Dr. Christian Moser, a patent expert, Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
Christian Moser is a patent expert in life sciences and working at the IPI since 2014. Besides his activity as a professional patent researcher and examiner, he is also involved in IPI’s efforts to promote IP awareness in Switzerland. In order to support Swiss start-ups and SMEs with relevant information about IP, he is in regular contact with universities, with various regional and national agencies promoting innovation, and with industry associations. Christian Moser is a trained veterinarian with a PhD in molecular virology. After his education at the University of Bern, and a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, he spent more than a decade in the Swiss vaccine industry in various scientific and management roles.
Prof. Dr. Heinz Müller, Lecturer for Intellectual Properties in Life Sciences, University of Basel and sitem-insel, Bern
Heinz Müller is Professor emeritus for medical biochemistry at the University of Basel and was Patent Expert at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern. He was educated as a biochemist at the ETH Zurich, where he also received his PhD in 1983. He was then setting up a research lab at the Department of Hematology at the University Hospital Zurich. In 1985, he moved to the US to work for several years at different research institutions in San Diego (Veterans Administration Hospital San Diego and UCSD, Scripps Research Institute) and Chicago (Northwestern University). In 1991 he returned to Switzerland to work as a principal investigator in breast cancer research at the University of Basel. From this university, he received his Venia docendi and the title of a professor. In 2002, he started working in the patent department of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern while remaining a regular lecturer in biochemistry at the medical faculty of the University of Basel. At the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, he is responsible for training and continuous education at the patent department and the interaction with Swiss universities. He also teaches intellectual property law at different Swiss universities, including the Universities of Basel, Bern and ETH Zurich. This courses are aimed in particular for life science graduate students and students for medical technology. He also has written extensively on a number of pertinent articles for newspapers, magazines and other publications on the topic of intellectual property.
Dr. Anna Maria Villa, a patent expert, QPIP/ former Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property
A.M. Villa holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and an MA degree in adult education. She is furthermore a Qualified Patent Information Professional (QPIP). Before joining the EPO, she cooperated with pharma industries in the Milan area and headed a Molecular Modelling Research Unit at the Milan University (Faculty of Pharmacy) for six years. She started work at the EPO in 1997 as a patent examiner in the area of second medical use, in galenics and cosmetics. In addition to search, examination and opposition work, she acquired extensive experience as a trainer and coach for newcomers and colleagues changing technical fields. She has been active in international co-operation and exchange programmes and in distance learning programmes implemented by the European Patent Academy. After two years as a Senior Consultant and Director Business Development Pharma and Life Sciences at PatentSight GmbH, in 2018 she started at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Berna as a Patent Expert and coordinator of the Patent Analytics Team. In spite of the mutually enriching and pleasant cooperation, for family reasons in autumn 2021 she left the IPI.
Dr. Anna Deplazes Zemp, Lecturer, Institute for Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich
Dr. Anna Deplazes Zemp is a Lecturer for Ethics and Philosophy of Biology and an independent group leader at the University of Zurich (UZH). Holding a PhD in biochemistry from ETH Zurich and a subsequent degree in philosophy from UZH, her highly interdisciplinary research bridges science and ethics. In the field of intellectual property (IP), she explores the ethical and societal dimensions of biotechnology patenting, analyzing how proprietary rights on genetic resources impact global access, innovation, and benefit-sharing. Alongside leading her research group, she actively educates the next generation of scientists by teaching research ethics and contributing to Swiss workshops on the legal and societal implications of patenting in the life sciences.
Dr. Stefan Emler, SmartGene, Zug
Dr. Stefan Emler, MD, is the Founder and CEO of SmartGene AG, a Swiss-headquartered bioinformatics application service provider (ASP) established in 1998. A trained medical doctor with a deep background in molecular microbiology, infectious diseases, and laboratory medicine, Dr. Emler completed his medical education at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the University of Geneva. Before launching SmartGene, he served as a clinical researcher at Geneva University Hospital, a laboratory director for private diagnostic firms like Medica Med. Laboratorien AG, and a medical director for corporate global business development at Roche Diagnostics. Under his leadership, SmartGene has expanded globally, providing advanced cloud-based SaaS apps that streamline complex genetic sequencing data (Sanger and Next-Generation Sequencing) into actionable clinical diagnostics for non-bioinformaticians.
In the field of intellectual property (IP), Dr. Emler specializes in translating scientific innovation into commercial assets. As an independent entrepreneur, he mentors biotech startups on safeguarding proprietary assets without venture capital backing. He actively supports academic education by lecturing at Swiss workshops (such as CUSO and LS2) to train researchers on Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) strategies and software-as-a-service (SaaS) patenting. Additionally, he has built SmartGene’s own high-value IP portfolio by developing and patenting proprietary genetic data-mining technologies.
Dr. iur. Franziska Bächler, Zentrum für Life Sciences-Recht, ZLSR. University of Basel, Faculty of Law
Dr. iur. Franziska Bächler is a Swiss-qualified attorney and the Scientific Director at the Center for Life Sciences Law (ZLSR) at the University of Basel. She brings over a decade of deep transactional and practical experience in business and contract law across regulated industries. Before stepping into her academic leadership and self-employed legal consulting roles, she practiced at the major firm Schellenberg Wittmer AG and spent eight years as Senior Legal Counsel at F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (2014–2022). Her specialized research addresses the legal and regulatory complexities triggered by digital innovation, genomics, and emerging life science platforms.
In the field of intellectual property (IP), Dr. Bächler focuses on navigating the intersection of private law, patent access, and transactional licensing agreements.
Dr. Raluca Flükiger, Swiss University Technology Transfer, University of Geneva
Dr. Raluca Flükiger is a Licensing Officer at Unitec, the technology transfer office of the University of Geneva (UNIGE), where she commercializes life sciences technologies. She holds a PhD in biochemistry from UNIGE, studied at Northwestern University, and worked in London as a professional editor for Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology and a scientific advisor for a pharma/biotech asset management firm. A Certified Licensing Professional (CLP™) since 2010, she also teaches biochemistry at UNIGE, serves on the jury of the early-stage startup fund Venturekick, and is a member of the Swiss technology transfer association (swiTT).
In the field of intellectual property (IP), Dr. Flükiger specializes in patent management, commercialization, and bridging academic innovation with the biotech industry
David Spichiger, Executive Director at Swiss Chemical Society
David Spichiger is the Executive Director and a Board Member of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS), a position he has held since 2011. Combining a foundational scientific background with deep operational leadership, he holds a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Bern and an Executive MBA from the Berner Fachhochschule. Before guiding the SCS, he built high-level project and quality management expertise as a Vice President within the Business School of Credit Suisse. Alongside managing the society's core head office, collaborations, and legal affairs, he serves on the board of scienceindustries, the primary Swiss business association for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries.
In the field of intellectual property (IP), Spichiger focuses heavily on IP education, patent awareness, and workforce development for the next generation of Swiss scientists. Rather than working as a patent attorney, his contributions center on building institutional frameworks and educational pipelines that bridge commercial IP strategies with academic research.