After studying biochemistry, I started my scientific career in the field of cancer epigenetics and investigated the origins of epigenetic changes in tumorous neuroendocrine cells. One major discovery was, that the methylation status of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN works as a prognostic factor in malignant melanoma. I finished my german Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) and reached out to America to start my first Postdoc.
Arrived in Los Angeles I continued my research in cancer epigenetics. My research was focused on the epigenetic changes caused by ionizing radiation. The project, which was partly funded by the department of defense, revealed, that in cell culture experiments an acute gamma and “chronic” ultraviolet radiation causes no changes in the DNA methylation pattern on a genome-wide level (published). Nevertheless, in unpublished data, we discovered that a long-term treatment with gamma radiation causes indeed changes in the DNA methylation pattern. In detail, we found a DNA hypomethylation in a long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA). The function of this lincRNA is unknown. Sad, but before I got a chance to bring a bit light into this riddle, I left the lab and the field to open and shape up my scientific knowledge.
I did research in the field of cancer immunotherapeutics and tumor immunology and investigated the role of the transcription factor STAT3 in B cell lymphoma. Since March 2016, I joined Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. LA Cell to work on very advanced cancer drugs.
From 2016 to 2017 I worked one year in an industry environment at Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. subsidiary LA Cell to work on a new cancer drugs.
Since March 2017 I am working on my transition to work in my long last passion of space biology.