukemia Research and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Haematology. He authored more than 300 scientific manuscripts, book chapters and other publications.
Cécile Martaresche is a pharmacist specialising in medical biology, head of the south specialised technical platform of SYNLAB France since 2014. Her expertise for biological analyses is in immunology, molecular biology, and serology. Cécile Martaresche developed a global medical approach of the biological diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring of tick-borne diseases, focused on borreliosis.
Cécile Martaresche is a pharmacist specialising in medical biology for 18 years. She obtained several other university degrees like Master of Medical Biology in Immunology and Molecular Biology, a Master of Research in Immunology, and a Master of Immuno-haematology. In addition, she has hospital laboratory experience and research experience in immunology.
Since 2014 she has been the head of the south specialised technical platform of SYNLAB France. She selected and supervised the technical automated solutions for specialised biological analyses in autoimmunity, molecular diagnosis, haematology and immunology. This expansion of technical and human capability enabled the internalisation of many specialised analyses in SYNLAB laboratories in France. In 2018, she was solicited by SYNLAB to be the head of the group of autoimmunity experts to work on standards of automatised platforms, autoimmunity results, medical consensus references, and audition of suppliers.
Since 2015, Cécile Martaresche is co-head of the Tick-Born Diseases Department for SYNLAB France. She developed a global biological approach for their diagnostics, including anamnesis, the exploration of humoral and cellular immunity with serologies and IGRA test, associated co-infections by molecular biology, evaluation of the immunity system by lymphocytic typing by flow-cytometry and tick analysis on demand. She works with physicians (GP, internal medicine, rheumatologist, university infectious diseases specialist) and answers daily to patients in need of medical explanations and advice. She proposes medical trainings for GP physicians and participates or initiates some clinical research on TBD with physicians, suppliers, and patient associations.
University degrees and qualifications
Hospital qualifications
Cécile Martaresche’s main expertise is in the areas of
Dr März has a strong background in clinical and laboratory research. He received his training in laboratory medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, and his habilitation at the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany.
Dr März has a strong background in clinical and laboratory research. He received his training in laboratory medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, and his habilitation at the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany.
He holds an active full professorship at the Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics at the Medical University Graz, Austria, and is a working group leader at Medical Clinic V (Nephrology, Hypertensiology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Diabetology), Medical Faculty Mannheim,
University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is also the Director of Academy and Business Development Manager at SYNLAB Germany.
With more than 850 publications listed on PubMed (and approximately 1200 on the Web of Science), papers in all top-ranked cardiovascular journals and over 35.000 citations he is among the most influential European researchers. He is also on the world-wide Clarivate Analytics list of “highly cited researchers” in the category “Cross-Field Performance”. For many years, he has been the leading scientist in laboratory medicine in the German speaking countries (DACH) (https://www.laborjournal.de/rubric/ranking/R16_04/index2.php) and is among the most frequently cited scientists in the fields of genetics (https://www.laborjournal.de/rubric/ranking/R18_04/index2.php), cardiology (https://www.laborjournal.de/rubric/ranking/R19_06/index2.php), and endocrinology https://www.laborjournal.de/rubric/ranking/R19_09/index2.php
Dr März is the principal investigator of the Ludwigshafen Risk Factor and Cardiovascular Health Study (LURIC) which has established the basis for the development of the CoroPredict algorithm Coropredict®-Test: SYNLAB Labordienstleistungen and has been a member of the steering committee of the 4D trial (Die Deutsche Diabetes Dialyse Studie). His research has been funded by the European Commission (6th Framework Program, Integrated Project Bloodomics, Grant LSHM-CT-2004-503485; 7th Framework Program, Integrated Projects AtheroRemo, Grant no. 201668, and RiskyCAD, Project no. 305739) the Wissenschaftsinitiative Oberrhein (Project Genetic Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Diseases), the German Ministry of Education and Research (Project AtheroSysMed), the German Ministry of Economy (Coropredict, EXIST research transfer, 03EFBRP010), European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the ERA-Net Cofund action N° 727565 (OCTOPUS) and the German Ministry of Education and Research (grant number 01EA1801A), and by major research grants from the pharmaceutical industry (Pfizer, Bayer Vital GmbH, Sanofi and AMGEN).
The scientific interest of Dr März has for a long time been in rare disorders of lipid metabolism, epidemiology, atherosclerosis, and prevention. He very recently and successfully set up the largest registry for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Germany ((CaReHigh) www.dach-praevention.eu/familiaere-hypercholesterinaemie/care-high-kaska-denscreening/) which has by now recruited 2300 FH patients and has become the German branch of the European Atherosclerosis Society FH Study Collaboration.
Swiss FAMH Specialist in medical genetic analyses (2000) European Board-certified Clinical Laboratory Geneticist, ErCLG (2015) Director of Genetics, SYNLAB Switzerland Head of Genetic Expert Board, SYNLAB International
In 1988, Michael Morris obtained his D. Phil. in molecular immunology from the University of Oxford and moved to Geneva to establish the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the Institute of Medical Genetics, Geneva University Hospitals.
In 2013, after 25 years in Geneva, he became Director of Genetics for SYNLAB Switzerland, where he also heads the international Expert Group on Human Genetics.
In 2003 Michael was a founding member of the European network "Eurogentest" which aimed to improve the quality of genetic testing in Europe. He is a board member of the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN), since 2009. Within Switzerland, he was one of the founders of the Swiss FAMH laboratory specialization in medical genetics and a member of the Swiss Federal Commission of Experts for Human Genetic Analysis (CEAGH).
He has co-authored more than 130 scientific publications, including international good practice guidelines for medically-assisted reproduction and genetics, preimplantation diagnosis, carrier screening and testing for cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, and the diagnostic validation of medical genetic tests.
