Group Members
Matthias Altmeyer
Research Group Leader
Born and raised in
Germany
Scientific education and research experience
2020 – present: Associate Professor of Quantitative Cell Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2014 – 2020: SNSF Assistant Professor, Principal Investigator, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2010 – 2014: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Danish Cancer Society & Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
2007 – 2010: Ph.D. Candidate (Molecular Biology), University of Zurich, Switzerland
2001 – 2006: Diploma Candidate (Biology), University of Konstanz, Germany
Research interests
Genome instability in cancer and aging
Chromatin modifications in response to DNA damage
Cancer-specific alterations in the cellular DNA repair network and their therapeutic potential
Ralph Imhof
Research Technician
Born and raised in
Switzerland
Scientific education and research experience
2007 – present: Lab Technician mbA, IT-Management & Support, Financial Controlling, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2005 – 2007: Lab Manager & new Lab Establishment, Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Dept. of Biochemistry & Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Canada
1998 – 2005: Lab Technician, IT-Management & Support, Institute for Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Research interests
Protein Purification & Protein Interaction Methodologies
Molecular Biology
Analytical & preparative HPLC
Andreas Panagopoulos
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Born and raised in
Greece
Scientific education and research experience
2020 – present: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2014 – 2019: Ph.D. student, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece
2017: Visiting Ph.D. student, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Mainz, Germany
2012 – 2014: M.Sc. Applications in Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece
2008 – 2012: B.Sc. Department of Biology, University of Patras, Greece
Research interests
Checkpoint maintenance
DNA replication & DNA repair
Functional imaging
Yanlin Wen
PhD Student (Molecular Life Sciences Program)
Born and raised in
China
Scientific education and research experience
2020 – present: Ph.D. student (Molecular Life Science) , University of Zurich, Switzerland
2017 – 2019: M.Sc. Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
2014 – 2017: B.Sc. Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Research interests
DNA replication
Signaling pathways involved in DNA damage response
Merula Stout
PhD Student (Molecular Life Sciences Program)
Born and raised in
Austria
Scientific education and research experience
2020 – present: Ph.D. student (Molecular Biology), University of Zurich, Switzerland
2018 – 2020: M.Sc. Technical Chemistry (Biotechnology and Bioanalytics major), Technical University Vienna, Austria
2014 – 2018: B.Sc. Technical Chemistry, Technical University Vienna, Austria
Research interests
DNA replication & DNA repair
DNA damage response
DNA/RNA sequencing and microscopy techniques
Antonio Galarreta
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Born and raised in
Spain
Scientific education and research experience
2021 – present: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2016 – 2020: Ph.D. Student, Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), Spain
2014 – 2015: M.Sc. Molecular Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
2009 – 2014: M.Sc. Biochemistry, University of Zaragoza, Spain
Research interests
Cell cycle and checkpoint maintenance
DNA replication and DNA repair
Role of ubiquitin and SUMO in genome stability
Julia Vornberger
PhD Student (Molecular Life Sciences Program)
Born and raised in
Germany
Scientific education and research experience
2021 – present: Ph.D. student (Molecular Biology), University of Zurich, Switzerland
2018 – 2021: M.Sc. Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Heidelberg, Germany
2015 – 2018: B.Sc. Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz, Germany
Research interests
DNA replication and replication stress response
DNA damage and DNA repair
Cell cycle regulation
Virginia Pasti
PhD Student (Molecular Life Sciences Program)
Born and raised in
Italy
Scientific education and research experience
2023 – present: Ph.D. student (Molecular Biology), University of Zurich, Switzerland
2020 – 2023: M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Italy
2017 – 2020: B.Sc. Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy
Research interests
DNA repair pathways
Cell cycle regulation and progression
Yannick Kok
Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Born and raised in
Netherlands
Scientific education and research experience
2022 – present: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2017 – 2022 Ph.D. student, UMCG department of medical oncology , University of Groningen, Netherlands
2015 – 2017: M.Sc. Biology (Research track), University of Groningen, Netherlands
2011 – 2015: B.Sc. Biology (Behaviour and neurosciences), University of Groningen, Netherlands
Research interests
DNA replication & DNA repair
Consequences of DNA replication stress
Regulation of the cell cycle
Jeannette Alisha Straw
Master Student
Born and raised in
Switzerland
Scientific education and research experience
2022 – present: M.Sc. Biomedical science, University of Zürich, Switzerland
2022 – present: Teaching diploma in Biology, University of Zürich, Switzerland
2018 – 2022: B.Sc. Biomedical science, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Research interests
DNA repair pathways
Cell cycle regulation and progression
DNA replication and replication stress response
Lab Alumni
