Meet the Team

Group Leader & Provisional Head of Division

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 and holds a Dr. biol. hum. (summa cum laude) since 2019. In 2020, Jana received a Margarete von Wrangell Habilitation Fellowship and became an independent junior research group leader. In October 2024, she completed her habilitation (venia legendi in experimental orthopedics and trauma surgery) and become provisional head of the Division for Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases after the retirement of Prof. Brenner.

Foto:Elvira Eberhardt

Short CV_JRK.pdf

Contact:

Mail: jana.riegger@uni-ulm.de

Tel.: 0731-500 63280

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).

Post doc

Dr. rer. nat. 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, which she finalized in 2025. Her PhD project focused 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.

Contact:

Mail: leonie.ruths@uni-ulm.de

Tel.: 0731-500 63287

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.

Contact:

Mail: tanja.frey@uni-ulm.de

Tel.: 0731-500 63287

Natalie Braun

Technical assistant

Topic: Cell fate decision; snSeq

Sara Marques

Doctoral student (Dr. med.)

Topic: GDF15 in PTOA

Larissa Martens

Bachelor student (Mol Med)
Topic: Bone senescence

Mira Grohe

Doctoral student (Dr. med.)
Topic: Senolytics

Alumni

Svenja Maurer (Doctoral thesis – Dr. rer. nat.)
Topic: Therapeutic strategies for initial harm reduction and support of regenerative processes in osteoarthritis
Victoria-Tasja Karpe (Bachelor Thesis – Molecular Medicine)
Topic: Genetically modified porcine chondrocytes as xenogenic approach in cartilage engineering
Molecular Hannah Vogg (external Master Thesis – Nutrition Science/ Uni Hohenheim)
Topic: Paracrine influence of scenecent cells on osteogenic differentiation of human MSC
Leonie Ruths (Doctoral thesis – Dr. rer. nat.)
Topic: Role of anaphylatoxins and their receptors in cartilage calcification
Pelin Sezer (Master Thesis – Molecular Medicine)
Topic: Cytotoxic effects of anaphylatoxins on chondrocytes under pro-inflammatory conditions
Jana Hengge (Master Thesis – Biochemistry)
Topic: Involvement of interleukin-6 and complement activation products in senescence of human articular chondrocytes
Alexandra Liebaug (Master Thesis – Biochemistry)
Topic: Investigation of GDF-15 expression and its effects in cartilage degeneration and regeneration after injury
Valeria Kirsch (Master Thesis – Molecular Medicine)
Topic: Senolytics as therapeutic option to target cellular senescence in osteoarthritis
Julia Baumert (Doctoral Thesis – Dr. med.)
Topic: Pathogenic implication and therapeutic influence of the hexosamine pathway after cartilage trauma
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