What you find here...
Short summary of my life...
Motivation to do research on cancer...
A molecular understanding of the details of biological regulation is fascinating. Trying to find a solution to a biological problem is often cumbersome but the challenge keeps my brain awake. So that's one of the things; to satisfy my own interest.
At the same time if anyone has ever experienced the suffering of cancer patients (both mental and physical), and the tribulations of those who care for the beloved relative or friend, can and must gather impetus on the seemingly never-ending venture to find a better or to find the best cure for this debilitating disease. Even basic researchers should keep this in mind.
Professional interests...
In this paragraph I briefly describe what you can find in more detail in the "Professional interests" tab under "What do I do".
I like to analyze biological problems in a complex way in the hope of revealing such truths which would remain hidden if conventional methods are applied. I am interested in breast cancer, in particular in the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ErbB or HER) family of receptor tyrosine kinases.These receptors form homo- and heteroclusters with different stoichiometries which are rearranged upon ligand binding. After ligand binding these receptor clusters induce such transmembrane signaling events which culminate in DNA synthesis, cell division or cellular motility. All of these features are important for malignant tumors. Therefore, it's no surprise that ErbB receptors are often overexpressed in human cancers. Recently we have witnessed the development of such specific, receptor-oriented therapeuticals which inhibit the growth of cancer (expressing the targeted protein) without major side-effects. So my two major interests are
- quantitative analysis of membrane protein clustering
- studying the mechanism of action of and resistance to receptor-oriented drugs
