Education and Academic Background

• 2011 Adjunct Professor, Hannover Medical School
• 2009 Habilitation and venia legendi in anatomy; Hannover Medical School
• 2002 Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
• 2000 Licensed as a veterinarian
• 1995–1999: Second degree in Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (State Examination)
• 1992–1995 Undergraduate Studies in Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (Intermediate Examination)

Academic Career

• 2011 – present: Research Group Leader at the Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School
• July 2005–October 2005: Visiting Scientist at the Department of Physiological Sciences and the Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
• 2002–2011 Research Associate at the Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School
• 2000–2002 Ph.D. at the Clinical Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, and the Institute of Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Toxicology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover.
• Research Associate at the Institute of Anatomy II, University Hospital of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Additional Qualifications

• 2023 Full member of the Scientific Board of the PhD Program in Neuroscience, Doctoral School, University of Turin, Italy.
• 2011 Secundo loco W2 professorship in Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at Justus Liebig University Giessen
• 2010 Basic training program for faculty development at Hannover Medical School

Awards and Honors

• 2024 Student BodyTeaching Award 2024, Anatomy Module, 1st Year of Dentistry
• 2021–2024 Student BodyTeaching Award , 2nd year of dentistry
• 2019 Student Body Teaching Award 2019, Academic Year 2018/2019, 2nd Year of dentistry
• 2018 Student Body Teaching Award 2018, 2017/2018 Academic Year, 2nd Year of dentistry
• 2010 Sibylle Assmus Foundation Award to Support Scientific Work in the Field of Neuroregeneration
• 2008 1st Poster Award at the 59th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Neurosurgery
• 2007 Research Grant from the Neurosurgical Research Foundation of the German Society for Neurosurgery

Research Focus

1. Investigation of the development and regeneration of peripheral nerves in vivo and in vitro.
2. Development of innovative nerve implants and investigation of peripheral nerves following limb amputation.
3. Studies on the development of neuropathic pain conditions following peripheral nerve regeneration.

Online profiles and social media presence
ORCID: 0000-0003-2502-8969

Signature Publications

Ex vivo limb perfusion in military and civilian medicine: inspired by ex vivo organ perfusion, pioneered for traumatic limb amputation and peripheral nerve regeneration. Haastert-Talini, K., Katsirntaki, K., Kankowski, S., Kaltenborn, A., von Lübken, F., Falk, C., Werlein, C., Jonigk, D., Ruhparwar, A., Wiegmann, B. (2025). Military Med Res 12, 72. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-025-00656-6

Chitosan-Based Materials for Peripheral Nerve Repair – New Pre-Clinical Data on Degradation Behavior at the Nerve Repair Site and Critical Opinion on Their Translational Impact. Ronchi, G., Ackva, C., Fregnan, F., Zen, F., Muratori, L., Crosio, A., Metzen, J., Haastert-Talini, K. (2025) Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(3), 1214; doi: 10.3390/ijms26031214

Gut microbiota depletion delays somatic peripheral nerve development and impairs neuromuscular junction maturation. Cescon, M.*, Gambarotta, G.*, Calabrò, S., Cicconetti, C., Anselmi, F., Kankowski, S., Lang, L., Basic, M., Bleich, A., Bolsega, S., Steglich, M., Oliviero, S., Raimondo, S., Bizzotto, D., Haastert-Talini, K.* and Ronchi, G.* Gut Microbes 2024, VOL. 16, NO. 1, 2363015. *authors contributed equally doi:10.1080/19490976.2024.2363015

Culture Conditions for Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Schwann Cells: A Two-Center Study. Huang, Z.*, Powell, R*, Kankowski, S., Philips, J.B., Haastert-Talini, K. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5366; doi: 10.3390/ijms24065366

In Vivo and In Vitro Evaluation of a Novel Hyaluronic Acid–Laminin Hydrogel as a Luminal Filler and Carrier System for Genetically Engineered Schwann Cells in Critical Gap Length Tubular Peripheral Nerve Grafts in Rats. Dietzmeyer N., Huang Z., Schüning T., Rochkind S., Almog M., Nevo Z., Lieke T., Kankowski S., Haastert-Talini K. (2020) Cell Transp, 2020, Volume 29: 1–20. doi: 10.1177/0963689720910095

Chitosan-film enhanced chitosan nerve guides for long-distance regeneration of peripheral nerves. Meyer, C.*, Stenberg, L.*, Gonzalez-Perez, F.*, Wrobel, S., Ronchi, G., Udina, E., Suganuma, S., Geuna, S., Navarro, X., Dahlin, L.B., Grothe, C.*, Haastert-Talini, K.* Biomaterials. 2016; 76:33-51. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.10.040