Chair and Office Assistant
Prof. Dr. Helene Kretzmer
Head of Computational Genomics
Phone: +49 331 5509-1365
Mail: helene.kretzmer@hpi.de
Ina Thier
Office Assistant for Computational Genomics
Phone: +49 331 5509-586
Mail: office-kretzmer@hpi.de
About Sara
Sara Hetzel is a postdoctoral researcher focused on epigenetic modifications in disease contexts, with the goal of contributing to advances in translational settings. Her research employs integrative approaches that combine multi-dimensional sequencing data analysis, machine learning techniques, and software development tailored to the specific needs of the research question. During her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Free University in Berlin, she explored the DNA methylation landscape in cancer and extraembryonic development, providing insights into the role of epigenetic regulators and the dynamic interplay between different layers of epigenetic regulation in these complex biological processes.
About Mikie
Mikie a postdoctoral researcher with the Computational Genomics chair at the Digital Health Cluster. She completed her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Berlin Institute of Health, where she combined bioinformatic algorithms and integrative analytics to map the regulatory genome controlling vertebrate heart development. This work revealed functional DNA elements shared across distantly related species, many previously undetected by standard approaches, providing insights into how regulatory information persists throughout evolution.
Her work now integrates multi-modal sequencing data, comparative genomics, and machine learning to drive translational advances. Specifically, she is interested in decoding how the combinatorial logic in regulatory DNA is interpreted in healthy cells, and how that process breaks down in diseases.
Outside of work, Mikie enjoys training calisthenics, swimming, and cooking (+eating) food from around the world.
About Isabelle
Isabelle is a PhD student at the Digital Health Cluster. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Humboldt-University in Berlin and did her Master’s in Bioinformatics at the University of Halle.
Her research focuses on understanding the biology of B-cell lymphomas, with an emphasis on gene regulation and transcription factor interactions. She works with genomics and single-cell sequencing data to study the regulatory landscape of the genome, investigating how chromatin accessibility and gene expression coordinate to regulate cellular states. By developing and applying statistical methods and machine learning, she aims to uncover mechanisms in gene regulation. In her free time, she enjoys reading, knitting, and giving ice skating lessons.
About Rosaria
Rosaria is a PhD student at the Digital Health Cluster and is currently registered at the International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) under the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Medical Biotechnologies from the University of Bari and a Master's in Bioinformatics from the University of Bologna.
Her research is centered on the epigenetic regulation of the genome during mammalian development. She employs genomic and single-cell data to delve into these complex mechanisms, aiming to uncover the intricate processes that govern gene expression.
Outside her academic pursuits, she enjoys fitness, painting, and hiking.”
About Mara
Mara Steiger is a PhD student in the Department of Computational Genomics at the Digital Health Cluster and a member of the International Max Planck Research School for Biology and Computation. She holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Bioinformatics from Free University Berlin, with previous research experiences at Charité Berlin, the Leibniz Institute on Aging, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.
With a particular interest in computational methods that bridge basic research and clinical applications, her research focuses on leveraging machine learning to enable intraoperative brain tumor classification from DNA methylation data. Beyond cancer diagnostics, she is also involved in research on DNA methylation in aging and disease, investigating its dynamics across diverse biological contexts in both human and model systems to advance understanding of epigenetic mechanisms underlying health and disease.
About Clara
Clara is a PhD student at the Digital Health Cluster. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in IT-Systems Engineering at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute, with a focus on biological research topics at the end of her Master’s degree.
In her research, she is interested in studying the factors that shape cell fate decision in the developing brain. Clara works with multimodal data from mouse embryos, analysing transcriptomic, epigenetic, and 3D chromatin organisation profiles of cells at single-cell resolution.
Outside of work, she enjoys reading and dancing.
About Samuel
Samuel is a PhD student at the Digital Health Cluster and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science at Université Laval in Canada and then undertook a research project in lung cancer genetics during his Master’s in molecular medicine at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, affiliated to Université Laval.
His research focuses on the 3D reorganisation of the genome in the process of embryonic dormancy in both mouse embryonic stem cells and mouse embryos. This work aims at better understanding the epigenetic features allowing embryos to be reversibly dormant, which is crucial to the reproductive success of many mammal species. Samuel works at the multimodal integration of epigenetic data modalities with spatial information about the chromatin nuclear localization in multiple cellular states. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking and social dancing.
Guest Researcher Gabriela Jiron-Lozano
Research Assistant
Leticia Lopes
Master Student