P5: Role of hemin-dependent signaling and ferroptosis in platelets: does cGMP play a role?

Zoi Laspa studied pharmacy at the University of Tübingen and received her approbation as a pharmacist in 2021. During her practical year she gathered experience in the pharmaceutical industry at Roche. Her task were subprojects in which she managed the implementation of test methods for packaging materials and laboratory equipment. After working in a pharmacy for few months she joined the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Gawaz in Tübingen in 2022, where she studies the hemin-induced platelet activation to find possible treatments for the hemin-induced platelet thrombus formation (thrombosis).

Marcel Kremser earned his B.Sc. in Molecular Biology at the University in Bielefeld with a focus on cell biology. After earning his M.Sc. in Medical Biology in Essen, Marcel began his doctoral studies in the laboratory of Meinrad Gawaz. Here, his research focusses on the role of cGMP signaling in platelets and further deepens our understanding of cardiovascular diseases.

Valerie Dicenta studied Biotechnology at the University of applied Science in Esslingen. In her bachelor’s thesis she established a capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry method for the characterization of the primary structure of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies at the Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH in Frankfurt. She completed her Master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Ulm and Biberach. In her thesis she focused on the inhibition of virulence associated proteases from prominent bacterial pathogens as a possible alternative to antibiotics. Valerie joined the group of Prof. Meinrad Gawaz working on the role of platelets and their signaling to understand cardiovascular diseases and to find possible ways for treatments.

Daniel Pinto Quintero obtained his Bachelor's degree in Human biology from Phillips University in Marburg where he developed a special interest in tumor biology. During his Bachelor thesis, he investigated the aberrant expression pattern of GAPDH on salivary gland tumors.Following his interest in biomedical research, he then continued his Master studies in Human biology at the University of Marburg. For his Master thesis, Daniel was working in a radiation oncology laboratory investigating a putative detrimental role of serum amyloid A limiting the success of radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. Daniel currently focuses on the investigation of the relationship between shear stress and cGMP signaling in platelets. In the future, this might lead to improved treatment options for patients with blood clotting disorders (thrombosis).

Dr. Anne-Katrin Rohlfing studied biology at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald and received her Diplom in Biology in 2003. For her dissertation, she studied cell cycle regulation in the animal physiology group of Prof. Dr. J.-P. Hildebrand at the Zoological Institute and Museum at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald and received a Dr. rer. nat in 2007. Afterwards, she worked from 2007 as PostDoc in the laboratory of Prof. T. Lamitina at the Perelmann School of Medicine, Department of Physiology of the University of Pennsylvania researching the osmotic stress response in C. elegans. In 2009 she joined the physiology group of Prof. Dr. Walz at the University of Potsdam as PostDoc also working on osmotic stress resistance.  In 2014 Dr. Rohlfing gained DFG Eigene Stelle grant (DFG Project RO4279/3-1) and worked until 2018 as junior group leader associated with the animal physiology group of Prof. Dr. S. Seyfried at the University of Potsdam. In 2018 Dr. Rohlfing joined the research group of Prof. Dr. M. Gawaz, Internal Medicine III - Cardiology and Angiology at the University Hospital Tübingen as group leader researching platelet physiology and pathology in cardiac disease conditions.