PostDocs
Dr. Conradin Baumgartl (11/21-)
- Epigenetics of AAV episome using nanpore and CUT&Tag sequencing
- Interrogating nucleotide patterns in the AAV genome sequence
Dr. Jan Bieri (03/25-)
- Engineering of AAV capsids through rational design
- Hybrid virus design using AAV and B19V
Dr. Felix Bubeck (04/20-)
- Deciphering the impact of engineered ITR sequences on AAV vector production & function
- Alternative cargo modalities in AAV vectors
Dr. Deepak K. Gupta (03/23-)
- Analysis of AAV NGS Data
- Development of methods and bioinformatics pipelines for NGS Data analysis
Dr. Emre U. Kul (06/25-)
- Rational engineering and retargeting of AAV vectors for CNS gene therapy approaches
- Humanized experimental models to evaluate AAV tropism and translational relevance
Dr. Kristian Leite (03/22-)
- In vivo AAV library screens in major organs
Dr. Ning Meng (05/19-)
- Genetic code expansion using AAV vectors
- AAV vector retargeting through combinatorial peptide display
Dr. Olena Maiakovska (11/20-)
- Analysis of AAV next-generation sequencing data (Illumina, PacBio)
- Establishment of user-friendly AAV alignment and analysis tools
Dr. Kleopatra Rapti (XX/XX-)
- Directed evolution of AAV vectors in the liver, eye and kidney
- Experimental & bioinformatic high-throughput screening pipelines
Dr. Sergio D. M. Velasquez (07/22-)
- Development of novel gene therapy vectors derived from Bocarvirus
- Engineering of synthetic circuits to control bocavirus vector production
Dr. Man Xu (09/23-)
- Directed evolution of AAV vectors in the liver, eye and kidney
- Experimental & bioinformatic high-throughput screening pipelines
PhD students
Nico Fischer (10/20-)
- Combinatorial CRISPR/RNAi strategies against HBV/HDV
Heinz-Georg "Quique" Hildebrand (05/21-)
- AAV engineering for expression of broady neutralizing antibodies
Jixin Liu (01/22-)
- AAV Rep protein engineering
- AAV screening in the CNS and musculature
Sharon Portelli (06/25-)
- Elucidating the intracellular dynamics of Bocarvirus capsids as viral vectors
Yumi Sano (07/23-)
- Capsid engineering of bocavirus to improve transduction & identifying physicochemical properties of bocavirus
Technicians
Ellen Wiedtke (02/08-)
- all aspects of AAV production for internal and external use
Students
- Miguel Palma-Marques (2025)
- Christopher Hub (2025)
- Ante Mrkonjic (2025)
- Doris Zimmermann (2026)
- Jordan Dattero (2025)
- David Triebel (2025)
- Timur Bozkurt (2026)
- Linda Ruck (2025)
- Sophia Krastev (2025)
- Katya Georgieva (2025
- Julia Oesterle (2026)