Nikolaus Rajewsky

Nikolaus Rajewsky is a leading Professor at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where he founded and directs the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB). His lab integrates experimental (biochemistry, molecular biology) and computational (bioinformatics, physics) approaches to study RNA regulation in gene expression, with applications to developmental biology, regeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Using model systems like C. elegans, planaria, and human brain organoids, his team pioneers cutting-edge methods such as MirDeep, DistMap, and FLAM-seq for RNA analysis.

His research focuses on single-cell transcriptomics, spatial RNA sequencing, and circular RNA (circRNA) regulation, revealing novel roles for circRNAs like CDR1as in neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent work includes 3D tumor microenvironment mapping and computational modeling of RNA metabolism in diseases.

Scientific Awards:

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2012)
• EMBO Membership (2010)
• Honorary PhD, Sapienza University of Rome (2014)
• Berlin Science Award (2009)

His team's recent articles highlight breakthroughs in 3D spatial transcriptomics, circRNA degradation mechanisms, and mitochondrial disease modeling using human brain organoids. The lab actively collaborates with clinical partners across Charité and European institutions, driving the LifeTime initiative for cell-based interceptive medicine.