I am a professor of RNA Biochemistry at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Philipps University Marburg. After completing my studies in Biology at Justus Liebig University Giessen, I obtained my PhD from the University of Lübeck, focusing on transcriptional regulation, chromatin structure, and RNA transport. Following that, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin and the Institute of Biochemistry at the Free University Berlin. During this time, my research focused on silencing mechanisms in yeast and the application and development of RNA interference and LNA technologies in various pain models. After joining UMR, I initially held the position of an Academic Senior Councillor and later became a professor in the research group led by Prof. Roland K. Hartmann. My research initially centered around cancer research, specifically investigating the role of miRNAs in the regulation of the oncogenic kinase Pim-1. More recently, I have been extensively studying the broad-spectrum antiviral effects of rocaglates, such as Silvestrol, and analyzing the inhibition mechanism of rocaglates (RNA clamping) on the RNA helicase eIF4A.
