Group Members
We like to be as diverse as our gut microbiomes.
Below are the countries of origin of present and past group members.

Lab Management

Soheila Razavi, MTA
General lab manager
Tel.: 0241 80-88443 and -38006
srazaviukaachende

Ganga Mohan, M. Sc.
Next generation sequencing
Tel.: 0241 80-80277
gmohanukaachende

Maurice Heitzer, M. Sc.
Microbial cultivation
maheitzerukaachende

Ntana Kousetzi, B. Sc.
Next generation sequencing
Tel.: 0241 80-38642
nkousetziukaachende

Selina Nüchtern, B. Sc.
iSOMiC platform
Tel.: 0241 80-36239
snuechternukaachende

Sareh Tavakol, DVM
Gnotobiology
Tel.: 0241 80-38439
stavakolukaachende

Shinta Sarisita Wirayang, B. Sc.
Gnotobiology
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
swirayangukaachende
Project coordination

Maja Magel, M. Sc.
https://nfdi4microbiota.de
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
mmagelukaachende
Data Stewardship

Catherine Gonzalez, M. Sc.
Tel.: 0241 80-38642 (only Fridays)
https://nfdi4microbiota.de
c.gonzalezitc.rwth-aachende
Postdoctoral fellows

Dr. Marko Baloh
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
mbalohukaachende

Dr. Thomas Hitch (CRC1382 Rising Star)
https://hitch-research.com/
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
thitchukaachende

Dr. Andrea Martinez Aguirre
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
amartinezaguukaachende

Dr. Charlie Pauvert
https://nfdi4microbiota.de
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
cpauvertukaachende

Dr. Nicole Treichel
https://www.crc1382.org
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
ntreichelukaachende

Dr. David Wylensek
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
dwylensekukaachende
PhD candidates

Johanna Bosch, M. Sc.
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
joboschukaachende

Amy Coates, M. Sc.
https://www.sfb1371.tum.de
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
acoatesukaachende

Daniel Friske, M. Sc.
https://www.crc1382.org
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
dfriskeukaachende

Susan Jennings, M. Sc.
Gnotobiology
Tel.: 0241 80-38439
sjenningsukaachende

Johannes Masson, M. Sc.
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
jomassonukaachende

Atscharah Panyot, M. Sc.
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
apanyotukaachende

Candice Raynaud, M. Sc.
https://www.perinatal-immunity.de/en
Tel.: 0241 80-38117
craynaudukaachende

Alina Viehof, M. Sc.
https://www.crc1382.org
Tel.: 0241 80-38468
aviehofukaachende
Alumni

Dr. Esther Wortmann
(former PhD candidate; 2023)
Main publication 1
Main publication 2

Dr. Afrizal Afrizal
(former PhD candidate; 2023)
Main publication 1
Main publication 2

Dr. Neeraj Kumar
(former PhD candidate; 2021)
Main publication 1

Dr. Theresa Streidl
(former PhD candidate; 2021)
Main publication 1

Dr. Ilias Lagkouvardos
(former Postdoctoral fellow; 2017)
Main publication 1
Main publication 2
Main publication 3
Main publication 4

Dr. Sarah Just
(former PhD student; 2017)
Main publication 1
Main publication 2
Former Master students
Hannah Kahlen; 2025; Cultivation-based assessment of gut bacterial diversity in colorectal cancer
Matthias Schmitz; 2023; Comparative Analysis of Protein-Coding Gene Frequencies in the Gut Metagenomes of Healthy and Diseased Individuals
Maurice Heitzer; 2023; In vitro interactions between SIgA and cultured bacteria from the human gut
Emily Richter; 2022; Characterizing the lipase activity of Collinsella aerofaciens strains from human feces
Susan Jennings; 2021; Minimal microbial consortia in gnotobiotic mice
Hatice Demirel; 2021; Optimization of a continuous culture system for a synthetic community of the murine gut microbiome
Kevin Bisdorf; 2020; Strain-level diversity of Bacteroides between different host species
Johannes Masson; 2020; Ecology and function of lipolytic enzymes within the mammalian microbiome
Hannah Weger; 2020; Impact of bile acid conversion by the mouse gut bacterium Extibacter muris on gut epithelium and liver
Alina Viehof; 2019; Feasibility and optimisation of single-cell printing of mammalian gut bacteria
Lisa Alker; 2019; Etablierung von qPCR-Assays zur Evaluierung der Zusammensetzung von Minimalmikrobiomen




















