Lab Members
Dr. Felix Weiss
Lab Head
Felix is a Group Leader at the DRFZ, where he heads the Laboratory of Inflammatory Control. He obtained his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Matthias Merkenschlager (Imperial College London, UK) where he analysed the role of 3D genome organisation in macrophage and neuronal gene regulation. During his postdoctoral work with Prof. Felix Meissner (UKB, Germany) he identified strain-specific genetic differences that alter the murine inflammatory response. His lab at the DRFZ is focused on expanding into human biology and understanding how genetic variation can influence the human immune response and the development of auto-inflammatory diseases.
He lives at home in Berlin with his husband and two cats (Paco & Romy).
Contact: felix.weiss[at]drfz.de
Dennis Hinkel
PhD Student
Dennis is a PhD student in the Laboratory of Inflammatory Control at the DRFZ. He performed his Master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Olivia Majer (Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Germany), where he studied the differential regulation and sorting routes of endosomal toll-like receptors (TLRs) in auto-immunity. During his PhD, Dennis will pursue his interest in immunology and investigate novel functions of inflammasome associated proteins, which are frequently mutated in auto-inflammatory diseases. Outside of science, he enjoys learning about philosophy and sociology, as well as exploring Berlin's café and bar landscape (which sometimes come together). He also plays the piano and can probably beat you at Mario Kart.
Zeynep Durak
PhD Student
Zeynep is a first-year PhD student in the Laboratory of Inflammatory Control at the DRFZ. She joined the lab following her MSc at the University of Nottingham, and is interested in the intersection of computational and molecular biology. She is particularly interested in rare genetic diseases and how epigenetic heterogeneity can influence inflammation and disease manifestation. Outside of the lab Zeynep loves nature photography, mountain hiking, yoga, and reformer pilates. She is also actively involved in autism awareness projects since high school, a topic very close to her heart.