Our People

Researcher profiles

Science May 16, 2024

The surveyor of cellular proteins

Fabian Coscia combines mass spectrometry at the single-cell level, artificial intelligence, microscopy and robotics to search for the proteins in cells that are responsible for serious diseases such as cancer – and that can make them resistant to therapies. His hope: to save lives.

Science August 22, 2023

The discoverer of hearts

Science has something exploratory about it, says Norbert Hübner. You never know exactly where you are heading. Despite this, cartographic works are the focus of his interest: the researcher creates atlases of the human heart. And amongst other things, he uses them to understand heart conditions better.

Science July 31, 2023

The behavior analyzer

Behavior can be observed in the brain. Swedish neuroscientist Hanna Hörnberg looks for the molecular and cellular changes that occur in the nerve cells of people with depression or neurodevelopmental conditions – and hopes to create new basic knowledge that can help diagnosis and guide support needs.

Science April 28, 2023

A pioneer in immune cell rejuvenation

Cells continually renew themselves by “digesting” unused cellular material. This mechanism is called autophagy – an area in which immunologist Katja Simon has specialized. She has devised ways to use it to slow down the aging of immune cells.

Science February 22, 2023

The salt scientist

Dominik Müller investigates how lifestyle affects the molecular regulation processes in the body – such as how a high-sodium diet impacts the immune system and cardiovascular health. In doing so, he deliberately transcends the boundaries between disciplines.

Science January 31, 2023

The cartographer of life

Muscle cells are very good at repairing damage. But if this fails, stem cells step in to regenerate the tissue. Carmen Birchmeier investigates the molecular signaling pathways that underlie these and other vital mechanisms.

Thoralf Niendorf hält die Nachbildung eines Herzen in der erhobenen Hand

Science December 16, 2022

The image-maker

When physicist Thoralf Niendorf encounters the impossible, it spurs his creativity. Using ultra high-resolution MRI technology, he peers deeper and deeper into healthy and diseased tissue. He develops novel methods that visualize biological processes within the cell.

Science October 31, 2022

A trailblazer in protein recycling

Ubiquitin is everywhere. The protein regulates a vital cellular recycling system and plays a crucial role in health and disease. Thomas Sommer is investigating the molecular basis for its functioning, hoping to lay the scientific foundation for future therapies.

Science September 08, 2022

The gene virtuoso

Klaus Rajewsky’s life reads like a chronicle of immunogenetics. He grasped the opportunities offered by radical changes in molecular biology. He established standard methods for researching gene functions and diseases like cancer. And he continues to contribute to our understanding of antibody-producing B cells.

Science July 06, 2022

The modeler of life

Jana Wolf draws on experimental data and the growing knowledge of cellular mechanisms to translate disease processes into mathematical models. Her models aim to represent the complexity of life as realistically as possible and to help develop therapies that are precisely tailored to the patient.

More researcher profiles

What motivates our female researchers? Learn more about their career paths and their passion for research.

Celebrating women in STEM

Watch our videos: Seven women, seven careers – one conclusion: women who are passionate about science should just go for it. Because if you keep going, no obstacle will be insurmountable.

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The Max Delbrück Center is committed to providing an attractive work environment for all employees – with outstanding infrastructure, collaboration with leading researchers, and with a vibrant community. Our series introduces you to the diverse people who make this happen.

Science July 26, 2024

A practical test for postdocs

For some researchers, a career in industry would never be an option. Others appreciate the practical relevancy of working at a company. Postdocs at the Max Delbrück Center can find out which path is right for them through the “Academy meets Industry” program.

Institute & Campus July 10, 2024

Max Delbrück Center honors our silent heroes

At the Max Delbrück Center summer party, employees Daniela Dixon, Matthias Runow and Ingrid Ziegenhagen won this year’s Silent Hero Award. The award recognizes the commitment of employees whose hard work behind the scenes keeps our research running smoothly.

Institute & Campus June 07, 2024

Mentoring: a boost for your career

Without great scientists, there is no great research. For this reason, the Max Delbrück Center supports young researchers and science managers through various mentoring programs – both internally and externally. In this installment of “We at MDC,” mentees and mentors talk about their experiences.

Institute & Campus May 24, 2024

Greening the Lab: Together for Sustainability

Christian Panetzky is on a mission to make the Max Delbrück Center more sustainable. For our "We at the MDC" series, the new Sustainability Coordinator shares his ideas and how he plans to motivate colleagues to get involved.

Institute & Campus April 30, 2024

Running together — training together

Eliska Fürst organizes the running teams representing the Max Delbrück Center in the 5 x 5 km TEAM relay in the Tiergarten in mid-May. The biologist loves running and, as she reveals in our “We at the MDC” series, wants to establish a running culture at the center.

Institute & Campus February 28, 2024

Our everyday heroes

In addition to their work at the Max Delbrück Center, many people from research and administration volunteer their time. For "We at the MDC," six everyday heroes tell us how they help others and strengthen the community in their free time.

