Oertel Lab
Translational Neuroimmunology
Profile
We are a translational neuroimmunology lab at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the Max Delbrück Center and Charité Berlin. Combining animal models and clinical studies, we investigate neuroinflammatory disorders with emphasis on neuroprotection, imaging, and the visual system.
Neurodegeneration is the leading cause of functional decline in neuroinflammatory disorders. Initiated by neuroinflammation and/or demyelination, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroinflammatory disorders such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) undergo non-reversible neurodegeneration leading to major disability accrual. Although neuroinflammation and demyelination are targeted by existing or upcoming treatments, neurodegeneration can currently not be prevented or reversed. The goal of our lab is to identify characteristics of 1) neuronal vulnerability and of 2) innate immune cell activation that amplify neurodegeneration and can be therapeutically targeted. Our lab also contributes to 3) developing imaging markers for neurodegeneration in clinical trials.
The visual system offers a well-defined environment for these investigations due to various available innovative translational methods, a robust separation from nearby structures and clear structure-function-correlations. In our lab, we are combining advanced methods of preclinical (innovative mouse models, in vivo imaging, single-cell RNA sequencing) and clinical research (retinal imaging, artificial intelligence-based post-processing) in a unique translational approach to understand how we can reduce neurodegeneration and enhance neuroprotection in neuroinflammatory disorders.
Header image generated by DALL·E
Team
Group Leader
Optometrists
Lab Manager
Doctoral Students
Research Assistants
Visiting Researchers
Students
Alumni — Graduates
Hendrik Schulz, MSc (Master Thesis, Master’s Program in Optometry, BHT Berlin, Germany)
Johanna Reckzeh, BSc (Bachelor Thesis, Bachelor’s Program in Optometry, BHT Berlin, Germany)
Alumni — Research Assistants
Sarah Brückner, BSc (Master’s Program in Optometry, BHT Berlin, Germany)
Alumni — Visiting Researchers
Roua Hamdi, MSc (Visiting Researcher, University of Tunis Manar, Tunis, Tunisia)
Olumayowa Olawumi Igado, DVM, Ph.D. (Visiting Researcher & Postdoctoral Fellow, DFG-TWAS Program, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria)
Emilio López Varela, MSc (Visiting Researcher and PhD student, CITIC Research Center, Universidade da Coruña, Spain)
Alumni — Lab Rotations
Aleksandra Sakharova, MD (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Space Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Lisa Shah, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Molecular Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Julianna M Forbess, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Medical Neurosciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Pratishta P Wadnerkar, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Medical Neurosciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Elisa Nowak, Medical Student (Internship, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Zeynep Aydinalp, Medical Student (Lab Rotation, University Bahcesehir Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye)
Eugénie Rahier, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Neuroscience, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France)
Juliette C Pesch, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Molecular Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Laura K Ismajli, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Medical Neurosciences, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Gelsomina N Kaufhold, BSc (Lab Rotation, Master’s Program in Molecular Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany)
Publications
News
Join us
Are you a bachelor or master student looking for an internship or thesis project? Are you planning to pursue a dissertation (PhD, MD/PhD, Dr. med.) or a postdoctoral fellowship? Whether you come from a clinical, computational or biology/neuroscience background: If you are interested in implementing translational projects, please contact us by email to discuss ideas.
