Group Leader
Bilal Sheikh
Bilal has a long-standing interest in understanding how our environment drives phenotypic changes via epigenetic mechanisms.
He undertook is PhD studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia as a Dora Lush Fellow. During this time, he studied molecular complexes that mediate histone acetylation. His worked revealed key epigenetic mechanisms that drive embryonic development, stem cell function and cancer progression.
For his postdoctoral studies, he was awarded the International Humboldt Fellowship and moved to the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Germany. His research uncovered the strong inter-dependence of chromatin and metabolic networks in maintaining cellular homeostasis.
Bilal now heads the Vascular Epigenetics group in Leipzig.
Postdocs
Jesús Rafael Rodriguez Aguilera
Postdoctoral researcher, proudly Mexican and graduated from UNAM. Travel lover and Harry Potter fan. I am passionate about epigenetics. My work is related to understand how the metabolic disturbances of obesity can impact chromatin regulation of liver, and brain vascular cells. Let’s share Science on Twitter, follow me as @harry_brennan. PubMed: Jesus R Rodriguez Aguilera
Richard M. Blay
Postdoctoral researcher from Ghana. Graduated from the University of Ghana, Accra and later was funded by the DAAD for my doctoral training at the LMU, Munich in the Experimental Vascular Medicine group, Institute of Cardiovascular Prevention (IPEK). Interested in how diet and lifestyle lead to Cardiovascular diseases and Obesity. I am excited about Epigenetics because of the possibilities it presents. I Love God, Music and people. Hobbies are swimming and traveling.
PhD Students
Alina Rose
Alina is a PhD student in the lab.
Fabiana Oliveira
Fabiana is a PhD student in the lab.
Faiqa Zulfqar
Faiqa is a PhD student in the lab.
Longsheng Liao
Longsheng is a PhD student in the lab.
Hugo Martin
Hugo is a PhD student in the lab.
Lorenz Donndorf
Lorenz is a PhD student in the lab.
Nishtha Malhotra
Nishtha is a PhD student in the lab.
He Yao
He Yao is a PhD student in the lab.
Lab Manager + Technician
Florian Geier
Florian studied Applied Natural Science at the University of Freiberg. After finishing his studies, he worked at the Helmholtz centre for environmental research (UFZ) in Leipzig and at the Martin-Luther university Halle-Wittenberg before starting at the Institute in Leipzig
Masters + Bachelors Students
Philipp Valina-Allo
Philipp is undertaking his Master’s thesis in the lab.
Erik Siebert
Erik has always dreamt of being a Chess Grandmaster.
He now does the next best thing. He is in training to be a Science Grandmaster.
Erik is currently studying biotechnology and is about to start his bachelor thesis at the Helmholtz Institute in Leipzig. He always had an interest in scientific topics and hopes to learn even more on his way of becoming a Scientist.
Alumni