What is your current position?
I am a PhD Student of AG Scholtysek and member of the Transregio CRC 369 “DIONE – Degeneration of Bone due to Inflammation”.
What is your main research focus?
Our lab studies bone metabolism, particularly how antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) affect conditions like osteoporosis, arthritis, and periodontitis. My research zeroes in on Transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2), a protein that helps regulate iron in the blood. While Tfr2 is well-known for its role in iron balance, recent findings suggest it also impacts cells involved in bone health, like macrophages and osteoclasts. I’m investigating how the absence of Tfr2 leads to iron overload and bone loss, using knockout mice as a model. The specific role of Tfr2 in osteoclasts hasn’t been widely explored yet, but the more we dig, the clearer it becomes that Tfr2 plays a major part in bone metabolism. Understanding this could open new doors for treating osteoporosis and bone fragility linked to iron disorders, which is why I’m focused on Tfr2’s role in osteoclasts.
What does your typical workday look like?
As a PhD student, my days usually start early and revolve around hands-on lab work, analyzing data, or designing the next experiments. Right now, my research focuses on both mouse models and in vitro studies, so I spend a good chunk of time in the lab running assays and making sure everything is on track for the next steps.
