I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Biology at the ’Freie Universität’ of Berlin in 2018, working on multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. With the begin of my masters focussing on molecular and cell biology including courses for immunology and virology, I got more and more interested in infectious diseases and specifically viruses. In 2019 I started a research internship in Prof. Christine Goffinet’s lab working on HIV-1 latency reversal. Due to the pandemic and the urgent need of research in the field of human pathogenic coronaviruses, I continued with a master’s project on SARS-CoV-2 and the susceptibility to innate immune response factors. Upon obtaining my master’s degree in 2021, I started my PhD in Prof. Goffinet`s group. Currently, I am working as a Research Assistant in the department of Tropical Disease Biology, at LSTM.
Using complex lung cell models, functional assays and reverse genetics, my current research focusses on investigating the efficiency and characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission modes: cell-free virus particle transmission and direct cell-to-cell contact transmission. Understanding these modes is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies and vaccines, as cell-to-cell transmission may accelerate viral spread and aid in immune evasion, especially in cell-dense respiratory tissues.