Dr. Mareike Albert Appointed Professor of Epigenomics of Neural Development at TU Dresden

Dr. Mareike Albert, a research group leader at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), has been appointed as a Professor of Epigenomics of Neural Development at Faculty of Biology of TU Dresden. Her research focuses on understanding the evolution of the human brain.

The human brain is one of our most complex organs. The neocortex, a specific brain region, controls higher cognitive functions, such as our ability for abstract thinking, the use of art, and language. The size and complexity of the neocortex vary between mammals. For example, the human neocortex is highly folded and contains a much higher number of nerve cells, compared to the mouse and other primates.

Prof. Mareike Albert and her team investigate the mechanisms that control the size of the human neocortex. In particular, the group focuses on gene regulation during brain development. To study the human brain, the group uses new technologies, including laboratory-generated brain organoids. These small, three-dimensional tissue cultures mimic the structure and developmental processes of the human brain.

Using brain organoids, the Albert group studies the mechanisms that promote the division of neural stem cells and therefore, may have contributed to the brain expansion during evolution. Understanding these processes can provide important insights into human brain development. The group also uses brain organoids to study the development of neurodevelopmental disorders such as micro- and macrocephaly, conditions in which the brain size is abnormally small or large.

New Role at the Faculty of Biology

Professor Albert will continue her research at the CRTD while also joining the Faculty of Biology, where she will contribute to teaching activities.

“I am very honored to be appointed a professor at TU Dresden. I look forward to playing a larger role in educating future generations of scientists while continuing our research into the development of the human neocortex. The central core facilities as well as the proximity to the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and to other research institutes make TU Dresden an excellent location for our research,” says Prof. Albert.

About Prof. Mareike Albert

Professor Albert completed her studies in biochemistry at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. She then moved to Curtin University in Perth, Australia, for a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Science. In 2008, she completed her PhD in Genetics at the Friedrich Miescher Institute in Basel, Switzerland, supported by the prestigious Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds Scholarship. Her PhD work earned her the Edmond H. Fischer Prize.

After her PhD, Mareike Albert worked at the Biotech Research and Innovation Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, supported by a long-term EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2013, she joined Prof. Wieland Huttner’s group at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) as a staff scientist. In 2019, she launched her research group at the CRTD with support from the prestigious Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation (DFG). In 2020, she was recognized as one of the TUD Young Investigators.