Expert panel: Bertrand Rochat (University of Lausanne)

General interest

Bertrand expert panel pageIn 1997, Bertrand Rochat obtained his PhD in Science at the University of Lausanne, continuing his academic career with various post-doc periods in France, the USA and Scotland. Bertrand has published original articles in analytical chemistry, MS, drug delivery and drug and peptide metabolism.

From 2001–2003, he worked as lab head in the department of Pre-Clinical Safety at Novartis Pharma in Switzerland. Since 2003, Bertrand Rochat has been in charge of the MS Facility at the University Hospital of Lausanne (Switzerland). He assists medical doctors and biologists in their research and, in parallel, conducts his own research.

Currently the focuses of his work are 1) the implementation of a routine metabotyping analysis (targeted metabolomics) for clinical research purposes, 2) the quantitative determination of native peptides by LC-MS in biological matrices and 3) hepatic or intratumoral drug metabolism of anticancer agents such as protein kinase inhibitors. Bertrand is currently a member of the Scientific Committee of the MSACLEU.

Short interview

1. What are your main areas of interest within bioanalysis?

  • Peptide analysis at in vivo (picomolar) levels.
  • Implement high resolution MS in Quan or Quan/Qual routine analysis.
  • Implement targeted metabolomics (metabotyping) analysis in a clinical environment.

2. Describe your current role in under 20 words.

  • Head of a LC-MS facility in a University hospital for basic and clinical research projects.

3. How many years of experience do you have in the bioanalytical field?

20 years.

4. What was the subject of your college major/undergraduate degree?

In vivo and in vitro biotransformations of the enantiomers of citalopram, a new antidepressive drug: enzymology and clinical implications.

5. How many organizations have you worked at?

1  private company and 5 academic labs since my PhD degree.

6. How many countries have you worked in?

4 countries : USA, UK France and Switzerland.

7. How many languages do you speak?

2 (fluently): French (mother) and English.

8. How many papers have you published in total?

41:  review or original article in peer reviewed journal ; 2 book chapters.

9. Which conferences have you attended in the past year?

American Society of Mass Spectrometry.

10. Which countries have you visited in the past year?

Germany, France, Austria, USA, Canada.

12. Make mine a … (favourite drink)

Depends !

13. If I weren’t a bioanalyst I would be… (alternative career)

Musician (clarinetist)

14. You’d be surprised to know that I…

I am an artist !