Education and Academic Training

• 2014–2020 Dr. rer. nat.; Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover
• 2011–2014 Master of Science (M. Sc. ) in Life Sciences; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover
• 2008–2011 Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Life Sciences; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover

Academic Career

• Since 2024 Head of the Advanced Tissue Culture Models Research Group, Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School
• 2019–2024 Research Associate/PostDoc at the Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Cell Biology, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover
• 2014–2019 Research Associate/PhD Student at the Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover
• 2012–2014 Research Assistant at the Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University Hannover

Additional Qualifications

• 2024 Animal Experimentation Methods (requirements comply with Annex 1 of the German Animal Welfare Ordinance (TierSchVersV), 2013, and Annex V of Directive 2010/63/EU)
• 2012 Gene Technology, Biosafety, and Biosecurity: State-recognized training course under §15 GenTSV for project managers and biosafety officers
• 2012 Quality Management / GMP authorised representative: Quality, Environmental, and Cost Management in the Chemical-Pharmaceutical Industry
• 2012 Water ProtectionOfficer : Expertise pursuant to Sections 64–65 of the Federal Water Act (WHG)

Scientific Focus

1. Advanced Tissue Culture Models: Biomimetic 3D models of neurodegenerative diseases
2. Development of humanized and animal-free models for the research of new therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases
3. Integration of 3D bioprinting and cell-type-specific CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing for the development of specific disease-related cell culture models

Online profiles
ORCID: 0000-0003-2978-1763

Publications
Analysis of connexin 43, connexin 45, and N-cadherin in the human Sertoli cell line FS1 and the human seminoma-like cell line TCam-2 in comparison with human testicular biopsies. Schulz B., Schumacher V., Ngezahayo A., Maier-Begandt D., Schadzek N., Wilhelm J., Weidner W., Pilatz A., Fietz D., Kliesch S., Schnepel N., Hambruch N., Rode K., Langeheine M., Brehm R. (2023). BMC Cancer. 23(1):232. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10696-7.

A parallelized, perfused 3D triculture model of leukemia for in vitro drug testing of chemotherapeutics. Zippel S., Dilger N., Chatterjee C., Raic A., Brenner-Weiß G., Schadzek P., Rapp B. E. Lee-Thedieck C. (2022). Biofabrication, 14-3, DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac6a7e. ( shared first authorship)

Rebuilding the hematopoietic stem cell niche: Recent developments and future prospects. Chatterjee C., Schertl P., Frommer M., Ludwig-Husemann A., Mohra A., Dilger N., Naolou T., Meermeyer S., Bergmann T. C., Alonso Calleja A., Lee-Thedieck C. (2021). Acta Biomaterialia, 132, 129–148, DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.03.061.

Gap Junction-Dependent Cell Communication Is Modulated During Transdifferentiation of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells into Neuron-Like Cells. Dilger N., Neehus A.-L., Grieger K., Hoffmann A., Menssen M., Ngezahayo A. (2020). Front. Cell Dev. Biol., Volume 8 – 2020, DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00869.

Concatenation of human connexin26 (hCx26) and human connexin46 (hCx46) for the analysis of heteromeric gap junction hemichannels and heterotypic gap junction channels. Schadzek P., Hermes D., Stahl Y., Dilger N., Ngezahayo A. (2018). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19, 2742, DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092742.