Prof. Silke obtained his PhD at the Institut für Molekularbiologie II, University of Zürich, where he trained as a molecular biologist and has extensive experience in mouse models of disease and mouse genetics. Currently leads a research theme in the fields of inflammation and cell death and their intersection in various diseases including cancer. He uses genetic and molecular biology studies to understand signalling pathways that are directly relevant to cancer and inflammation with an eye to translating that knowledge into drugs, such as Smac-mimetics.