Researcher's Profile

Research interests: 

• Elucidate the structure-dynamics-function relationship of voltage and ligand gated cation channels:
• gating mechanism of ion channels (enabling selective ion flux, upon external stimuli)
• regulation by physiological ligands and the native lipid environment
• how inherited gain-or loss-of-function mutations affect normal function
• how small molecule modulation affects channel action (including off-target effects)

Career highlights:

• Since 07/2020 Tenured Position (associated Professor) at University of Vienna
• Since 03/2019 Deputy Speaker of the MolTag Doctoral Program
• Since 01/2016 Tenure Track Contract at the University of Vienna
• 10.2015 Habilitation in Pharmacoinformatics
• Since 04/2014 Group Leader, Molecular Modeling Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Vienna
• 2008 – 2009 Post-Doctoral Research, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Germany). Advisor: Prof. Dr. Bert de Groot
• 10.2007 Doctoral Thesis with highest honors

Selected Grants and Awards:

• 2016 Kardinal Innitzer Award for Habilitation
• ERANET e-rare2 (2015-2019), FWF
• Johanna Mahlke geb. Obermann Stiftung (2014-2015)
• 2012 Pleskot Award, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna

Ongoing MolTag research projects as supervisor:

• Theres FRIESACHER: In silico investigation of ion channels in connection with rare diseases 

Completed projects as supervisor:

• Tobias LINDER: Pore gating of potassium channels and dissociation of hERG channel inhibitors , finished 12/2014
• Ke SONG: Computer Simulations on Voltage Gated Calcium and Sodium Channels; finished 03/2015
• Eva-Maria ZANGERL-PLESSL: Gating investigations on inward rectifier potassium channels, finished June 2016
• Xingyu CHEN: In-Silico Investigation of KATP-Channels; finished 11/2019
• Harald BERNSTEINER: Atomistic insight into function and dysfunction of inward-rectifier potassium channels; finished 12/2019
• Michael JIROUT (née Bründl): Gating and conduction regulation of inward rectifier K⁺ channels; finished 05/2023

Completed projects as co-supervisor:

• Priyanka SAXENA: Probing the architecture of hERG potassium channel with drugs; finished 11/2015
• Roshan PUTHENKALAM: Understanding subtype selective allosteric modulation of GABA_A receptors; finished 02/2016
• Peter LUKACS: Exploring an External Access Pathway for Local Anesthetics in the Voltage-Gated Na+ Channel; finished 02/2016
• Stanislav ANDRANOVITS: Probing the role of voltage sensors in calcium channel inactivation and inhibition by antagonists, finished July 2019
• Eva HELLSBERG: Computational studies of molecular interactions in the human dopamine and serotonin transporters, finished 09/2019
• Barbara FUEZI: Analysing and modelling pathways related to hepato- and neurotoxicity, finished 12/2022
• Nadja SINGER: Computer-aided rational design of compounds for imaging transporters, finished 04/2024