Martina Gentzsch, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the UNC School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds affiliations with the Marsico Lung Institute and the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center. Her research focuses on understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms of ion channel dysfunction in airway diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis (CF), with an emphasis on CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) restoration. Dr. Gentzsch’s work develops pre-clinical assays to evaluate novel CF therapies and investigates how environmental factors and tissue-specific contexts influence CFTR function. Education: PhD in Cell Biology (Glycoprotein Processing), University of Regensburg, Germany (1997) M.S. in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, and Organic Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Germany (1993) B.S. in Cell Biology, Genetics, Physics, and Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Germany (1991) Research Interests: Dr. Gentzsch’s studies explore CFTR’s role across organs, rescue mechanisms in different tissues, and personalized CF therapy strategies. Her lab employs advanced cell biological and electrophysiological techniques to assess CFTR function in 2D and 3D airway models. Key areas include CFTR stability under inflammation, mucus properties, and translational models for drug testing. Awards: Adolf Windorfer Prize (2015) Marsico Scholar Award (2014) Profiled Author, Journal of Biological Chemistry (2010) Grants & Labs: Her research is supported by grants focusing on CF pathophysiology and therapy. Collaborations include work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and industry partners. She leads studies in the Marsico Lung Institute, advancing precision medicine approaches for CF.





