Elena Nicolay

Elena Nicolay is a Doctoral Researcher since October 2024 at the Department of Ecotoxicology, Mechanistic Toxicology Group within the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig. Her work focuses on the interplay between environmental chemicals, the enteric nervous system, and the innate immune system using zebrafish as a model organism.

• M.Sc. in Regenerative Biology and Medicine (2021–2023), Technical University Dresden
• B.Sc. in Molecular Biology (2018–2021), Westphalian University of Applied Sciences

Her research interests include:

• Enteroneurotoxicity: Investigating environmental chemical impacts on the enteric nervous system via zebrafish.
• Immunomodulation: Exploring innate immune-nerve cell interactions under endocrine disruptors.
• High-Content Imaging: Developing 3D imaging pipelines for transgenic zebrafish larvae to assess chemical exposure effects.

She received the NeuroToxicology Cover Image in 2025 and the Audience Award for Best Scientific Content at the Life Science Campus Summer Conference 2023. Her work contributes to understanding how environmental pollutants affect neuro-immune systems through advanced imaging and experimental models.