Cell News 3/2013
7
DGZ ELECTION 2014 – 2016
Prof. Dr. Carien Niessen
as Vice President
Born July 27
th
, 1966
Department of Dermatology, CECAD, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne
Education/career:
Study of Biology at Utrecht University, the Netherlands until 1991. 1991-1996: PhD thesis work in the laboratory of Prof.
Dr. Arnoud Sonnenberg at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on intracellular and extracellu-
lar interactions of the integrin
α
6
β
4. 1997-2001: Netherlands Cancer Society (KWF) fellow and postdoctoral fellow in the
laboratory of Prof. Dr. Barry Gumbiner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA. 2002-2008: Independent
group leader Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Polarity and adhesion in epithelial morphogenesis
and homeostasis. Since 2008: Professor in molecular Dermato-oncology the Department of Dermatology and associated with
CECAD. Regulation of the cyto-architecture in epidermal morphogenesis, homeostasis and pathogenesis.
Memberships:
DGZ, NGZ, ASCB, ESDR and SID
Further reading:
Niessen C.M., Leckband, D. and Yap, A. S. (2011) Tissue organization by cadherin adhesion molecules: dynamic molecular and cel-
lular mechanisms of morphogenetic regulation.
Physiol. Reviews
91:691-731. Niessen M.T., Iden S. and Niessen C.M. (2012) The in
vivo function of mammalian cell and tissue polarity regulators- how to shape and maintain the epidermal barrier.
J. Cell Science
125: 3501-3510. Guenschmann, C., Stachelscheid H., Akyüz M.D, Schmitz A., Missero, C., Bruning, J.C. and Niessen C.M. (2013)
IGF-1 controls epidermal morphogenesis via regulation of FoxO-mediated p63 inhibition.
Developmental Cell,
26: 176-87
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Gruß
as Chief Operating Officer
Born October 13
th
, 1967
Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg (ZMBH), DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance
Education:
Study of biochemistry in Regensburg 1989-1994. PhD thesis work at the ZMBH in Heidelberg 1994-1998 on translocation of
proteins across the ER membrane with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Dobberstein. Postdoctoral training at EMBL with Prof. Dr. Iain Mattaj:
work on the function of the Ran GTPase in spindle formation. Since 2003: independent group leader at the ZMBH working on
nuclear proteins in open mitosis. Since 2010: Start-Professor for molecular biology of cell division at the ZMBH.
Memberships:
DGZ (chief operating officer from 2012-2014), GBM, ASCB
Research areas:
Regulation of spindle formation: biochemical analysis of spindle function in cell free extracts of Xenopus. Preotemic approaches
for the identification of novel spindle assembly proteins in Xenopus extracts and human cells. Splicing protein in open mitosis.
snRNP biogenesis, phospho-regulation of the SMN complex.
Surveys of our research can be found in the following reviews: Bärenz F, Mayilo D, Gruss OJ. Centriolar Satellites: Busy orbits around
the centrosome. Eur J Cell Biol (2011), 90, 938-9. Hofmann JC, Husedzinovic A, Gruss OJ. The functions of spliceosome components in
open mitosis. Nucleus (2010), 1, 447-59
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Klemens Rottner
as Secretary
Born April 8
th
, 1970
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Bonn
Education:
Study of Biology in Salzburg/Austria 1988-1994. PhD thesis at the Institute for Molecular Biology, Austrian Academy of Scien-
ces, Salzburg/Austria with Prof. Dr. J. Victor Small 1995-1999: Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in migration. 2000-2003:
EMBO-longterm fellow and postdoctoral training with Prof. Dr. Juergen Wehland at Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
(HZI), Braunschweig, Germany, work on Actin Dynamics in Motility and Host-pathogen Interaction. 2004-2010: Independent
Group Leader “Cytoskeleton Dynamics” at HZI Braunschweig. Since 2010: Professor and Head of Actin Dynamics and Motility
Unit at the Institute of Genetics, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitaet Bonn
Memberships:
DGZ (Secretary from 2012-2014)
Research areas:
Actin turnover in motility processes, molecular regulation of cell surface protrusions, imaging actin dynamics in cells (using TIRF
and/or photomanipulation approaches), signalling to and from Rho-GTPases, regulation of actin nucleation in vivo, exploitation of
the actin cytoskeleton by pathogens
More detailed information on our research can be found in: Hänisch, J., Stradal, T.E.B., and Rottner, K. (2012) A novel contractility
pathway operating in Salmonella invasion. Virulence, 3(1), 81-6. Rottner, K., Stradal, T.E.B. (2011) Actin Dynamics and Turnover in
Cell Motility. Curr Opin Cell Biol, 23(5), 569-78. Rottner, K., Hänisch, J., Campellone, K. (2010) WASH, WHAMM and JMY: Regulation
of Arp2/3 complex and beyond. Trends Cell Biol, 20(11), 650-61.
