Christian Lüscher

Professor Christian Lüscher is leading the research project VARIANT at the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering since October 2026.

VARIANT (Vulnerability And Resilience In Addiction: Integrating Epigenetics, Synapses, Circuits, and Trajectories) aims to uncover the behavioural and molecular mechanisms that determine why some individuals are vulnerable to addiction while others remain resilient. By identifying and potentially reversing harmful changes in the brain, the project seeks to pave the way for personalized, precision treatments for addiction.

Professor Lüscher is a neurologist and Full Professor in the Department of Basic Neurosciences at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), and a physician in the Neurology Service at Geneva University Hospitals (HUG). His research focuses on the brain circuits underlying addiction, with a particular interest in the mechanisms that drive motivated behaviour.

His research has revealed how addictive substances such as cocaine alter synaptic plasticity and reshape neural circuits within the brain’s reward system. A pioneer in the use of technologies such as optogenetics and deep brain stimulation, he investigates how these tools can help uncover the mechanisms of addiction and identify new therapeutic approaches. His contributions to addiction neuroscience have been recognized with numerous scientific awards.