Meier-Schellersheim Research Group

Computational and quantitative experimental cell biology and immunology

Martin Meier-Schellersheim, Ph.D.

Chief, Computational Systems Biology Section

Education:

Ph.D., 2001, University of Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Meier-Schellersheim obtained a master’s degree in physics in 1997 and a Ph.D. in 2001 from the University of Hamburg, Germany. His research focuses on building a bridge between experimental and computational cell biology through the development and application of modeling tools that combine accessible graphical interfaces with the capability to perform spatially and temporally highly resolved simulations, even for models of complex cellular signaling processes.

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Martin Meier-Schellersheim, Ph.D.

Hannes Bongartz, Ph.D.

Biologist, Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., 2017, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany

Languages Spoken: German

Hannes Bongartz is an experimental biologist and a Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow in the Computational Systems Biology Section (CSBS). He received his Ph.D. in 2017 from Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, for his work on the pathogenesis of dysregulated cellular signaling pathways associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms. Hannes joined CSBS in 2021 to further pursue his interest in...

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Christopher Thomas Boughter, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., University of Chicago
B.S., University of Maryland, College Park

Christopher Boughter is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Computational Biology Section. Originally from Canton, Massachusetts, he received his B.S. in Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he built a strong quantitative foundation and an interest in research. Working with Dr. Jeffery Klauda and later Dr. Daniel Lathrop, he gained exposure to both computational and experimental...

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Matthew Penaso-Stinson, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., 2024, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 

Matthew Penaso-Stinson is interested in the complex signaling environments in which macrophages are embedded and how extracellular matrix fibers alter their responses to inflammatory and migratory cues to control their decision-making processes. He primarily studies macrophage behavior with live-cell migration assays in 3-D chambers in vitro, designed to mimic basement membrane and interstitial...

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Thorsten Prüstel, Ph.D.

Staff Scientist

Education:

B.S., Ph.D., University of Hamburg, Germany

Languages Spoken: German

Thorsten Prüstel received his B.S. and Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Hamburg in Germany. After conducting post-doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Martin Meier-Schellersheim, he became a staff scientist in the Computational Systems Biology Section. The main foci of Thorsten’s research are on stochastic modeling and quantitative analyses of interactions between...

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Yuting Shao, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics
M.S., Computer Science, Northeastern University
B.S., Electronic Engineering, Jilin University
 

Yuting Shao is a postdoctoral visiting fellow in the Computational Biology Section. She received her Ph.D. in physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, her M.S. in computer science from Northeastern University, and her B.S. in electronic engineering from Jilin University. She brings a unique interdisciplinary background to her research, combining her expertise in...

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Shikha Sharma, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Education:

Ph.D., 2023, Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research, India

Languages Spoken: Hindi

Shikha is a postdoctoral visiting fellow in the Computational System Biology Section (CSBS). She received her Ph.D. in computational biology in August 2023 from the Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research in Mohali, India for her work on antimalarial drug actions and their mechanisms of resistance. Shikha joined CSBS in November 2023 to further pursue her interest in 3D structural...

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Fengkai Zhang, M.D., M.Math.

Staff Scientist

Education:

M.D., Beijing Medical University 
M.Math., Bioinformatics, University of Waterloo 
B.S., Computer Science and Statistics, University of Manitoba 

Languages Spoken: Mandarin Chinese

Fengkai Zhang is a staff scientist in the Computational Systems Biology Section. He received his M.D. from Beijing Medical University, his B.S. in computer science and statistics from the University of Manitoba, and his master’s degree in bioinformatics from the University of Waterloo. His postdoctoral work at Virginia Commonwealth University focused on SNPs in human and mouse. Following his...

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Former Research Group Members

Dr. Josua Aponte-Serrano, Research Scientist, United Therapeutics, Silver Spring, Maryland

Dr. Bastian Angermann, Associate Principal Scientist, AstraZeneca, Sweden

Dr. Tara Capece, Scientific Review Officer at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland

Dr. Frederick Klauschen, Director of the Institute for Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany

Dr. Anke Knauf, Head of Research Management, Charite University Hospital, Berlin, Germany

Dr. Bernadette Marrero, Regulatory and Scientific Analyst Amarex Clinical Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Dr. Rajat Varma, Director, Oncology Research (Nextgen IO) AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Dr. Oded Yakobi, Israel Aerospace Industries

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