Scientific Career

Scientifc Officer and project coordinator (Neuropediatrics Department) at the University Hospital Essen, Duisburg-Essen University
Head: Prof. Dr. med. Ulrike Schara

Research work area:

• investigation of the molecular cause of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases in children
• genotype-phenotype correlations
• coordination of NME-GPS: a project towards the better diagnostic management of neuromuscular patients

Project leader position (Bioanalytics Department) at the Leibniz-Institute of Analytical Sciences –ISAS– e.V., Dortmund 
Head: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. A. Sickmann

Research work area:

• development and application of proteomic strategies for the discovery of the etiology of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders
• biomarker discovery towards patient-classificationidentification and testing of modifier proteins of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders
• proteomics strategies towards the evaluation of ambiguous missense variants identified by next generation sequencing 
• identification of protein-protein interactions via affinity purification and mass spectrometry 
  

Further work areas:

• supervision of Postdoc, Master and PhD students
• developing molecular biological strategies and stable cell lines supporting mass spectrometric studies
  
• method optimization for protein extraction out of skeletal and cardiac muscle
• represent the institute on strategy meetings, conferences and in the “Landtag” (federal state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)

Position as Scientific Officer at the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre (JWMDRC) at the Institute of Genetic Medicine; Newcastle University
Principal Investigators:
Prof. Dr. Kate Bushby, Prof. Dr. Rita Horvath, Prof. Dr. Hanns Lochmüller, Prof. Dr. Volker Straub

Research work area:

• development and application of strategies for the discovery of the etiology of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders
• biomarker discovery towards patient-classification
• identification and testing of modifier proteins of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders
• testing of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of patients suffering from neuromuscular disorders
  

Further work areas:

• supervision of Postdoc, Master and PhD students
  
• mass spectrometric studies towards translational medicine
• represent the JWMDRC on strategy meetings and conferences
  

Project leader position, Institute of Neuropathology; RWTH Aachen University Hospital
Head: Prof. Dr. med. J. Weis

Research work area: 

• Study the role of protein quality control and proteolysis in the etiology of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders
• Young Scientist grant “START” of RWTH Aachen University Hospital
• Grant of Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS): Etiology of Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (MSS) endophenotypes
  

Leader of the Molecular Diagnostic laboratory of the Institute of Neuropathology; 
RWTH Aachen University Hospital
Head: Prof. Dr. med. J. Weis

Work area: 

• supervision and troubleshooting in genetic testing (PCR and sequencing) of patients suffering from neuropathies/ myopathies with clinical genotype-phenotype-correlations
• evaluation of somatic mutations and promotor methylation in glioblastoma and astrocytoma
  
• evaluation of diagnostic immunoblots in diagnostic management of myopathic patients
  

Further work areas: 

• teaching of students
• supervision of Master, MD and PhD students
  
• S1 biosafety inspector
  

Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Medical Biochemistry; University of Saarland, Homburg
Head: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. R. Zimmermann

Research work area: 

• Biochemistry of the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Doctoral Examination (Dr. rer. nat./ PhD) “magna cum laude”

Doctoral candidate, Institute of Human Genetics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital
Head: Prof. Dr. med. K.P. Zerres; 
Supervision: Prof. Dr. med. Jan Senderek
Postgraduate scholarship of RWTH Aachen University 

Research work area: 

• Molecular genetic and biochemical studies of recessive CMT-neuropathies

Further work areas: 

• supervision of Master and MD students
• fire safety inspector
• Clinical and experimental Molecular Genetics
• Clinical Genetics
  

Student research assistant, Institute of Human Genetics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital
Head: Prof. Dr. med. K.P. Zerres,
Supervision: Dr. rer. nat. Herdit Schüler

Work area:

• Clinical and experimental Cytogenetics

Studies of Biology at RWTH Aachen University

Main focus on Molecular Medicine: 

• Human Genetics
• Molecular Genetics
  
• Bacterial and Viral Genetics
• Molecular Pathology
• Microbiology
  

Graduation with Honors 1,0 (“Springorum-Denkmünze of RWTH Aachen University”)