Institute & Campus January 15, 2024

Apply now: Vocational training in research

The Max Delbrück Center doesn’t just offer exciting career prospects for scientists: Here, young people can also pursue a wide variety of vocational training pathways. We’d like to introduce four of our trainees: an animal caretaker, an office manager, and two biology lab technicians.

Institute & Campus December 21, 2023

Supporting trainees right from the start

About 30 young people are currently pursuing vocational training or a dual-study program at the Max Delbrück Center. Christiane Busch is one of their instructors. She welcomes the trainees, supports them during their time at the Max Delbrück Center, and finally sends them off into professional life.

Science December 21, 2023

Three questions for Ulrika Beitnere

Ulrika Beitnere joined the Max Delbrück Center as a senior scientist in Maike Sander’s group, re-establishing the lab and uncovering mechanisms in diabetes. Previously, she worked at UC Davis on a rare disorder called Angelman syndrome. Helmholtz Monthly spoke to her for its “1 in 45,000” series.

Institute & Campus December 08, 2023

“I gained self-confidence in New York”

Working in Berlin-Mitte and New York – Lena Nitsch conducts research at both the MDC-BIMSB and New York University. For “We at the MDC”, the doctoral student discusses how it is to work in two labs, her experiences in the United States, and what she has learned through the “MDC-NYU PhD Exchange Program”.

Further articles

In our interview format "Lunch Break" we talk to young scientists about their path to the Max Delbrück Center, their interests and much more.

© Felix Petermann, MDC

Science and art have a lot in common, at least when you look at it from Anita Waltho's perspective. In the second episode of “LUNCH BREAK“, she talks cellular trash, creativity in science and Berlin-Brandenburg's lakes.

© Felix Petermann, MDC

Ian Erik Stewart doesn't like to completely give up work in his free time. Together with other scientists, he founded "EDGE" - an organisation dedicated to make neuroscience understandable through art. He reveals more in our new "Lunch Break" video series.

Press Release No. 26 September 03, 2024 Berlin

New in Berlin: tumor immunologist Johannes Huppa

Johannes Huppa has taken up the professorship for tumor immunology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin as of September 1. The T-cell receptor expert will also conduct research at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin-Buch and the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK).

Science June 27, 2024

Growing vascularized organs on a chip

Organ-on-a-chip technologies can serve as models of human biology. But they have been limited by the inability to grow them with a vascular system. Bioengineer Professor Milica Radisic will begin a three-year fellowship at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin-Buch to take on the challenge.

Science September 26, 2023

Following cells on their path to development

It borders on the miraculous how an entire animal emerges from a single egg cell. In order to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, Markus Mittnenzweig is establishing the Computational and Developmental Biology Lab at the Max Delbrück Center.

Science May 31, 2023

Welcome, Sarah Hedtrich!

Sarah Hedtrich heads a guest group at the Max Delbrück Center. The Johanna Quandt Professor at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) is working on organ-on-a-chip models to develop new treatment options for rare hereditary and inflammatory skin and lung diseases.

Science May 31, 2023

Unwinding clues to disease in DNA’s 3D structure

The Robson lab at the Max Delbrück Center will be studying how the 3D structure of chromatin controls genes during development and in disease. Leveraging novel single cell methods, they will look at muscular dystrophies and retinal disease. Both seem to be linked to mutations that disrupt the function of non-coding DNA.

Science May 31, 2023

Protecting and repairing neurons

She wants to uncover the mechanisms behind inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases, while also developing new therapeutic approaches and testing them in clinical trials. With these goals in mind, Frederike Cosima Oertel is launching the Translational Neuroimmunology Lab at the ECRC.

Deborah Schmidt vor dem MDC-Hauptgebäude.

Institute & Campus December 15, 2022

Pixels with stories to tell

The Image Data Analysis Platform has a new leader in Deborah Schmidt. She and her team create software that processes and analyzes image data from biomedicine, material sciences, or environmental research – something that benefits the entire Helmholtz Association.

Institute & Campus October 27, 2022

The hidden talents of microglia

As a visiting lab leader, biologist Susanne Wolf will spend five years at the Max Delbrück Center researching how microglia change in psychiatric diseases – and how these cells help the diseases develop and progress. In doing so, Wolf hopes to identify new targets for medicines.

Science August 26, 2022

How cells sense their surroundings

Yoichiro Sugimoto has headed the MDC lab “Molecular mechanisms of environment sensing” since July 2022. His team investigates how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels in their environment and what role disturbances to this system play in certain diseases.

Science August 18, 2022

Cells gone astray

Daria Bunina has been the head of a new lab at the MDC since July 2022. Her team is researching how epigenetic factors affect cell differentiation. When errors in this process occur, cardiovascular diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders can result.

Further articles

In our series 'What are you reading right now?', scientists and staff members of the Max Delbrück Center give book recommendations.

Our book tips

Our professors shape the institute through their research and their work. We would like to maintain close ties and promote the exchange of former colleagues with active scientists.