Sandra Schick

Sandra Schick is a Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz since 2020 and a Junior Faculty Member at the Max Planck Graduate Center (MPGC) since 2021. Her research focuses on ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, specifically BAF, and their critical roles in cancer pathogenesis and developmental disorders through regulation of DNA accessibility.

Her primary research areas include:

• Chromatin remodeling mechanisms and epigenetic regulation
• Structure-function relationships of polymorphic BAF complexes
• Molecular basis of BAF subunit mutations in human diseases
• Integration of chromatin dynamics with DNA repair and transcriptional control

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory in dissecting BAF complex functionality using multi-omics approaches, with emphasis on synthetic lethality networks in cancer and developmental disease contexts. Her work demonstrates how BAF perturbations immediately alter chromatin architecture, providing mechanistic insights for therapeutic targeting.

Dr. Schick leads an active research group at IMB that employs CRISPR/Cas9, targeted protein degradation, single-cell genomics, and advanced imaging to investigate chromatin regulation across model systems. She actively recruits experimental and computational scientists to advance understanding of chromatin-related disease mechanisms and resilience pathways.