RIEGGER LAB
Meet the Team
Group Leader
Dr. Jana Riegger-Koch
Jana Riegger-Koch obtained her M.Sc. in Biology, focus on Molecular Biosciences, at the University of Ulm in 2014. Afterwards, she joined the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases (Prof. Brenner) at the Department of Orthopedics, University of Ulm for her PhD thesis. Since 2019, she holds a Dr. biol. hum. in experimental orthopedics (summa cum laude). In 2020, Jana received a Margarete von Wrangell Habilitation Fellowship and became an independent junior research group leader in the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases.
Her research mainly focuses on the molecular pathomechanisms of posttraumatic osteoarthritis, including regulated cell death, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, and complement activation. Moreover, Jana is interested in other musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration, intrinsic repair by tissue-specific progenitor cells and tissue engineering/ regeneration in general. Her work has been nationally and internationally recognized with scientific awards including the Basic Research Award of the German Society for Orthopedics and trauma surgery 2017 (Riegger et al., Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2016), Young Investigator Award of the German Society for Matrix Biology 2019 (Riegger et al., eCell Mater, 2018), and GRAMMER/European Spine Journal Award 2021 (Teixeira et al., Eur Spine J, 2021).
Foto:Elvira Eberhardt
PhD Student (Dr. rer. nat)
M. Sc. Leonie Ruths
Topic: Involvement of Anaphylatoxins in Regulated Cell Death and Tissue Degeneration after Cartilage Trauma
Leonie Ruths obtained her M.Sc. in Biochemistry at the University of Ulm in 2019. She performed her master´s thesis in the Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Medical Center, under the supervision of Prof. Reinhold Schirmbeck. The object of her master´s thesis was the study of tumor-specific antigens that prime CD8+ T cells by DNA-based vaccines. In 2020, she joined the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases for her PhD studies. Her PhD project focuses on the involvement of the complement system in posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Leonie is particularly interested in the role of the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a in regulated cell death and cartilage degeneration.
PhD Student (Dr. rer. nat)
M. Sc. Svenja Maurer
Topic: Multimodular therapeutic strategies for initial harm reduction and support of regenerative processes after cartilage trauma/ Senolytic therapy
Svenja Maurer obtained her M.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Ulm in 2020. The object of her Master thesis was the surface functionalization of fluorescent nanodiamonds in the Institute for Experimental Physics under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Kay-E. Gottschalk. In 2021, she joined the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases for her PhD studies. In her PhD project Svenja focuses on antioxidants, which possess cell-protective effects, in order to reduce the damage of cartilage trauma and investigates different therapeutic agents regarding their chondroanabolic effects on chondrocytes.
PhD Student (Dr. biol. hum.)
M. Sc. Tanja Frey
Topic: Unravelling the pathomechanisms of compromised fracture healing in osteoporosis:
Consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction (CRC1149 – B09)
Tanja Frey obtained her M.Sc. in Human and Molecular Biology at Saarland University in 2023. She performed her master’s thesis at the Institute of Virology, Saarland University Hospital under the supervision of Dr Lise Lauterbach-Rivière. The object of her master’s thesis was the study of the influence of the transcription factor IRF-1 on BK polyomavirus. In 2023, she joined the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases for her PhD studies. Her PhD project focuses on the consequences of mitochondrial dysfunction in osteoporotic fracture healing. Tanja is particularly interested in the role of oxidative stress on cellular behavior and fate, including regulated cell death and senescence of chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and respective progenitor cells.
Natalie Braun
Technical assistant
Sara Marques
Doctoral student (Dr. med.)
Alexandra Liebaug
Master student (Biochemistry)
Jana Hengge
Master student (Biochemistry)
Alumni
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Valeria Kirsch (Master Thesis – Molecular Medicine)
Topic: Senolytics as therapeutic option to target cellular senescence in osteoarthritis
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Julia Baumert (Doctoral Thesis – Dr. med.)
Topic: Pathogenic implication and therapeutic influence of the hexosamine pathway after cartilage trauma
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Hannah de Hesselle (Bachelor Thesis – Molecular Medicine)
Topic: Expression of CXCR4 on human chondrocytes – Testing of potential sensitization towards SDF-1 signalling by IL-1β stimulation or ex vivo cartilage trauma