since 2020 DIRECTOR
Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany

  • Metabolic control of cell death signaling and its pharmacological modulation
2012 – 2019 RESEARCH GROUP LEADER DRUG DISCOVERY
Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany

  • Development of a chemical genetics drug discovery program
2010 – 2012 HEAD of TRANSGENIC CORE UNIT
German Research Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
2009 – 2010 LABORATORY HEAD
Bayer-Schering Pharma AG, Berlin, Germany

  • Global Drug Discovery – Transgenic and Specialized in vivo Pharmacology in Target Identification and Biomarker Research in Oncology
2005 – 2009 RESEARCH GROUP LEADER
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany

  • Dissecting the mechanisms of oxidative stress-induced cell death signaling using conditional knockout mouse and cell models

GUEST RESEARCHER
at Yamagata University, Tsuruoka, Japan (03-05/2007)

SENIOR RESEARCHER
at Karolinska Institute, Department of Oncology – Pathology Stockholm, Sweden (2005 – 2006) (Prof. A. Östman)

  • Lipid hydroperoxides as novel regulators of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling
2004 – 2005 PROJECT LEADER
Department of Comparative Medicine, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
2001 – 2004 POST-DOC
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany


1998 – 2001 PhD STUDENT
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology and Tumor Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany, and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
Thesis: “Generation of transgenic mice deficient for the selenoproteins mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase and phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) and characterization of a sperm nuclei-specific form of PHGPx”
1997 – 1998 MASTER of SCIENCE
Biology at University of Konstanz, Germany
Thesis: „Thymidylat-Synthase als Modellenzym für molekulare Adaptation an hochosmolare Umwelt“
1992 – 1997 STUDIES of BIOLOGY
University of Konstanz, Germany



2023 “ISI Highly Cited Award Biology and Biochemistry”
2022 “Member of the “Hinterzarten Circle on Cancer Research” of the German Research Foundation (DFG)”
2022 “ISI Highly Cited Award Cross-Field”
2021 “ISI Highly Cited Award Cross-Field”
2020 “Advisory Board Member of Molecular Cell”
2020 “ISI Highly Cited Award Cross-Field”
2020 “ERC Advanced Grant”
2017 “m4 Award (BioM – Munich)”
2012 “m4 Award (BioM – Munich)”
2007 “European Molecular Biology Laboratory”
2005 “Japan Society for the Promotion of Science”


November 2014 WO 2016075137 A1: Spiropyrazine derivatives as inhibitors of non-apoptotic regulated cell-death
July 2013 WO 2015007730 A1: Spiroquinoxaline derivatives as inhibitors of non-apoptotic regulated cell-death
February 2001 WO 2002072626 A2: Novel form of the PHGPx protein as a diagnostic marker for male infertility