Melina Schuh

Prof. Melina Schuh is a renowned scientist serving as Director of the Department of Meiosis at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and Honorary Professor at the University of Göttingen since 2023. Her work focuses on understanding meiotic processes in mammalian oocytes, particularly how defects at the interface of chromosomes and cytoskeletal structures lead to aneuploidy and pregnancy loss. She is also developing novel tools to study meiosis, including the first high-content screen for meiotic genes and the Trim Away protein degradation method.

Education includes a 2004 Diploma in Biochemistry from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, followed by a Ph.D. at the EMBL Heidelberg under Jan Ellenberg. Prior positions include roles at the MRC LMB in Cambridge (2009–2015), where she advanced meiotic research. Her current research integrates live imaging techniques and molecular methods to directly study human oocytes, opening new avenues in reproductive biology.

Her research interests span meiosis regulation, spindle assembly mechanisms, actin dynamics, and translational applications to improve human fertility outcomes. She collaborates with the Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences and participates in IMPRS programs related to molecular biology and genome science.