Who we are

and what we do

We are a group of researchers of the Medical University of Graz fascinated by how maternal and fetal factors drive pregnancy and placental function.
We analyse pregnancy associated factors and placental physiology in health and disease. Moreover, we have established a panel of cell and tissue culture methodology and functional assays which we combine with molecular cutting edge analyses to address our research questions in vitro.

 

 

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Barbara Leopold-Posch

BMA

I am biomedical scientist and support the research lab team one day a week. I help people in the cell culture lab and in all fields of molecular biology. When I am not in the lab I like cycling, swimming, Yoga and everything else I can do together with my friends.

(Currently on maternity leave)

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Bettina Amtmann

Research Nurse

I am the connection between the lab and the other departments in the house, for example delivery room, outpatientin clinic, wards, etc. Together with my colleague try my best to coordinate clinical studies and provide the lab with required biological material and information. Whenever they call we are ready ;-)

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Birgit Hirschmugl

PhD, PI

My areas of interest are metabolic disorders during pregnancies and their impact on placental transfer, metabolism and function of complex lipids such as phospholipids.

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Carolin Schliefsteiner

PhD, PI

My field of research are placental macrophages and their interaction with other placental cell types.

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Christian Wadsack

PhD, PI

As a biochemist by training my research interest focuses on understanding the contributing role of bioactive lipids on placental function to common and debilitating conditions of pregnancy e.g. gestational diabetes, obesity and preeclampsia.

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Gernot Desoye

PhD, PI

For almost 30 years my main interest has been to understand the role of the placenta in mediating or protecting the fetus from the adverse maternal environment associated with diabetes and obesity.

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Hanna Allerkamp

PhD, PI

I am interested in the function and adaptation of the placental and uterine vasculature in normal and compromised pregnancies. Currently, I am focused on investigating the role of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 in the placental endothelium in normal pregnancies and in preeclampsia.

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Julia Bandres-Meriz

PhD Student

Metabolic disorders such as maternal obesity and diabetes influence placental development and have long-term consequences on the offspring.

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Maja Gajic

PhD Student

The main focus of my PhD project is hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a potential treatment for preeclampsia (PE).  

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Michaela Klaczynski

PhD Student

In my PhD-project I am interested into the placental communication with the fetal immune system by small extracellular vesicles.

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Monika Horvat Mercnik

PhD Student

As a PhD student, I investigate the crosstalk between feto-placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) and the endothelium.

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Natascha Berger

PhD Student

 In my PhD-thesis, I examine the role of lipid hydrolases in the regulation of placental lipid homeostasis, aiming to identify their specific function under normal and inflammatory conditions.

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Simone Schaffer

Research Technician

 

I am a research technician and my current main responsibility is to support the team with the organization of our laboratory as well as various lab tasks in cell culture and molecular biology. I also enjoy being involved in various projects as an assistant, which gives me the chance to gain insights in many different results of our team work.