Alumni

PhDs, MScs/Postdocs, BSc/Interns, Translational Projects, Alumni before 2018

Graduated PhDs

	Benedikt Baumgartner, né Winkler (PhD 2024) Ben joined us in 2019 as a Boehringer-Ingelheim PhD scholar to pioneer one-photon, singlet-manifold (biocompatible) photoswitching in the NIR for photocontrolling biological activity in deep tissues (ChemSci; ChemRxiv; ChemRxiv); and along the way, pioneered high-performance fluorophores (Patent 5). These are the foundation stones for our Photochemistry 2035 program. Ben took his PhD summa cum laude in 2024 and is now a scientist with Carl Zeiss. Congratulations Ben!
	Dr. Jan Felber (PhD 2023) Jan had joined us in 2018 for his MSc, did a stint at Bayer, and returned for his PhD. Jan developed disulfide-based redox probes as a new chemical space of bioreductive prodrugs (JACS, NatComm, Chem, Pat.1, Pat.2, JACS Au, ACS Cent Sci; Römer MSc prize, Studienstiftung PhD scholar, CeNS Innovation prize, N.a.d.C. 2024). After a PhD externship with Ben Cravatt at Scripps, Jan took his PhD summa cum laude in 2023 and moved to an R&D position in med chem industry. Congratulations Dr. Jan!
	Dr. Alexander Sailer (PhD 2022) Alex brought the hemithioindigo photoswitch into cells at last. He started his PhD in 2018, developing hemithioindigos to modulate microtubule dynamics and function (CBC 2019, BJOC 2020, ACIE 2021), and TRP reagents (coming in 2023). After a PhD externship with Dirk Trauner at NYU, Alex took his PhD summa cum laude in 2022, and went back to the Trauner lab to postdoc. Congratulations Dr. Alex!
	Dr. Adrian Müller-Deku (PhD 2022) Adrian built up the organic synthesis in our group. He started his PhD in late 2017, tackling photoswitchable taxanes (NatComm 2020, ACIE 2021) then broadening into membrane lipids (NanoPhot 2022) and methodology (JOC 2022). He also initiated our weekly Synthesis Denksports. He resoundingly demonstrated his OC mastery at his PhD defence in 2022, then took a position in the scientific division of a management consultancy firm. Congratulations Dr. Adi!
	Dr. Li Gao (PhD 2021) Li was the group's first PhD student, starting in 2017 and getting our research off the ground. He tackled photoswitchable tubulin inhibitors (EurJMC 2020, Cell Chem Biol 2021, ACIE 2021, JACS 2022, OBC 2022) and sidelined in topoisomerase inhibitors. He graduated summa cum laude in 2021, winning the GDCh/DPhG PhD Prize in Medicinal Chemistry and the EFMC People's Choice award, and moved to an R&D position at Roche Penzberg. Congratulations Dr. Li!
	Lena Poczka (Dr. med. 2021) Lena did her Dr. med. thesis with us in 2020-2021 on redox biology (NatComm 2022, JACS 2021, Chem 2022; FöFoLe/GRK2338 MD/PhD scholar) before continuing her medical studies. Congratulations Dr. med. Lena!
	Dr. Yvonne Kraus (PhD 2021) Yvonne tackled the biology in our microtubule photopharmaceutical programme (CBC 2019, BJOC 2020, EurJMC 2020, NatComm 2020, Cell Chem Biol 2021, OBC 2022) and took her PhD in 2021. Congratulations Dr. Yvonne!

OC-F / MSc → PhD within the group

Alexander Wiegand did his OC-F Prak on redox probes with Jan in 2022 (paper 43) then did 2 HiWis with Ben and Martin on photochemistry in 2023-2024 (papers 45 and 46 and patent 51). He returns as a PhD student from 2025: congratulations Alexander! Jan Philip Prohaska did his OC-F Prak with Markus in 2022, on photochemically rapid dyes. He returns as a PhD student from 2024: congrats Jan! Carina Schmitt returned after her OC-F Prak to take her Chem MSc with us in 2021, on chemical-genetic photocontrol reagents. She returned as a PhD student from 2022: congrats Carina! Philipp Mauker took his Chem MSc with us in 2019, on cell-permeation control systems. He returned as a PhD student from 2020: congrats Philipp! Lukas Zeisel took his Chem MSc with us in 2019 on selenium-based probes. He returned as a PhD student from 2020: congrats Lukas! Jan Felber took his Chem MSc with us in 2018, on sulfur-based probes. He returned as a PhD student from 2018: congrats Jan!