University, Professional qualifications
Professional associations
Dr Simonetta Signorini, Chief biologist in the Autoimmunity Department at SYNLAB Italy in Brescia. As a specialist in Autoimmunology, Dr Simonetta Signorini was the coordinator of the International Autoimmune Board of SYNLAB Group from 2013 to 2015.
Dr Simonetta Signorini, Chief biologist in the Autoimmunity Department at SYNLAB Italy in Brescia. As a specialist in Autoimmunology, Dr Simonetta Signorini was the coordinator of the International Autoimmune Board of SYNLAB Group from 2013 to 2015.
With extensive experience in autoantibodies reading with fluorescence microscope for autoimmune disease diagnostics, she has coordinated autoimmunity departments for 20 years.
This includes the introduction and development of new technologies, workflow improvement, management and optimisation of internal resources, the application and check of internal procedures and internal/external quality controls. In addition, she maintains direct contact with specialist physicians and general physicians as well as lab customers and patients to support and consult on activities related to autoimmune test results interpretation. Furthermore, responsibilities include the preparation of courses for internal lab updating (ECM) and the introduction of new lab analyses, specific panels, and diagnostic algorithms.
From 1991 to 1992 Dr Simonetta Signorini was employed in Medea Research Milan for activities in Pharmacokinetics studies. From 1994 to 1997 she worked in the transfusion centre of the Manerbio Hospital (Italy), where she gained experience in immuno-haematology and coagulations analysis and in autoimmune analysis: the search of autoantibodies with indirect immunofluorescence method and other techniques, anti-platelets autoantibodies with cytofluorometry, application of quality controls and internal procedures. From 1999 to 2004 she worked at the Fleming private laboratory site in Brescia, Italy. After, the laboratory was acquired by General de Santè and became known as FlemingLabs. Since 2008 FelmingLabs has belonged to SYNLAB Group.
University qualification
1991 Degree in biological sciences (Biology) University of Pavia (Italy) “cum laude”
1998 Specialisation in Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry University of Brescia (Italy)
2011 Master I Term EMMAS Perfezionamento in Sanità (Improvement in Health) University Bocconi Milano (Italy)
2012 Master II Term EMMAS (Master Executive in Management Aziende Ospedaliere e Socio assistenziali) (Executive Master in
Management Region Hospital and Social Care) University of Bocconi Milano
Posters:
Publications on Reviews
Studio comparativo tra due metodi per l’identificazione di alloanticorpi antipiastrine” Signorini S., Tegon G., Lama A., Bulgari G., Perini P. - Azienda Osp.di Desenzano del Garda-Ospedale di Manerbio-Centro Trasfusionale. Pubblicato sul Volume 43 - Supplemento al numero 2 - Marzo-Aprile 1998 Volume Abstract della rivista “La Trasfusione del Sangue”
Partecipation to book pubblication
Quaderno: Lactose and gluten-free: alimenti del domani? Capitolo 6 : Studio delle reazioni avverse al glutine ed evoluzione dei metodi di analisi laboratoristici. Anno 2016 Edito a cura della Fondazione iniziative zooprofilattiche e zootecniche Brescia.
Speaker at meetings
Since 2005, Andrea Soricelli has worked as Full Professor of Diagnostic Imaging at Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”. He has also served as the scientific responsible of the Research Institute IRCCS-SDN in Naples since 2007. Andrea Soricelli is SYNLAB Group’s Medical Research Director. He graduated “cum laude” as Medical Doctor on 30 June 1980 specialising in Nuclear Medicine from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome and in 1987 in Radio Diagnostic from Università di Napoli, Federico II.
His previous experience includes the positions of Associated Professor of Diagnostic Imaging at the Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope (2002-2005), Professional Specialist in the field of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology at the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) in Vienna (2000-2001), and Medical Assistant in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging of the Università di Napoli Federico II (1991-2002).
Andrea Soricelli’s published achievements include more than 200 papers, several books’ chapters, reviews of articles and books in various journals and the production of both national and international guidelines. His main research topics are as follows:
In 1999, Miquel Taron obtained his Ph.D. in Internal Medicine and Surgery at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. In total he has 25 years of experience in diagnosis and R+D in oncology and molecular cancer biology. In 2018, Miquel was appointed Head of Molecular Oncology at SYNLAB in Madrid, Spain.
In 1999, Miquel Taron obtained his Ph.D. in Internal Medicine and Surgery at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. In total he has 25 years of experience in diagnosis and R+D in oncology and molecular cancer biology. In 2018, Miquel was appointed Head of Molecular Oncology at SYNLAB in Madrid, Spain.
From 2000-2014 Head of Molecular Oncology Laboratory at Catalan Institute of Oncology-Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital, Badalona, Spain. Co-founder and Management Board Member of Pangaea Biotech SL (Lab Director and EVP Diagnostics from 2007-2014). Director Development and Regulatory in Amadix SL (Valladolid, Spain) (2014-2016). Senior Investigator in IBIS-CSIC (Sevilla; Spain) (2017-2018).
He has a large experience in coordination and handling of biological samples and molecular analyses in clinical trials with collaborative groups (TTD, SLCG, GEIS, ETOP) from over 140 national and international hospitals. Highly experienced in ISO standard, quality assurance programs, management of biobanks and patents. He served as the President of the Spanish Society of Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics (SEFF) (2014-2019). Board Member of the Spanish Research Group on Sarcomas (GEIS) (2018-). He was founding member of the International Society of Liquid Biopsy (2018).
Co-author of more than 150 scientific publications in high-ranking international journals; he held over 400 presentations at national and international congresses.
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