Four Doctoral Candidates from Heidelberg University at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Four doctoral candidates from Heidelberg University have the opportunity to exchange ideas with outstanding scientists. They are set to take part in the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, which is being held in Lindau from 28 June to 3 July 2026. Jana Braunger, Tim Schubert, Laura Rueda Gensini and Nathan Trausch are among around 600 young researchers who have been selected through a multi-stage application and selection process for their outstanding academic achievements. The anniversary event on Lake Constance, with more than 70 Laureates – including Heidelberg physicist Prof. Dr Stefan Hell, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry – offers a multi-day interdisciplinary program featuring lectures and panel discussions, as well as opportunities for face-to-face exchange and networking.
JANA BRAUNGER
Jana Braunger is a member of the research group led by Junior Professor Dr Britta Velten at Heidelberg University’s Centre for Organismal Studies (COS). She develops computer-assisted methods for analyzing CRISPR screening data from single cells. The 27-year-old is working on a machine learning model that provides better insights into how specific genetic changes affect gene expression. Her aim is to make these analyses more reliable and easier to interpret, thereby contributing to a better understanding of gene regulation. Jana Braunger studied Molecular Biotechnology at Heidelberg University and Biomathematics at the University of Greifswald and has been pursuing her doctorate at the COS since 2023.
TIM SCHUBERT
Tim Schubert is studying Medicine at Heidelberg University and is pursuing his doctorate in the research group led by Prof. Dr Christian Schaaf at the Institute of Human Genetics of Heidelberg University Hospital. The 25-year-old’s research explores how genetic changes influence the development of the brain. The aim of his work is not only to improve understanding of disease mechanisms, but also to enable new approaches for earlier diagnoses and personalized therapies. During his studies, he gained international study and research experience, including at the University of Cambridge and Harvard University. Tim Schubert is co-founder of “Situs Inversus”, a teaching project in which medical students provide free learning resources in the form of a podcast.
LAURA RUEDA GENSINI
Laura Rueda Gensini and Nathan Trausch are two doctoral candidates taking part in the meeting who conduct research at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in the research group led by Dr Moritz Mall, as well as at Heidelberg University. Laura Rueda Gensini’s work centers on how glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain tumor – changes and adapts over time. Using single-cell genomics approaches, she examines the gene regulation mechanisms that control the various cell states and thus influence the course of the disease. The aim of this work is to identify new strategies for predicting, and potentially influencing, tumor development. The 28-year-old studied Biomedical Engineering at Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. She has been pursuing her doctorate at the DKFZ and Heidelberg University since 2022.
NATHAN TRAUSCH
Nathan Trausch studies the gene regulatory mechanisms that cause stem cells to develop into specialized cells – in particular neurons – and to maintain this “cellular identity”. This is controlled by so-called “safeguard” proteins, which suppress the genes that would otherwise promote differentiation into non-neuronal cells. Impairment of these mechanisms may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, or with the development of cancer cells. For his dissertation, the 25-year-old has been investigating uncharacterized and known safeguards since June 2026, using CRISPR screens, neuronal organoids and optogenetics, among other methods. He previously studied Human Biology in Marburg and Molecular Biosciences in Heidelberg.
