Markus Engstler

Markus Engstler is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Würzburg. He holds additional roles as Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Biology and serves as the speaker of the DFG priority program SPP 2332 'Physics of Parasitism'. His research focuses on the biophysical mechanisms of parasitic infections, particularly African trypanosomes, and their motility strategies in host environments. Engstler has held academic positions at institutions including the Technical University of Darmstadt and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and has contributed to founding initiatives such as the German Network Against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs). He is also the acting president of the German Society for Parasitology (DGP).

• Educations:
  • PhD in Biochemistry from Christian Albrechts University of Kiel (1994)
  • Habilitation in Genetics at LMU Munich (2004)

Research Interests: Engstler’s work investigates how mechanical forces and physical principles govern parasite behavior, including surface protein dynamics, motility in complex environments, and host-parasite interactions. Key projects include studying the role of hydrodynamic forces in antibody clearance, trypanosome swarm behavior in insect vectors, and the molecular flexibility of variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs). His lab employs advanced imaging and computational models to explore these phenomena.

Awards: Awarded the Memento Research Prize 2022 for contributions to neglected tropical diseases research.

Grants and Leadership: Engstler has led numerous collaborative projects, including the DFG priority program, and oversees the Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology (CCTB). His team develops innovative in vitro models, such as vascularized skin organoids, to study infection dynamics.

Labs/Teams: Engstler’s lab integrates molecular cell biology, biophysics, and computational approaches, collaborating with physicists and mathematicians to address complex questions in parasitology.