Stefan Stricker

Prof. Dr. Stefan Stricker is a full member of the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN) and a regular member of the Munich Center for Neurosciences (MCN) at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). He leads the Physiological Genomics research group jointly housed at the Biomedical Center LMU and Helmholtz Zentrum München, where he explores CRISPR-based epigenetic engineering, neural stem cell biology and brain tumour reprogramming.

Research Interests:

• CRISPR-based epigenetic engineering – developing precise tools to rewrite chromatin states in somatic and cancer cells.
• Neural stem cell identity – decoding transcriptional and epigenetic networks that govern self-renewal versus differentiation.
• Brain tumour reprogramming – converting malignant glioma cells to a pluripotent, non-tumourigenic state to interrogate cancer epigenetics.
• Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) – investigating Airn and other macro ncRNAs in genomic imprinting and gene-silencing mechanisms.

Across more than fifteen years his work has produced a coherent body of literature that moves from fundamental imprinting biology in embryonic stem cells to translational applications in glioblastoma. Re-occurring themes include DNA-methylation resetting, allele-specific expression biases, and the therapeutic vulnerabilities of glioblastoma initiating cells.

Selected Publications & Trends:
The 15 most recent publications (2004-2014) reveal a clear progression from mechanistic studies of lncRNA-mediated silencing (Airn, Igf2r) to high-impact investigations of glioblastoma stem-cell biology and CRISPR-mediated reprogramming. Collectively these works sit at the intersection of epigenetics, cancer biology and neurodevelopment.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships:
While no specific prizes are listed, multiple papers were recommended or highlighted by Faculty of 1000 and featured research highlights in Cancer Research and Nature Reviews Cancer.

Advising & Training:

• Graduated GSN student: Dr. Valentin Baumann

Laboratory & Institutional Affiliations:
Prof. Stricker’s Physiological Genomics group is physically embedded within the Biomedical Center LMU and the Helmholtz Zentrum München, facilitating close collaboration between the university medical faculty and Germany’s largest biomedical research organisation.