Krishnaraj Rajalingam

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Krishnaraj Rajalingam serves as Head of the Cell Biology Unit at University Medical Center Mainz since 2018 and holds a Distinguished Visiting Research Directorship at IMCB, A*STAR Singapore. A tenured Heisenberg Professor (W3) in Cell Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) Mainz, he leads interdisciplinary research bridging fundamental cell signaling mechanisms with clinical translation in cancer and immune disorders.

Research Focus: His laboratory investigates molecular signaling networks controlling cell death/survival, migration, and differentiation, with emphasis on RAS/MAPK pathways, prohibitin biology, and oncogenic kinase regulation. The team employs proteogenomics, chemical biology, and translational models to identify druggable targets in thyroid/lung cancers and autoimmune conditions, recently launching KHR Biotec GmbH to advance therapeutic development.

• Key Awards:
  • Heisenberg Professorship (DFG, 2013)
  • PLUS3 Fellow (Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation, 2012)
  • EMMY Noether Group Leader (DFG, 2007 - first South Asian selected)
  • AACR-AFLAC Scholar-in-Training (2005)

Leadership: Editorial board member for Cell Death & Disease, FEBS Journal, and Translational Oncology; Scientific Advisory Board member for Indivumed Group; reviewer for DFG, Wellcome Trust, and NHMRC Singapore. His patented work includes prohibitin-targeted cancer therapy and KRAS inhibitors.