Rene Jackstadt

Rene Jackstadt is a Junior Research Group Leader at the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM). His research focuses on cancer progression and metastasis, particularly in colorectal cancer, with a strong emphasis on stem cell biology, Wnt signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. He leads the Cancer Progression and Metastasis research group within the Normal and Malignant Stem Cells program.

• Position: HI-STEM Junior Research Group Leader
• Location: Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany
• Contact: r.jackstadt@hi-stem.de

His work involves advanced organoid modeling and genetic manipulation to study tumor evolution and therapeutic vulnerabilities. Current projects explore:

• Stromal interactions in metastasis
• Immune checkpoint regulation
• Tumor microenvironment dynamics
• Signal transduction in oncogenesis

Publications highlight his contributions to understanding:

• Wnt pathway in cancer
• MicroRNA regulation of MYC
• Stress-induced stem cell activation
• Tumor-immune co-evolution

His team includes:

• PhD Students: Luisa Nader, Manuel Mastel, Gabriele Diamante, Nikolaos Georgakopoulos, Aitana Guiseris Martinez
• Research Assistant: Raja Flüchter