MScs, Postdocs and scholars

Julia Brandmaier (LMU Prosa scholar) did her MSc with us in 2023-2024 in the synthesis and biochemistry of redox-triggered immunomodulator prodrugs (LMU Central Research Prize for outstanding MSc), then => HiWi'd on imaging agents, then immediately landed a scientist job in pharma industry. Congratulations Julia! Nynke Vepřek postdoc'd with us in 2022-2023 on photochemically-activated ligations and controlled cellular permeability reagents (paper 50) before joining industry. Congratulations Nynke! Michaela Colling-Kaltenegger did her MSc with us in 2022-2023 towards photochemically-activated bioorthogonal tetrazine ligation chemistries. Congratulations Michaela! Ewen Lelias did a post-MSc internship with us in 2022-2023 in biochemistry and cell biology of heterobifunctional photochemical reagents, then started his PhD in Belgium. Dr. Martin Maier (Merck Innovation Cup winner, 2021) worked with us from 2020-2022. He took over leadership of the CytoSwitch translational research project in 2021, and also ran synthetic chemistry for HDAC inhibitors and redox-active probes (papers 39, 38, 32, 30, 19). He then moved to chemical industry. Congratulations and a huge thankyou, Martin!
Elena Fajardo-Ruiz worked with us in 2021 on the biology of tubulin inhibitors (paper 29), and is now doing her PhD in Biology at the LMU. Dominik Lonken took his Pharma MSc with us in 2020, on microtubule alkylator biochemistry, and is now doing his PhD in Hamburg. Evangelia Ntouliou did a bio imaging scholarship with us in 2020, on photoswitches to control microtubule dynamics (paper 18). Bekkah Hammar did her Pharma BSc and internships with us in 2017-2018, on MRI-active and fluorescent nanoparticles; in 2019 she completed an outstanding MSc on tubulin biochemistry (papers 13, 15, 18), and she is now doing her PhD in Uppsala, Sweden. Great work Bekkah!
Dr. med. Magdalena Scheck joined us in 2019 for an interim scholarship in cell biology and collaborated to publish on viral infection quantification (paper 24) before returning to medical studies. Congrats & all the best Magi! Dr. Kristina Loy postdoc’d with us in 2019 on redox biology and tubulin stabilisers (paper 15), and now works in cancer diagnostics at the Munich Leukemia Laboratory. Well done Kristina! Franziska Ermer researched anti-angiogenic and in vivo applications of tubulin inhibitors with us from 2018-2019 (papers 7, 13), then entered private veterinary practice. Sonja Rieth took her M.Sc with us in 2018-2019, on new topoisomerase inhibitor scaffolds, then moved to Konstanz for PhD studies in chemical biology with Andi Marx. Kasia Panczyk, MSc completed a DAAD scholarship with us in 2019, synthesising new scaffolds and photoswitches for TRP channels. She is now a lecturer in Krakow.

