Maria Kowald

As a PhD student in the lab of Dr. Noa Lipstein, I am investigating induced motor neurons to find a relationship between the molecular mechanism of neurotransmission and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - a chronic disease of the central nervous system. I grew up in Berlin and did my Bachelor’s in Life Science at Potsdam University. During this time I worked in the group of Dr. Arren Bar-Even and focused on synthetic photorespiration bypasses in E.coli. I continued my studies with a Master’s program in cellular biology at the University of Marburg. For my thesis, I generated neuroepithelial tissue derived from mouse embryonic stem cells to further elucidate the role of Med12, a pivotal key regulator of eukaryotic transcription.  Besides science, I am a big fan of small DIY projects, watching scripted reality TV shows as well as signing up for sports courses but then not going.