Team BDB

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Platform Technologies

Team BDB

Advanced Biomarker Detection for Pharmacological Monitoring in the Brain

The objective of the research group is to develop an in vivo continuous monitoring biosensor for the direct detection of small molecule biomarkers in brain tissue of rodent models for elucidating the pharmacodynamic (PD) effect and pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of drugs against neuropsychiatric diseases. The team will explore the multifaceted task of continuous monitoring biosensor development, including molecular design and assay development, biocompatible sensor architecture, and sensor integration for in vivo monitoring.

 Mentors
  • Prof. Dr. Bastian Hengerer
    Director CNS Diseases Research at Boehringer Ingelheim, Biberach, Germany (Industry mentor)
  • Prof. Dr. Heather A. Clark
    Director, School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA (Academic mentor)

Team Location BioMed X Institute Heidelberg

The research of this team is kindly supported by Boehringer Ingelheim.

Our Team Members

Dr. Khulan Sergelen

Group Leader

 Short Bio
  • 2019 – 2022: Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
  • 2018 – 2019: Postdoctoral researcher at Molecular Biosensing for Medical Diagnostics (MBx) group, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
    • Continuous monitoring biosensors based on particle mobility for inflammatory biomarkers monitoring application
  • 2012 – 2017: PhD joint degree in Bionanotechnology (IGS-BioNanoTech) at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
    • Reversible biosensors using aptamer-based surface plasmon-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy and hydrogel architectures towards therapeutic drug monitoring application
  • 2009 – 2012: MSc Molecular Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria
    • Protein microarray screening of tumor autoantibodies for early colon cancer detection- Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna
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Dr. Cátia Monteiro da Santa

Postdoctoral Researcher

 Short Bio
  • 2013 – 2020: PhD in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine, Neuroscience, and Disease from the University of Coimbra, Portugal
  • 2009 – 2011: Master of Science in Biochemistry, Biomolecular Methods from the University of Aveiro, Portugal
  • 2006 – 2009: Bachelor in Biochemistry from the University of Aveiro, Portugal
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Dr. Pragnya Satapathy

Postdoctoral Researcher

 Short Bio
  • 2016 – 2022: PhD in Physics, Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, India (Soft Condensed Matter Physics)
  • 2014 – 2016: Master of Science in Physics, Pondicherry University, India (Gold Medallist) (Study of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Effect and Reusability of Ag/ZnO/Ag Hybrid Structure Based SERS substrate)
  • 2011 – 2014: Bachelor of Science in Physics (Hons.), Berhampur University, Odisha, India
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Dr. Soohyun Park

Postdoctoral Researcher

 Short Bio
  • 2021 – 2023: Postdoctoral research fellow in studying lipid membrane biotechnology, antiviral peptide engineering, and lipid nanoparticles at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2016 – 2021: PhD in Materials Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • 2011 – 2016: Bachelor of Science in Biomaterials Engineering at Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
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Dr. Anil Kumar Pal

Senior Scientist

 Short Bio
  • 2022 – 2024: Humboldt Fellow in Hybrid Nanophotonics group, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, Germany
  • 2018 – 2021: Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, UK
  • 2017 – 2018: Intern in the Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
  • 2012 – 2018: PhD in Physics, Pondicherry University, India
  • 2010 – 2012: Master of Science in Physics, Pondicherry University, India
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Dr. Emre Kul

Postdoctoral Researcher

 Short Bio
  • 2020 – 2023: Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Iowa, USA (High-capacity gene therapy vectors for targeting neurological disorders)
  • 2016 – 2020: PhD degree in Neurobiology in the Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany (Therapeutic strategies for targeting repeat expansion mediated neurodegeneration in rodent models)
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Alice Gerber

Master's Student

 Short Bio
  • 2022 – present: MSc in Biomedical Science and Technology at the University of Applied Science, Mannheim
  • April 2022 – August 2022: Internship in Cell Culture Optimization at the University of Applied Sciences, Biberach an der Riß
  • 2018 – 2022: BSc in Biotechnology at the University of Applied Science, Mannheim
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Team BDB Alumni

At BioMed X we care for the people who work with us. Staying in touch with those who left but mainly contributed to BioMed X’s success is key. That’s why they have their designated place on our website. So let’s keep connected!

Dr. Simone Hageneder

Hannah Kempf

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Meret Kaliske

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No contact information available.

Narjes Armoon

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Nektarios Winter

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Hsin-Jui (Jessica) Lu

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Jean-Marie Bayhurst

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Ecem Aslan

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Artur Gejt

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