Nationality: German
Background: I completed my M.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich in April 2026, focusing on cancer research, immunology, and data science, with two exchange semesters in Prague, Czech Republic, and Uppsala, Sweden. My thesis research led me to Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, where I developed my passion for proteins by leveraging a chemical proteomics method for protein structural research in cancer.
My research interests: Proteomics, single-cell analysis, systems biology, patient and cell heterogeneity, and using data science to investigate diseases like cancer.
My PhD goals: My project aims to develop a MIP-based workflow to isolate circulating tumour cells from liquid biopsies of Small Cell Lung Cancer patients and investigating them by single-cell proteomics. By joining this MSCA-DN, I am looking forward to connecting with like-minded researchers and to collaborating with partners all over Europe and beyond.
My hobbies: I enjoy being outside (with friends) to cycle, sail, hike, or swim. I also play the trumpet and the piano.
My project in MIPrecise: Single-cell multiomics in rare cell populations from liquid biopsies
Master thesis: Elucidating Protein Conformational Changes in Cancer Cells
The three-dimensional conformation of a protein determines its function in cells but has been difficult to study at a proteome-wide level. Conventional methods like X-ray crystallography often rely on protein purification and have a low throughput, missing out on a systems-level perspective. As an emerging field, structural proteomics aims to reveal the protein structures of the whole proteome while retaining native conditions. To achieve this goal, I applied a strategy that repurposed a chemical proteomics pan-cysteine reactive probe as a scouting tool to assess the accessibility of cysteine residues for modification. More specifically, I investigated how the accessibility of cysteines in cancer cell lines changed upon non-covalent stimuli, such as metabolites, calcium ions, or pH alterations. Building on a previous screen, we were able to discover a novel interaction between NAD+ and a potential cancer target, which I further validated by conventional structural biology methods and functional experiments.