Immunology
Team IEB
Intestinal Epithelial Barrier in Autoimmune Diseases
The intestinal epithelium provides an essential selective barrier that permits passage of water, ions and nutrients, while limiting contact with harmful environmental toxins and preventing microbial contamination of interstitial tissues. Loss of intestinal barrier function is correlated with several autoimmune diseases. The main objective of the IEB group is to understand the molecular mechanisms of the interactions between intestinal epithelial barrier and immune cells in autoimmune diseases, in particular the interactions between dendritic cells and intestinal enterocytes. To this end, studies will involve use of conventional and high-throughput metagenomics, generation of intestinal organoids from murine and human subjects, isolation of immune cells and establishing a 3 dimensional In-vitro co-culture model to observe the intestinal epithelial barrier-immune cells interactions. Our final goal is to identify novel biomarkers and develop new therapeutic targets for intestinal barrier loss and autoimmune diseases that will improve patient outcomes.
Mentors
- Dr. Daigen Xu
Associate Director, TIP-Immunology, EMD Serono (Industry mentor) - Dr. Philipp Haselmayer
Associate Director TIP-Immunology, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (Industry mentor) - Prof. Dr. Christoph Becker
Head of Department Mucosal Immune Regulation and Intestinal Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, Germany (Academic mentor)
Our Team Members
Dr. Martin Resnik Docampo
Group Leader
Short Bio
- 2017-2019: Assistant Project Scientist, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Los Angeles USA
- 2013-2017: Postdoctoral Researcher, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Leanne Jones, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- 2012-2013: Research Associate in Prof. Dr. Leanne Jones laboratory
- 2004-2011: PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Dr. Jose Felix de Celis, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Center for Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa”, Spain
Dr. Ibrahim Murathan Sektioglu
Senior Scientist
Dr. Inga Hensel
Postdoctoral Researcher
Short Bio
- 2016 – 2020: PhD researcher in the Department of Gastroenterology, Medical School Hannover, Germany
- 2014 – 2016: Master of Science in Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany + University in Tromso, Norway
- 2011 – 2014: Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
Team IEB Alumni
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