Carmen Birchmeier

Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
13125 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 9406 2403
FAX: +49 30 9406 3765
http://www.mdc-berlin.de/~cbirch/
Objectives & Background
Our group is interested in the role of receptor protein tyrosine kinases during mouse embryonic development. We study this question by targeted mutagenesis of genes like c-met, the erbB receptors and others. Insights gained from null mutations of these genes have led to a new generation of experiments where we use the Cre-loxP technique to generate conditional tissue-specific gene knock-outs.
Education & Professional experience
Full Professor | Medical Faculty, FU-Berlin
2002 - present
Coordinator | MDC, Berlin
2002 – present. Coordinator of the MDC neuroscience program
Group leader | MDC, Berlin
1995 – present
Junior Group leader | MPG, Cologne
1989-1995, Junior Group Leader at the Max-Delbrück-Laboratory, MPG, Cologne
Postdoctoral training | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York
1984-1989 (since 1986 as staff scientist)
PhD training | University of Zurich
1980-1984, PhD
Studies in Biochemistry and Chemistry | University of Konstanz, UCSD (USA), and ETH Zurich
1974-1979
Publications
Selected (2003-2008)
Vasyutina, E., Lenhard, D. C., Wende, H., Erdmann, B., Epstein, J. A., and Birchmeier, C. (2007). RBP-J (Rbpsuh) is essential to maintain muscle progenitor cells and to generate satellite cells. PNAS 104, 4443-4448.
Gierl, M. S., Karoulias, N., Wende, H., Strehle, M., and Birchmeier, C. (2006). The zinc-finger factor Insm1 (IA-1) is essential for the development of pancreatic beta cells and intestinal endocrine cells. Genes Dev 20, 2465-2478.
Vasyutina, E., Stebler, J., Brand-Saberi, B., Schulz, S., Raz, E., and Birchmeier, C. (2005). CXCR4 and Gab1 cooperate to control the development of migrating muscle progenitor cells. Genes Dev 19, 2187-2198.
Borowiak, M., Garratt, A. N., Wustefeld, T., Strehle, M., Trautwein, C., and Birchmeier, C. (2004). Met provides essential signals for liver regeneration. PNAS 101, 10608-10613.
Birchmeier, C., Birchmeier, W., Gherardi, E., and Vande Woude, G. F. (2003). Met, metastasis, motility and more. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4, 915-925.
Teaching
- Supervision of 18 PhD students (9 graduated since 2003)
- PhD lecture series, MDC-Berlin
Miscellaneous
Honors & Awards
2002 Leibniz Award of the German Science Foundation
1989 Bennigsen Förderpreis des Landes Nordrhein-Westfahlen
1984-86 Fellowship of the Swiss Natl. Science Foundation
Editorial Board
2004 Editor ‘Developmental Biology’
2002 Editor European Journal of Biochemistry
Memberships & Duties
2004- Deputy Speaker of the SFB 665 'Developmental Disturbances of the Brain'
2004- Member of the 'Wissenschaftskommission Niedersachsen'
2002-06 Member of the Advisory Board (Life Sciences, Genomics and Biotechnology for Health) for the EU 6th framework program
2002-03 Member of the 'Council of Scientists of the Human Frontier Science Program'
2000-06 Member of the advisory board of the Helsinki Biocenter
2000-04 Member of the 'Senatsausschuss für die Angelegenheiten der SFBs' of the German Science Foundation (DFG)

