Ünal Coskun

Ünal Coskun serves as W3 Full Professor and Director of the Center of Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research at Dresden University of Technology's Medical Faculty. He holds dual prestigious appointments as Max Planck Fellow (2023–present) and MPI-CBG Fellow (2022–present), reflecting his leadership at the intersection of membrane biology and disease mechanisms.

His academic foundation includes:

• Biology studies at University of Osnabrück (1995–2001)
• PhD in Biophysics from Saarland University (2001–2005)
• Postdoctoral training at MPI-CBG (2005–2012)

Prof. Coskun's research pioneers the membrane lipid perspective in cell signaling, investigating how specific lipids (e.g., GM3 ganglioside, phosphoinositides) allosterically regulate receptors like EGFR and insulin receptor. His lab employs interdisciplinary approaches spanning structural biology, synthetic membrane systems, and diabetes pathophysiology, revealing fundamental principles of lipid-protein coevolution. Current work focuses on how β-cell membrane lipid dynamics modulate insulin sensitivity—a paradigm-shifting angle for diabetes research.

His publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions, with recent work (2015–2018) establishing structural mechanisms for lipid-mediated receptor regulation. The lab's signature achievement is the GM3-EGFR allosteric inhibition model, which redefined understanding of membrane lipid functionality beyond passive barrier roles.

Key recognitions include:

• Max Planck Fellow (2023–present)
• MPI-CBG Fellow (2022–present)

As Center Director, Prof. Coskun supervises doctoral researchers through TU Dresden's Medical Faculty and DIGS-BB PhD program. His lab maintains active grants via institutional appointments and Max Planck collaborations, supporting advanced infrastructure for membrane protein reconstitution and structural analysis. The group emphasizes collaborative science, with frequent co-authorship across MPI-CBG, PLID, and international partners.

The Center of Membrane Biochemistry and Lipid Research operates as an interdisciplinary hub where biochemical reconstitution meets disease modeling. The lab's unique capability to control both protein and lipid components in synthetic systems enables unprecedented precision in dissecting lipid-protein crosstalk, driving innovations in targeting membrane-mediated signaling pathologies.