The DeepVax Team
DeepVax is a research-driven biomedical company founded in July 2018 and headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland.
The company focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of innovative therapeutic vaccines against chronic inflammatory diseases, obesity, ageing and cancer.
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Prof. Mona O. Mohsen is a scientist and entrepreneur specializing in immunology and immunotherapy. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Bern and CEO of DeepVax GmbH, where she leads the development of innovative virus-like particle (VLP)–based therapeutic vaccines targeting cancer, chronic diseases, and infectious diseases. Prof. Mohsen earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences from Qatar University and completed advanced research training at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School. She received her D.Phil. in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford in 2018. Since establishing her independent research program in 2020, she has secured major competitive funding, including grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Swiss Cancer League, and collaborates with international academic and industry partners to advance next-generation immunotherapies and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
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Martin F. Bachmann made a name for himself in the field of therapeutic vaccines and virus-like particles. He is Professor of Immunology at the University of Bern, Switzerland and visiting professor at University of Oxford, UK.
Martin Bachmann is the founder and co-founder of several biotech companies active in the field of therapeutic vaccines in humans (Saiba AG, Saiba Animal Health AG, SAIBA X AG, Evax AG and Deepvax GmbH, His research has a strong focus on therapeutic vaccines based on virus-like particles.
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Daniel Speiser graduated in 1982 and received a Doctorate in Medicine in 1986 at the University of Zürich, Switzerland. He then completed a clinical degree in internal medicine, with specialization in clinical immunology and (hemato-) oncology. In the laboratory of Rolf Zinkernagel (then future Nobel Laureate), he specialized in infection and tumor immunology. Subsequently, he established his independent career in basic and clinical immunology at the Universities of Geneva, Toronto and Lausanne. Currently, Daniel is an honorary professor at the University of Lausanne and has an appointment at the University of Bern.
Starting in 1990, he accomplished many R&D projects and clinical trials of immunotherapy against cancer, pioneering its introduction in clinical oncology. For example, he demonstrated the in vivo importance of T cell avidity already in 1992. Furthermore, he contributed significantly to mechanistic elucidation of the graft-versus-leukemia effect, and of autologous T cell reactivity in cancer patients. Also, Daniel was the first to demonstrate in cancer patients that intratumoral T cells have a molecular and functional “exhaustion” profile, resembling the situation in animals and in patients with chronic infection. His innovative work is possible thanks to sound scientific work and knowledge, directly applied to real-life situations in the clinic.
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Dr. Anne-Cathrine Vogt holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Bern and has a strong background in molecular life sciences, microbiology, and translational research. She has an excellent track record in animal experimentation and the preclinical development of immunotherapies and vaccine candidates, with extensive hands-on experience in in vivo models and immunological assay design. Her scientific expertise also includes advanced data and image analysis using specialized research software, ensuring robust and reproducible experimental outcomes. With award-recognized research experience, she combines deep immunological knowledge with structured project coordination and focuses on advancing innovative vaccine and immunotherapy programs from early research through preclinical development.
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Grace Lynn Gordon is a senior immunologist with over 30 years of experience across biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and translational research in the United States and Europe. She has extensive expertise in the investigation of immunogenicity and bioanalytical assay development, including ELISA and cell-based potency assays: supporting preclinical and clinical vaccine and immunotherapy programs with particular experience in virus-like particle (VLP)–based vaccine platforms. In Switzerland, she held a key role in clinical serology and assay validation at Cytos Biotechnology, and contributed to immunology research at Novartis Pharma. More recently, she has worked at the University Hospital Zurich/University of Zurich in collaboration with Saiba Animal Health AG (formely HypoPet AG): acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH in September 2024), where she supported assay development and validation, and regulated laboratory activities for therapeutic vaccine programs in companion animals. She has co-authored peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals including Nature, PNAS, and The Lancet, reflecting her longstanding contributions to immunotherapy and vaccine-related research.
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Sanjana Marar is a research associate at DeepVax CH with a background in molecular life sciences and biomedical research. She holds a BSc (Hons.) in Biomedical Science from Nottingham Trent University and has completed her MSc in Molecular Life Sciences at the University of Bern. She brings hands-on experience in molecular and cellular biology techniques, including PCR, protein analysis, cell-based assays, and support of in vivo experimental models. Prior to joining DeepVax CH, she worked as a medical laboratory assistant at Eurofins County Pathology in the UK, performing diagnostic sample processing under Good Laboratory Practice standards. At DeepVax GmbH, she supports preclinical research and laboratory operations contributing to the development of next-generation immunotherapy and vaccine technologies.
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An experienced laboratory technician with strong expertise in wet-lab work and basic immunology techniques. She supports preclinical research through precise experimental execution, reagent preparation, and efficient laboratory organization. Skilled in managing lab supplies and assisting with mouse experiments, she ensures smooth daily operations and reliable experimental outcomes.
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Dr. Andris Zeltins is an internationally recognized expert in virus-like particle (VLP) technologies for vaccine development and Head of the Plant Virology Group at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre. He has authored over 50 scientific publications, holds key patents in VLP vaccine technology, and is a full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. At DeepVax GmbH, Dr. Zeltins serves as a scientific consultant, contributing his expertise in VLP engineering and vaccine platform development to support the advancement of next-generation immunotherapies.
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Dr. Gary Jennings has 30 years of R&D and BD&L experience in the Biotech and Pharma sectors. He has worked in leading positions across a variety of roles for Chiron Corporation, Cytos Biotechnology AG, Novartis AG, and HypoPet AG. Most recently he served as CEO of Saiba Animal Health AG, a Swiss-based Biotechnology company dedicated to the development of a novel therapeutic nanoparticle vaccine platform for treating chronic diseases in companion animals. In this role, in 2023, he led the company to successfully conclude an eight-digit share purchase agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr. Jennings has a background in science with a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Western Australia and post-doctoral appointments at the U.S. National Institutes of Health Bethesda MX and the University of Texas San Antonio.