About us

We are a sensing and monitoring lab based in Switzerland at the University of Bern, embedded within the Diabetes Center Berne and the Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine, and Metabolism at Bern University Hospital. The samlab is led by Prof. Dr. Lilian Witthauer and works at the interface of biomedical engineering, physics, and clinical research. Our research focuses on developing sensing technologies for the diagnosis and management of metabolic and chronic diseases, with a particular emphasis on diabetes. We work on new sensor materials, optical and electronic measurement concepts, and data-driven analysis methods, aiming to enable robust and clinically meaningful monitoring of physiological and metabolic processes. Our approach is inherently interdisciplinary, combining functional nanomaterials, optical spectroscopy and imaging, embedded sensing systems, and machine-learning-based signal analysis. A central aspect of our work is the close link between sensor development and real-world application, spanning benchtop characterization as well as preclinical and translational studies. A solid understanding of the underlying physical, chemical, and physiological mechanisms is essential to our research. We therefore place strong emphasis on quantitative experiments, mechanistic insight, and rigorous validation, working closely with clinicians and clinical researchers. If you are interested in developing next-generation sensing technologies for precision metabolic medicine, we invite you to explore our research projects and join our interdisciplinary environment.