Meet the Team
Our group brings together scientists, clinicians, students, and technical experts working on molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease. Get to know the people behind our research.
Join usPrincipal Investigator
Prof. Dr. Friederike Zunke
Principal Investigator
Friederike Zunke is a neuroscientist specializing in molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease and related synucleinopathies.
Email:
friederike.zunke@fau.de
PubMed:
Publications
ResearchGate:
Profile
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Friederike obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Kiel and St George’s University of London, respectively.
She pursued her doctoral training in biochemistry at the University of Kiel and earned her PhD in 2015, focusing on lysosomal dysfunction in neurodegeneration. She then continued her research as a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she investigated lysosomal and lipid pathways as well as alpha-synuclein aggregation processes.
At the end of 2016, she returned to Kiel as an independent group leader at the Institute of Biochemistry. There, her group studied the impact of lysosomal proteases on the degradation of alpha-synuclein. In 2020, she was appointed Junior Professor for Translational Neuroscience at the Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen / Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg. Since 2025, she has been Full Professor and Deputy Head of the Department.
Her research combines biochemical, cellular, and structural analyses to explore protein-protein interactions, aggregation, and degradation pathways, with a particular emphasis on lysosomal function and homeostasis. Her group is also interested in identifying biomarkers for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease and has developed key assays for the purification of extracellular vesicles from patient biofluids.
Outside the laboratory, Friederike is passionate about sports and food — both cooking and eating. She enjoys playing tennis with her team, running, and cycling through Franconian Switzerland on her cyclocross bike.
PostDocs
Dr. Priyadarshini Ravindran
Postdoctoral Researcher
Priyadarshini Ravindran is a postdoctoral researcher focused on elucidating disease pathomechanisms and identifying novel biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease.
Email: Priyadarshini.ravindran@uk-erlangen.de
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Add a longer biography, research background, scientific interests, and personal note here.
Dr. Fanni Boros
Postdoctoral Researcher
Fanni Boros is a postdoctoral researcher focused on Parkinson’s disease pathomechanisms and the identification of novel disease biomarkers.
Email:
FanniAnnamaria.Boros@uk-erlangen.de
Interests: Parkinson’s disease pathomechanisms, biomarker discovery,
long non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles
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She completed her medical training at the University of Szeged, Hungary, and received her MD diploma in 2016. She then entered the Clinical and Experimental Neurosciences PhD program at the same university, where she studied possible molecular causes of Parkinson’s disease with a particular focus on long non-coding RNAs.
After defending her PhD thesis in 2021, she briefly worked as a junior research fellow in the Neurogenetics Laboratory of the Department of Neurology at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School of the University of Szeged. In 2022, she moved to Germany to pursue a postdoctoral position in the Zunke Lab.
Her research approaches Parkinson’s disease from two perspectives: gaining a better understanding of disease pathomechanisms and identifying biomarkers that could enable early and accurate diagnosis.
In her free time, Fanni enjoys spending time in nature, whether running, cycling, or going for long walks. She also likes travelling and visiting new places, especially with friends and family.
PhD Students
Johannes Neumann
PhD Student
Johannes Neumann is a PhD student in the Zunke Lab.
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Isis Trzan
PhD Student
Isis Trzan is a PhD student investigating gut-brain communication and intestinal alpha-synuclein aggregation in Parkinson’s disease.
Email: isis.ferrazliboriotrzan@uk-erlangen.de
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Isis is a Brazilian biomedical scientist with a background in clinical analysis, molecular biology, and immunology.
In 2023, she moved to Germany to pursue a PhD in the Department of Molecular Neurology at University Hospital Erlangen / FAU.
Anish Varghese
PhD Student
Anish Varghese studies lysosomal dysfunction and alpha-synuclein aggregation in oligodendrocyte development and myelination.
Email: anish.varghese@uk-erlangen.de
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Anish completed his Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, India.
His current work focuses on lysosomal dysfunction and alpha-synuclein aggregation in oligodendrocyte development and myelination.
MD Students
Hasan Aslan
MD Student
Hasan Aslan is an MD student studying Parkinson’s disease in hiPSC-based systems, with a particular interest in the role of astrocytes.
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Lisa Steger
MD Student
Lisa Steger works here as Coordinator of the Astrofinder Project and is an MD student and M.Sc. Molecular Medicine researcher focusing on reactive astrocytes, neuroinflammation, and spatial transcriptomics.
Email: lisa.steger@fau.de
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Lisa obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Medicine from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2022. She is currently pursuing both her MD and MSc in Molecular Medicine.
Magdalena Bolsinger
MD Student
Magdalena Bolsinger is an MD student with a background in Molecular Medicine. Her work focuses on lysosomal pathways, astrocytes, and alpha-synuclein pathology.
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Magdalena earned both her BSc and MSc in Molecular Medicine while pursuing her medical studies in parallel at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Katharina Bezold
MD Student
Katharina Bezold is an MD student in the Zunke Lab.
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Lena Schneiderbanger
MD Student
(shared MD student with Prof. Wei Xiang)
Lena Schneiderbanger is an MD student in the Zunke Lab.
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Technical Assistance
Dejana Taneva Hristov
Technical Assistant / Study Nurse
Dejana Taneva Hristov supports clinical and translational research projects in the Department of Molecular Neurology at University Hospital Erlangen.
Julia Vandrey
Technical Assistant, maternal leave
Julia Vandrey is a technical assistant in the Zunke Lab and is currently on maternal leave.
Students & Research Assistants
Robin Voelckl
Bachelor Student in Molecular Medicine
Robin Voelckl is a Bachelor student working on alpha-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration and lysosomal function using LIMP-2-derived peptides.
Mevlüt Yaglu
Medical Student / Research Assistant
Mevlüt Yaglu is a medical student and research assistant with a background in psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, and clinical research.
Bahare Yazdani
Student / Research Assistant
Bahare Yazdani is a student / research assistant in the Zunke Lab.
Malena Dahm
Student / Research Assistant
Malena Dahm is a student / research assistant in the Zunke Lab.
Saskia Vollhardt
Student / Research Assistant
Saskia Vollhardt is a student / research assistant in the Zunke Lab.
Rabea Gärtner
Student / Research Assistant
Rabea Gärtner is a student / research assistant in the Zunke Lab.
Alumni
- Geoffrey M. Goellner, Ph.D. — Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA; visiting professor
- Alexander Weiß, MD
- Jan Philipp Dobert, PhD — now Postdoc in BIOS group at Twente University
- Jasmin Arjomandi, M.Sc. — now PhD student in Medical Engineering
- Raul Moritz, M.Sc.
- Nicole Montag, B.Sc.
- Rebecca Mächtel, PhD
- Ida Pirkl, B.Sc.
- Sarah Bässler, B.Sc.
- Alice Drobny, PhD — now Evotec, Hamburg
- Niyeti Qazi, M.Sc.
- Susy Prieto Huarcaya, PhD — now Medical Writer at Kill Parkinson
- Simon Bub, M.Sc. — now Euroimmun, Lübeck