Technical and Administrative Assistants
Simone Becker
Simone (a.k.a. “Simonchen”) hails from the Vogelsberg, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since its inception. Prior to joining the Morty Laboratory, Simone was based in the Department of Dermatology. Simone very adeptly juggles managing the laboratory administration, handling the routine cell culture needs of the research group, and assists all of the research staff with experimental procedures.
Quotation: “Ummmm, Rory….”
E-Mail: Simone.Becker@innere.med.uni-giessen.de
Country: Germany
Country: Germany
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Simone Becker Simon (a.k.a. “Simonchen”) hails from the Vogelsberg, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since its inception. Prior to joining the Morty Laboratory, Simone was based in the Department of Dermatology. Simone very adeptly juggles managing the laboratory administration, handling the routine cell culture needs of the research group, and assists all of the research staff with experimental procedures. Quotation: “Ummmm, Rory….” E-Mail: Simone.Becker@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Germany |
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Ursula Reinhardt Ursula, a native of the State of Hessen, serves both as financial administrator of the Morty Laboratory and senior administrative assistant of the International Graduate Programme Molecular Biology and Medicine of the Lung. Prior to joining the Morty Laboratory, Ursula was employed by the Department of Dermatology of the University of Giessen school of Medicine, where she served as administrative assistant to the Dermatology Graduate School. Quotation: (Ursula’s laugh says it all, and wakes the dead!) E-Mail: Ursula.Reinhardt@derma.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Germany |
Current post-doctoral fellows
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Nikolaus Kneidinger Niku (a.k.a. “The Linzer Würstchen”) hails from Linz, Austria, and completed his medical training at the University of Vienna, followed by his Doctor of Human Biology studies in the Laboratory of Oliver Eickelberg in Giessen, which addressed a role for Wnt signalling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Niku then joined the Morty Laboratory as a post-doctoral fellow, sponsored by a post-doctoral fellowship from the Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary System of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In the Morty Laboratory, Niku has pursued his interest in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, where he is currently investigating extracellular matrix stability in the lungs of patients with emphysema and alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. Quotation: (I think that this picture says more than any words could) E-Mail: Nikolaus.Kneidiger@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Austria |
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Agnieszka Turowska Agnieszka (a.k.a. “Aga”) hails from Warsaw, Poland, where she completed he Doctor of Philosophy studies in virology. Aga then joined the Morty Laboratory, initially as an exchange fellow of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst. Aga took on a very ambitious project, using laser capture microdissection combined with a microarray analysis, to study lung compartment-specific gene expression changes during hyperoxic lung injury to the developing mouse lung. Quotation: “Ah, but…, then I, um, I mean, did you, er, no, I mean, can I….. you see….um…” E-Mail: Agnieszka.Turowska@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Poland |
Current students
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Mike Althaus Mike (a.k.a. “Mikey Mike”) is a native of the State of Hessen, and conducted his Doctor of Natural Sciences research work in the Morty Laboratory, in conjunction with Professor Wolfgang Clauß and Dr Martin Fronius from the Institute of Animal Physiology at the University of Giessen. Mike’s research addressed novel regulatory mechanisms of the epithelial sodium channel, ENaC, in alveolar epithelial cells, focusing primarily on small gaseous molecular such as carbon monoxide and nitric oxide. Mike graduated summa cum laude on July 7th, 2010, and is now employed by the Department of Animal Physiology at the University of Giessen, where he maintains his affiliation with the Morty Laboratory. E-Mail: Mike.Althaus@bio.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Germany |
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Anna Blume Anna joins us from Lower Saxony, and is currently a medical student at the University of Giessen, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since May 2010. Anna is currently engaged in her doctoral studies which address the roles played by three members of the Fxyd protein family, a novel family of regulators of the Na+/K+-ATPase, on the sodium-transporting capacity of the Na+/K+-ATPase. These studies are conducted in conjunction with Professor Wolfgang Clauß and Dr Martin Fronius from the Institute of Animal Physiology at the University of Giessen. Quotation: “I don’t know, really….” E-Mail: blumeanna@web.de |
Country: Germany |
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Alexander H. Nave Alex (a.k.a. “The Navi”) joins us from Göttingen, via Heidelberg and San Diego. Alex is currently a medical student at the University of Giessen, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since September 2009. Alex is engaged in doctoral studies which address extracellular matrix stability and processing in the pulmonary vasculature, in the context of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Quotation: “The sun has sunken”; amongst many others…. E-Mail: alex@nave.de |
Country: Germany |
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Gero Nieß Gero (a.k.a. “Geró”) joins us from Cologne. Gero is currently working towards his Doctor of Natural Sciences thesis in the Morty Laboratory, where he has been since September 2009. Gero, when not advising the laboratory members on aspects of their fitness programmes, is engaged in research which addresses roles for the type I and type III transforming growth factor (TGF)-? receptors in pulmonary vascular development, in the context of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Quotation: “Ugh…. He did it. WHAT?” E-Mail: Gero.Niess@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Germany |
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Dorothea M. Peters Dorothea (a.k.a. “Frau Peters”) is a native of the State of Hessen, and joined the Morty Laboratory in 2006, after completing her Master’s studies in human nutrition, including a stint in the United States of America. Dorothea’s research addressed a role for transforming growth factor (TGF)-? in the acute regulation of alveolar ion transport. As part of these studies, Dorothea described an entirely novel TGF-? signalling pathway. Dorothea will shortly submit her doctoral thesis for evaluation, and in the meanwhile, has joined the laboratory of Professor Norbert Weißmann at the University of Giessen, and also serves as an administrative associate of the International Graduate Programme Molecular Biology and Medicine of the Lung. Quotation: “I didn’t see that EcoRI site…” E-Mail: Dorothea.Peters@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Germany |
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Julian Schwartze Julian joins us from Freiburg im Breisgau, and is currently a medical student at the University of Giessen, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since February 2010. When not indulging in single-malt whisky, Julian is engaged in doctoral studies which address the chronic effects of glucocorticoids on transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signalling in lung epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts. Quotation: “It’s all too much, really. Really, terrible…” E-Mail: julian_schwartze@yahoo.de |
Country: Germany |
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Pawel Turowski Pawel (a.k.a. “Pavchu”) joins us from Bialystok, Poland, via Warsaw, where he completed his Master of Science degree. Pawel is currently a Doctor of Human Biology student at the University of Giessen, and has been with the Morty Laboratory since September 2007. Pawel is currently engaged in a research project which addresses the impact of mechanical ventilation on the development of multi-organ failure, focusing in particular on acute kidney injury. Pawel has additionally supported research projecting in the laboratory dealing with extracellular matrix stability in acute respiratory distress syndrome and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Quotation: “Oh…my…God!” E-Mail: Pawel.Turowski@anatomie.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Poland |
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Lukasz Wujak
Lukasz (a.k.a. “The Rookie”) hails from Torun, Poland, where he completed his Master of Science studies in biotechnology. Lukasz joined the Morty Laboratory in September 2008, where he is currently engaged in his Doctor of Philosophy research project. Lukasz’s research addresses the transcriptional regulation of the Fxyd protein family, a novel family of regulators of the Na+/K+-ATPase, in the alveolar epithelium. Lukasz’s research is conducted in the background of alveolar oedema, and the failure of oedema resolution in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Quotation: “But, I have German class tonight” E-Mail: Lukasz.Wujak@innere.med.uni-giessen.de |
Country: Poland |
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