THE BINDER LAB
MASCHA BINDER
Lab head
Mascha heads the Medical Oncology at the University Hospital Basel. Before she was director of the Hematology/Oncology department at the University Medical Center in Halle (Saale). She studied medicine in Würzburg, Freiburg and Rome and worked as an oncologist at the University of Freiburg and Hamburg-Eppendorf. Clinically, she focuses on solid tumor immunotherapy and the treatment of lymphoid cancers. In her research, she strives for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying resistance to develop next-generation targeting options.
Mascha is a big fan of immune repertoires, liquid biopsies and CAR-T cells.
CHRISTOPH SCHULTHEISS
Project lead
Christoph received his PhD in molecular genetics at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz. After a detour to biotech industry he joined Mascha´s lab in Hamburg in 2018. He works on immuno-genetic questions related to autoimmunity, cancer and infection. In addition, he tries to better understand B cell receptor signaling and how therapeutic resistance works on the molecular level. It has become his lifetime task to convince R people that the terminal is not as beautiful as western blots. If he is not in the lab you can reliably find him at any nearby concert with at least one guitar on the stage.
Senior Postdoc
ANNE EUGSTER
Anne graduated at the Biozentrum in Basel, received her PhD in Cambridge (UK) and after spending postdoctoral years in Lyon, she settled down for many years to work as a scientist at the TU Dresden. Here she found her passion for Immunology and particularly for receptor repertoires and single cell technologies. She joined Mascha’s Lab in November 2024 hoping to contribute to the development of immunotherapeutic solutions against cancers. Outside the lab Anne can be found swimming in- or running along the Rhine or enjoying Basel’s artistic scene.
SIMON STÜCHELI
Postdoc
Simon received his PhD in toxicology at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, where he worked on androgen dependent and independent prostate cancer. He then went to work as a scientist in a biotech start-up, which explored novel strategies of cancer immuno-therapy. There, he acted as the bridge between cell biology and mass spectrometry. Simon joined the Binder lab in November 2023 and is working to establish a CAR-T cell platform directed against the B-cell receptor. Outside of work, Simon is always up for a beer or can be found riding his motorbike through the city.
CLAUDIA FISCHER
PhD student
Claudia studied Molecular Medicine in Erlangen, not far from her Bavarian roots, before escaping to Switzerland altogether. In her master thesis, she investigated new approaches of protein engineering with immunotoxins and discovered her passion for immunotherapy through precision targeting. To further expand her knowledge, she started her PhD in our lab in Halle before moving to Basel. There she worked her way into the world of CAR T cells and would now love to find a therapeutic option for every target in existence. While protecting her cell lines from any damage at work, she likes to read and swim in her spare time or annoy her friends with endless movie trivia.
PAUL SCHMIDT-BARBO
PhD student
Paul joined the Binder Lab in 2023 and belongs to the new PhD kids on the block. He did his Master in cognitive science at the University of Tübingen with a focus on in ML and AI. So, he is here to bring in some fancy sounding words and tables with numbers marked in bold. He is the beneficiary of the hard work other do in the lab and loves to crunch some numbers with python. Although unexperienced with the deep waters of NGS data sets his studies have taught him how to survive in unknown waters. He is equipped him with a magic box containing statistic and machine learning tools to escape and hide from lacks of knowledge. However, not everything he does is smoke and mirrors.
During work you will find him in front of his notebook drinking coffee and listening to electronic music.
BRENDA BESEMER
PhD student
Brenda first encountered the wide world of immune cells, conducting her bachelor thesis project in Bonn. Gradually making her way south, she pursued a Master’s in Molecular Biosciences at the University of Heidelberg, specializing in Cancer Biology. For her master’s thesis, she delved into the fascinating world of NK cells, investigating the mechanisms driving resistance in solid tumors, which further fueled her passion for immuno-oncology. Now, continuing her southward journey, she joins our lab in Basel for her PhD adventure. She will focus on CAR T cells and bispecific T cell engagers, aiming to outmanoeuvre hematological malignancies with innovative approaches. Outside the lab, she swaps cell cultures for her growing plant collection, gym sessions, and kitchen experiments.
ADELINE STIEFVATER
Lab technician
Adeline has a Master´s degree in molecular biology from the University Basel. She has worked for many years as technician in the labs of Peter Scheiffele and Michael Sinnreich and joint our lab in 2023 in Basel. If not in the lab, Adeline spends time on the sea, gardens, cinema or is searching for a new motorcycle.
MAJA KADEL
Master student
NATASCHA FRANZ
Intern
Maja is currently completing her Master's degree at the University of Konstanz with a focus on "Disease Biology". Her fascination with immuno-oncology grew during her studies and practical experience, and she is now pursuing this passion in her Master's thesis, where she is investigating the role of JAK/STAT-mediated T-cell exhaustion to improve immunotherapy. She is particularly inspired by translational research, where discoveries in the lab can have a real impact on patients' lives.
When Maja is not in the lab, she can often be found by the water or in the mountains, enjoying activities such as water sports, hiking or exploring new places. She is driven by curiosity, ambition and a commitment to advancing cancer research!
CRC1648/EMERGING INFECTIONS TEAM AT
UKE HAMBURG
JULIAN SCHULZE ZUR WIESCH
PI/Lab head @UKE
SONJA GROBECKER
PhD student
PHILIP HARTJEN
Postdoc
LIZ JANE LAM
PhD student
Sonja studied Molecular Medicine in the beautiful city of Regensburg, where she first explored SARS-CoV-2 immunology during the pandemic, spending hours running ELISA and ELISpot assays. After a detour into studying mitochondrial function in a hiPSC-derived model for depression during her master’s thesis, she's now joining the Schulze zur Wiesch and Binder labs in Hamburg and Basel. Here, she’s diving deep into how the immune system responds to emerging viruses as part of CRC1648. When she’s not in the lab, you’ll likely find her by the sea, waiting for the perfect wind to launch her kite or the perfect wave to surf.
Some of our most famous ALUMNI
LISA PASCHOLD
Postdoc
EDITH WILLSCHER
Bioinformatician
BENJAMIN FORSTER
Intern
MORITZ ESCHER
MD student
HANNA JONAS
MD student
ALINE PATSCHKE
Lab technician
CHRISTOPH WOSIEK
Lab technician
LUISE CLAASS
Clinician Scientist
JULIANE GRIMM
Clinician Scientist
SVENJA HENKES
Master student
DONJETE SIMNICA
Postdoc
LISA VON WENSERSKI
PhD student
ALISSA BEHN
Intern
REBEKKA SCHOLZ
Master student
MARTA SIEDLECKI
Lab technician
JANINA SCHLÜTER
Lab wizard
BARBARA GÖSCH
Lab technician
ANITA SCHULENKORF
Lab technician
JOSEPH TINTELNOT
MD
SIMON SCHLIFFKE
MD
NURAY AKYÜZ
Postdoc
ANNA OBERLE
Postdoc
BENJAMIN THIELE
MD
NATALIE BAUM
PhD student
FRIEDERIKE BRAIG
PhD student