Robert Schneider

Robert Schneider serves as Director of the Institute for Functional Epigenetics (IFE) at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Professor at the Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich. His academic career spans leadership positions at major European research institutions including IGBMC in Strasbourg and the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg.

Dr. Schneider's research focuses on epigenetic mechanisms with particular expertise in chromatin biology, histone modifications, and transcriptional memory. His laboratory investigates the molecular basis of epigenetic reprogramming, environment-genome interactions, and metabolic signaling to chromatin. Current work explores how metabolic signals influence chromatin states and how epigenetic information is maintained through cell divisions.

His publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding histone modifications, particularly regarding less-studied modifications like propionylation and succinylation, as well as the role of linker histones in chromatin organization. Recent work connects metabolic pathways with epigenetic regulation, showing how cellular metabolites directly influence chromatin states and gene expression patterns.

• ERC Starting Grant (2007)
• HFSP Career Development Award (2005)
• Chaire Gutenberg awarded by Universite de Strasbourg (2011)
• Ligue Contre la Cancer, Equipe labelisée (2014)
• Membership of Epigenesys Network of Excellence (2011)

As an active member of the epigenetics community, Schneider serves on multiple scientific boards including the Research Coordination Board of the German Center for Diabetes Research since 2017. He has organized numerous major conferences including the 2023 GRC on DNA and Histone Modifications and the annual Munich Epigenetics Spotlight series since 2016. His laboratory maintains strong collaborative networks across Europe through initiatives like the 'Epicrossborders' International Research School which he has led since 2019.