Interns and BSc

2023-2024
Hannah von Schwerin returned in 2024 for more => HiWi with Philipp on chelators and cages. Alexander Wiegand returned in 2024 for more => HiWi work, now completing our photoredox and sensitisation papers, and fluorescence patent. Congratulations! Lara Miletic returned for more => HiWi with Carina in 2024 on photocages. Amaury Laporte (ENS Paris) interned with Martin in 2024 on photoswitches. Sina Reger did a HiWi with Philipp in 2023 on fluorogenic probes. Sina Wolff did a HiWi with Philipp in 2023 on cell-retained probes.
2022-2023
Alexander Wiegand did his OC-F-Prak on redox probes with Jan in 2022 (paper 43), => HiWi'd with Ben on photochemistry in 2023, then did his MSc at the Carreira group at ETH Zürich. Hannah von Schwerin (Pharma StEx) did a voluntary internship with Philipp in 2023 on fluorogenic probes and photochemistry, later returning as a => HiWi. Mohamed Maher Mouzayek did a Pharmacy internship with Carina in 2023, on photocages. Tobias Landmann F-Prak'd with Martin in 2022-23 on fragment-based probe development. Julia Gaisbauer F-Prak'd with Philipp in 2022 on photocaged protein relocalising agents.
2022
Lara Miletic did an F-Prak with Philipp in 2022 on calcium probes (=> HiWi). Jannick Gehring did OC-F with Lukas in 2022 on selenol alkylators. Dmitrii Iuzabchuk did an AMGEN internship with Markus in 2022 on dark fluorophores. Adam Knirsch did an AMGEN internship with Martin in 2022 on PROTAC-style heterobifunctionals. Galina Shilova did a high school internship with Carina in 2022, via the Chemistry Olympiads. Jürgen Kuch did OC-F with Philipp in 2022, on photochemically triggered inhibitors (paper 50).
Christoph Lauer did OC-F with Martin in 2022, on fluorogenic tubulin probes. Jan Philip Prohaska did OC-F with Markus in 2022, on photochemically rapid dyes. Tobias Kernmayr did OC-F with Philipp in 2022, synthesising cell retention probes. Mikhail Vinokur interned with Lukas in 2022, controlling redox gene expression. Vincent Knapp did an OC-F-Praktikum with Ben in 2022, on fluorescent conjugates.
2021
Michaela Colling-Kaltenegger did her OC-F-Praktikum with Markus in 2021 on NIR dyes. She returned in 2022 for her => MSc. Well Done! Julia Brandmeier did her Pharm Sci BSc with Philipp in 2021 on phosphorus-based probes. She returned in 2023 for her => MSc. Congratulations! Sabrina Doerrich did her F-Prak with Lukas in 2021 on redox probe chemotypes. Mikey Mertens did his F-Prak with Alex in 2021 on colchicinoids.
2020
Carina Schmitt did a great Chem F-Prak with Lukas in 2020 on redox then returned for => MSc and => PhD. Julia Rauh did her Chem F-Prak with Jan in 2020 on redox probes. Paula Ruppel was a TS Group member since her 3rd semester in 2018: joining our group meetings, HiWi-ing, & doing a Pharma BSc on redox with Jan in 2020. Katja Fusser did a Chem F-Prak with Ben in 2020 on photoredox linker systems. András Telek did his Chemistry F-Praktikum with Markus in 2020 on super chromophores.
2019
Linda Pettersson HiWi'd with Alex in 2019 on tubulin switches (paper 20). Simon Wanner did a BSc with Li in 2019 on cytotoxic SBTs. Annika Tölke did an F-Praktikum with Adi in 2018-2019 on photoredox switches. Fabian Heck did an F-Praktikum with Alex in 2019 on tubulin inhibitors. Ruchira Shah, MSc joined as a CeNS Scholar in 2018-19, on topoisomerases.
2018 - 2019
Vicky Valsamidou joined Jan for a Chemistry F-Prak on redox cyclers in 2019. Ferdinand Kiss joined Li for an F-Prak on topoisomerase inhibitors in 2018. Rakan Saeb BSc'd with Li in 2018-2019 on topoisomerase inhibitors. Sebastian Novosedlik F-Prak'd with Alex in 2018 on water-soluble switches. Nurunnisa Özyürek & Nesrin Hamou make cyclic switches with Adi in 2018.
2018
Kati Scherr did a synthesis HiWi with Li in 2018 on topoisomerase inhibitors. Christina Wichmann did a synthesis HiWi with Jan in 2018 on redox triggers. Marc Wegert did a synthesis HiWi with Adi in 2018 on photoswitchable toxins. Ruben Sachsse did a BSc in 2018 on the biology of photoswitchable toxins. Jonas Habdank joined Adi in 2018 for a BSc on photoswitchable toxins.

Spinoff Projects

NanoCapture, 2017-2022
Dr. Annabel Kitowski (NanoCapture, 2020-2022) moved to biotech at Tubulis. Constanze Heise, BTA (NanoCapture, 2018-2022) moved to biotech in Berlin. Dr. Petar Marinkovic (NanoCapture lead, 2017-2021) moved to biotech at Immunic Therapeutics. Dr. Jasmin Kuhn (NanoCapture, 2020) moved to pharma industry with Celgene. Monique Preusse, BTA (NanoCapture, 2019-20) moved to Helmholtz Virology. Dr. Danica Bajic (NanoCapture, 2020) moved to biotech with DSM. Dr. Stefanie Sperling (NanoCapture, 2019-20) moved to biotech with Bavaria Nordic. Dr. Kathrin Klar (NanoCapture, 2019) moved to biotech with Medigene. Dr. Marina Fütterer (NanoCapture, 2017-19) moved to life sciences consultancy.

CytoSwitch, 2017 - 2020
Tilmann Petersen (CytoSwitch lead, 2019-20) moved to biotech with Amsilk. Dr. Yelena Wainman (CytoSwitch lead, 2017-19) moved to pharma/med tech consultancy. Dr. Wen-Hsin Liu (CytoSwitch, 2019-20). Dr. Marcel Klingenberg (CytoSwitch, 2019-20) moved to biotech with Eurofins. Dr. Elena Longhi (CytoSwitch, 2018-20) moved to chemical research in Italy. Dr. Doris Mangelberger (CytoSwitch, 2017-18) moved to toxicology with MorphoSys.

Group Members / Interns 2016-2017