Summary

My research group aims to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities of hematopoietic and gastrointestinal cancers. We are studying genetic alterations and cancer cell intrinsic factors as well as the dynamic interactions between cancer cells and their immune microenvironment, ultimately to develop combinatorial therapies with increased efficacy. 
I head the Transgenic Technology and Cancer Therapy Model Unit (TCTM) which offers a range of services: generation of novel mouse models (knock-in, knockout and conditional) for cancer modelling and reverse translation, including the rapid generation of TCR knock-in mice; generation of standardized subcutaneous and orthotopic transfer-based cancer models for therapy testing.
In all these efforts, we closely collaborate with other DKTK groups and groups at the DKFZ.

Future research aims include the in-depth characterization of protective T cell responses during lymphoma evolution. We will dissect post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms of lymphoma resilience and conduct screens for novel immune escape mechanisms as well as subtype-specific vulnerabilities. We aim to characterize the roles of B cells in pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the overall context of cancer - immune cell interactions. Furthermore, we will continue to generate novel cancer models for therapy testing.