Kerstin Göpfrich
Kerstin GöpfrichProfessor
Biophysicist by training. Grew up in Erlangen, lived in Cambridge (M.Phil and Ph.D.) and Stuttgart, started the Biophysical Engieering of Life Group in Heidelberg in 2019.
Cody Geary
Cody GearySenior scientist
RNA wizzard & world expert. PhD from Santa Barbara, then moved to Aarhus University before joining us in 2024.
Erik Poppleton
Erik PoppletonSenior PostDoc
Biologist turned computer scientist. Joined us from Arizona State University. Makes the molecules dance (and sometimes not only that).
Ken Sachenbacher
Ken SachenbacherPostDoc & DNA/RNA origami facility lead
Origami wizzard. Joined us from TUM.
Tobias Abele
Tobias AbelePhD student
Physicist. Joined us for his Master & stayed for the PhD. Animation wizzard. Together with Stefan, he sorts things out – for real.
Michelle Emmert
Michelle EmmertPhD student
Molecular Biotechnologist by training, artist in and out of the lab. Sculping vesicles.
Maja Lehr
Maja LehrPhD student
Physicist. Moved from the far east (TU Dresden) via an ERASMUS stay in Grenoble to Heidelberg for MSc + PhD
Stefan Maurer
Stefan MaurerPhD student
Physicist with a great interest for new tech. Together with Tobi, he sorts things out (in the truest sense of the word).
Luca Monari
Luca MonariPhD student
A chemist who turned to the dark side of biophysics. Bioengineer by day, developer by night, comedian by afternoon.
Fenja Murken
Fenja MurkenPhD student
From Chemistry to Matter to Life. Unraveling the structure of synthetic RNA origami designs with cryoEM.
Mai Tran
Mai TranPhD student
Biochemist. Came from France for a Master’s and stayed for a PhD.
Tobias Walther
Tobias WaltherPhD student
Molecular Biotechnologist. Joined for a Master’s, stayed for his PhD.
Tim Karrasch
Tim KarraschPhD student
Matter to Life. Makes and breaks membranes, ideally by (RNA origami) design. Also celebrated for selecting the group’s coffee machine.
L. Julieth Bravo Martinez
L. Julieth Bravo MartinezPhD student
Chemist by training, juggles GUVs and sometimes photographer of the group!
William Verstraeten
William VerstraetenPhD student
Life science engineer & nanobiologist from Delft and Lausanne.
Alena Taskina
Alena TaskinaPhD student
Matter to Life. Makes droplets in droples and other cool things with RNA.
Dana Venkert
Dana VenkertPhD student
Neuroscientist turned synthetic biologist, joined us from Tel Aviv
Claudia Helbig
Claudia HelbigTechnical Assistant
Joined us from ZMBH (thank you!).
Kornelia Mack
Kornelia MackSecretary
Supports us on the administrative side.

Alumni

Dr. Alessandra Griffo, Postdoc, now editor at Nature Biomedical Engineering. We may submit papers…

Dr. Taniya Chakraborty, Postdoc, the first independent group leader from our lab! Check out her lab in Frankfurt here. All the best!

Vanessa Huth, Master student and intern, joined industry in Berlin. Will come and visit!

Yannik Dreher, PhD student, came for his Master’s before the group was even a group, now left us as Dr GUVernator. Congratulation PhD #2, and all the best for your future!

Jacob Nießner, Hiwi who implemented 3D surface reconstruction of GUVs – he left for his Master thesis in the group of Rebecca Wade, but his code will continue to be used! Thank you, Jacob.

Kevin Jahnke, the first PhD student of the group, who now graduatated and left to go to David Weitz’s group at Harvard. We couldn’t be more proud.

Marlene Scheffold, intern of the group, who came back once (and who knows, maybe twice!) Now went back to Medical School. (Update Nov. 22: Marlene is back!)

Niklas Urbanek, Molecular Biotechnology Intern, now Intern in Barcelona – we don’t blame him.

Julius Fichtler, long-term HiWi and guest researcher, now studies dental medicine at Heidelberg University. We don’t say goodbye as he may come back!

Yiğitcan Sümbelli, Visiting ERASMUS PhD student from Turkey from Sept. 2021 – Nov. 2021, now 3D printing in the van Hest group. All the best and see you around!

Nina Hagen, Master student in Molecular Biotechnology in Heidelberg, intern in our and Ada Cavalcanti-Adam’s group from June 2021 until Aug. 2021. Thanks for the short but productive stay!

Andreas Schönit, Master student in Molecular Biotechnology in Heidelberg, Master student in our and Ada Cavalcanti-Adam’s group from July 2020 until July 2021. Brought real cells into our research. Off to Paris for a PhD – you will be missed!

Dr. Ali Aghebat Rafat, our first post-doc from May 2021 until June 2021, biophysicist, DNA origami and AFM expert with a PhD from TUM. Ali decided to join industry after a brief but productive and fun time in the group. Now at tilibit nanosystems to make sure that we get the best scaffold!

Christoph Karfusehr, Max Planck School Matter to Life Master student, intern in the group from Oct. 2020 until April 2021. Came as a chemist, quickly turned into a physicist and moved on to do MD. Great choice and all the best!

Sarah Braun, Master student in Molecular Biotechnology in Heidelberg, intern in the group from May 2020 until Aug. 2020 and HiWi from Dec. 2020 until Feb. 2021. Became a DNA origami expert during COVID-19, now into CAR T-cells. Came back once, maybe twice? See you around!

Elizaveta Bobkova, Master student in Molecular Biotechnology (and Physics!) in Heidelberg, intern in the group from Jan. 2020 until Aug. 2020. Studied phase-separation in lipid vesicles.