Kathrin Leppek

Prof. Dr. Kathrin Leppek is a Professor at the University of Bonn, affiliated with the Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Pharmacology at the University Hospital Bonn. She is a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) - Life and Health, focusing on how ribosome-mediated gene expression regulates innate immune responses. Her lab investigates novel mechanisms of gene regulation via ribosomal RNA interactions with transcripts, combining RNA biochemistry, model systems (yeast to macrophages), and RNA-based technology development.

Research interests include translation regulation, RNA/ribosome biology, immunology, and developmental biology. Key projects involve ribosome expansion segments' roles in mRNA-specific translation and applying combinatorial mRNA design for therapeutics.

Selected publications highlight contributions to mRNA stability optimization (Nature Communications 2022), genome-wide ribosome function mapping (Cell Reports 2021), and Hox mRNA translation mechanisms (Molecular Cell 2020). Her work bridges fundamental biology with translational applications in immunology and RNA therapeutics.

Lab activities emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, integrating biochemistry, genetics, and computational methods. Current projects aim to decode how rRNA-directed translation shapes immune responses and developmental pathways. No advisory or grant details are explicitly stated in the provided materials.