معرفی
Dr. Maja Funk is a Junior Group Leader at the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI) at Helmholtz Munich since February 2024. Her research focuses on understanding how ageing and environmental stress contribute to chronic inflammatory lung diseases, particularly COPD, by investigating molecular mechanisms in epithelial cells. She employs innovative 3D lung organoid models from primary mouse and patient-derived tissue to study epithelial homeostasis, regeneration, and interactions with immune cells.
- PhD in Molecular Medicine from University of Freiburg (2015)
- Postdoctoral research at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg) (2018-2024)
- Experience in e-health and clinical trials as Medical Project Manager (2016-2018)
Her work explores overlaps between ageing hallmarks and environmental insults, including stem cell capacity, epigenetic alterations, and intercellular communication dysbiosis. Key tools include high-throughput transcriptomics, CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering, and co-culture systems.
Scientific awards include the DGfA Best Talk Prize (2022), Young Marsilius Fellowship (2021), and Outstanding Presentation Prize at Mouse Molecular Genetics Meeting (2015). Current projects aim to develop age-specific therapeutic approaches for COPD.
The Funk Lab includes PhD students Sefa Berkay Çayir, Lili Rusznyak, and Sharduli Sharduli. The lab recently secured DFG funding under SPP2493 (HetCCI) for epithelial-T cell interaction research and published its first review on lung organoids in COPD.
