Mona Omar Mohsen

Focused on cancer immunology and immunotherapy, with research centered on developing innovative therapeutic strategies such as cancer vaccines, immune enhancers, and checkpoint inhibitors. Successfully applied these approaches to solid tumors, including breast cancer, melanoma, and head and neck carcinoma. Specialized expertise in virus-like nanoparticles and their unique properties, pioneering novel cancer vaccine platforms.

6.5 years

• One-year international study program you completed was a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Qatar Foundation, in partnership with Harvard University, during 2016-2017. This program was designed to provide advanced training and global perspectives in medical sciences, offering exposure to Harvard's rigorous standards in medical education and research methodologies. Participants engaged in specialized coursework and were encouraged to develop expertise in key areas of medicine, fostering skills relevant to international healthcare advancements and collaborations.
• Completed a summer internship from July to September 2015 in the research group of Prof. Mien-Chie Hung at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, as part of the QRLP Internship program. Assigned to various cancer biology projects, including investigating the role of GSK3β inactivation in promoting the oncogenic functions of EZH2 and enhancing H3K27 methylation in human breast cancers. Gained proficiency in key techniques such as western blotting, cell culture, transfection, and cloning, while actively participating in seminars and journal clubs to expand knowledge and stay updated on the latest advancements in cancer biology.

Associate Professor, University of Bern, 2024
Principal Investigator and Group Leader, University of Bern, 2021–ongoing
Privatdozent (PD), University of Bern, 2021
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Bern, 2019–2020
Doctoral Student, University of Oxford, UK, 2015–2018
Master’s Student, Qatar University, 2013–2015
Senior Clinical Researcher, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar, 2014–2015
Lab Technologist, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, 2004–2007

• NIH parent R01, Personalized, antigen-directed immunotherapy delivered to lymph nodes, 2023-2027
• Ju biläumsstiftung von Swiss Life, Preclinical efficacy of a personalized therapeutic vaccine to prevent postoperative metastases in mammary carcinoma, 2023-2024
• Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Co-PI, Nanoparticle Trafficking in Trees Visualized by Virus-Like Particles, 2023-2024
• Swiss Cancer League, KFS-5246-02-2021, Co-investigator, Intratumor immunotherapy using TLR7/8 loaded nanoparticles formulated with an inflammasome activating micron-sized particulate adjuvant (MCT) in solid murine tumor models, 2020-2023
• Qatar Foundation, PDRA4-0118-18002, Lead investigator, Development and exploration of a novel personalized breast-cancer vaccine based on virus-like particles by incorporating tumor-specific T-cell epitopes, 2019-2021
• Allergy Therapeutics PLC, Lead investigator, Developing a novel immune-enhancer for melanoma using MCT adjuvant, 2018-2021
• Master and PhD scholarship, Qatar Foundation (QRLP), 2015-2018

• Multidisciplinary Centre for Infectious Diseases (MCID), University of Bern, 2024-ongoing
• Immunology courses I and II, University of Bern, 2019-ongoing
• Problem-based solving, Qatar University, 2020
• Summer school for immunology/Cancer immunology & immunotherapy, Anhui Agricultural University, 2019
• Immunology seminars, RIA, University of Bern, 2019
• Immunology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, 2016-2018

Ongoing projects: 

• PhD thesis, Personalized, antigen-directed immunotherapy delivered to lymph nodes, 2023
• PhD thesis, Development of a therapeutic multi-target VLP-based vaccine against HPV-associated head and neck cancer, 2020
• Master thesis, Developing AI-driven histology methods to predict therapeutic outcomes following VLP vaccination in solid tumor, 2024
• Master thesis, A VLP-based vaccine in Allergy-Oncology leverages virus-like particles, September 2024
• Master thesis, Development of a fusion VLP-gp75 based vaccine targeting melanoma, 2024

Completed thesis: 

• Master thesis, Comparison between germline and mutated VLP-based vaccines, 2023
• Master thesis, Depletion of Tregs enhances T cells reactivity, 2022
• Master thesis, Development of virus-like particles-based vaccines against MERS virus., 2020
• Master thesis, Comparison of the immunological properties between rod and round shaped CCMV virus-like particles, 2019

• Vaccines
• Journal of Translational Medicine
• Nature Communications
• Nature Reviews Bioengineering
• Viruses
• Cells

• Date of Birth: 07/16/78
• Marital Status: Married. Swiss citizenship under processing.

• Vaccines Young Investigator award, Vaccines Journal (MDPI), 2024
• Poster award, SSAI Annual Congress, 2019
• Master research project award, Qatar University, 2015

• Switzerland, The 2nd International Electronic Conference on Vaccines, A session chair and organiser, 2024
• Switzerland, SSAI 2024 Geneve, Oral presentation, 2024
• Switzerland, SSAI 2023 Bern, organizer/speaker/moderator, 2023
• Czech Republic, EAACI, Poster, 2022
• Switzerland, WIRM, Poster, 2021
• Switzerland, SSAI ANNUAL CONGRESS, Oral presentation, 2021
• Switzerland, WIRM, Poster, 2019
• Switzerland, SSAI ANNUAL CONGRESS, Poster, 2019
• Switzerland, Modern vaccines adjuvants and delivery system, Oral presentation, 2019
• Switzerland, Virus-like particles vaccines, Oral presentation, 2018
• Qatar, Cancer immunotherapy workshop 2018, Oral presentation, 2018
• Singapore, Virus-like particles & nano-particle vaccines, Oral presentation, 2017
• Italy, 11th ENII Summer School, Poster, 2016

Outside the lab, I enjoy belly dancing as both a sport and a creative way to relieve stress, which helps me maintain balance and well-being.

• In just six years of academia, I have published over 50 original and review papers, including 18 as the corresponding author. Many of my publications have appeared in high-impact journals such as Journal of Immunotherapy of Cancer, iScience (Cell Press), Allergy, New England Journal of Medicine and NPJ Vaccines (Nature Publishing Group).
• I am the founder and CEO of DeepVax GmbH, a research-based biomedical company and spin-off University of Bern. Established in July 2018 and headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, DeepVax focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of innovative therapies for cancer treatment and chronic diseases. I have filed a European Patent Application (No. 22152314.5) through Unitectra.
• My personal achievements explain the delay in my career progression as a mother of four children. My son, 27, holds an MBA from Aberdeen University, and my three daughters (25, 21, and 20) are pursuing studies in International Business and Medicine in Qatar. Having founded my family, I am fully dedicated now to my research career and not focused on family expansion. I pursued my master’s and PhD studies later in life due to traditional cultural expectations in Qatar, which led to my marriage at the age of 18.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I was appointed as the head of the Corona Preclinical Development Team in Prof. Bachmann's lab, where I led the team with dedication and contributed as the corresponding author on several publications. This experience reinforced my commitment to advancing scientific research and public health initiatives.