One Health Microbial Evolution Lab
Head of the Group
Charlotte Avanzi is originally from France and holds a PharmD and a Master’s degree specialized in in vitro diagnostics from Grenoble. She completed her PhD at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, where her research focused on the genomics and evolution of leprosy bacilli, and subsequently carried out a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mycobacteria Research Laboratories (MRL) at Colorado State University, where she was trained in mycobacterial genetics and developed molecular methods to assess the viability of leprosy bacilli.
On June 16, 2025 she was appointed Associate Professor One Health with focus in Evolution by the University of Zurich. This position holds dual affiliations both with the Faculty of Medicine as well as the Vetsuisse Faculty.
Main Focuses
Charlotte and her team investigate the evolution, transmission, and drug resistance of the leprosy bacilli through a One Health framework that couples modern and ancient samples across human, animal, and environmental systems. Their work includes the development and application of molecular approaches to support drug discovery and to improve tools for diagnostics and monitoring treatment efficacy in patients.