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Meet The Team
Sebastian Preissl, PhD
Univ.-Professor, Head of the Department Pharmacology and Toxicology
sebastian.preissl[at]uni-graz.at
sebastian.preissl[at]pharmakol.uni-freiburg.de
Hi, I am a Professor and Head of the Department Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Graz. I am also a group leader at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Freiburg.
I studied pharmacy and received my PhD from University of Freiburg, Germany (Supervisor: Prof. Lutz Hein), where my research focused on DNA methylation in cardiomyocytes in heart development and heart failure.
My postdoc in Prof. Bing Ren’s laboratory at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer, San Diego, centered on 3D chromatin organization and enhancer dynamics in cardiomyocyte differentiation and single cell epigenomic profiling of chromatin accessibility in mouse forebrain development. From 2017-2021, I was the Associate Director for Single Cell Genomics at the UCSD Center for Epigenomics (Director: Bing Ren). Here, my team set up state-of-the-art single cell (epi-)genomics research platforms for single cell (epi-)genomic profiling that enabled in depth studies of mouse and human tissues including brain, lung, heart and an atlas of chromatin accessibility across 30 human adult tissues.
The main objective of my lab's research is to dissect epigenomic and gene regulatory programs underlying tissue homoestasis, ageing as well as cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
Mohammaderfan Farhadieh
PhD student
mohammaderfan.farhadieh[at]uni-graz.at
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Hi, I’m a PhD student researcher passionate about analyzing transcriptomics, epigenomics, and genomics data in multifactorial diseases. I completed my MSc in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Isfahan, where I studied cell-level splicing events in Alzheimer’s disease.
My doctoral research focuses on bioinformatics and single-cell data analysis, with a particular interest in sex-specific molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases, especially atrial fibrillation.
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Safa Haddad
PhD student​
safa.haddad[at]pharmakol.uni-freiburg.de
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Hi, I hold a double degree: a State Engineer in Biotechnology and a Master’s in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from the National Higher School of Biotechnology Taoufik KHAZNADAR in Algeria, where I completed my thesis on marine exopolysaccharides and their applications in dermocosmetics. I also earned a Master’s in Bioengineering from BahçeÅŸehir University in Istanbul, Türkiye, where my research focused on developing novel hERG blocker QSAR models using machine learning-based classifiers.
My doctoral research focuses on uncovering cell-type-specific gene regulatory programs associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease using single-cell epigenomic approaches.
Qasim Majid, PhD
Junior Group Leader, Senior Scientist
qasim.majid[at]uni-graz.at
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I am a Junior Group Leader and Senior Scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Graz.
I originally studied Biochemistry at Newcastle University, where I became interested in how the dysregulation of genes and proteins can contribute to human disease. I subsequently completed both my Master’s degree and PhD at Imperial College London. During my PhD, under the supervision of Prof. Sian Harding, I focused on the development of advanced three-dimensional culture systems using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiovascular cells for both cardiovascular tissue engineering and the development of super in vitro models.
Following my PhD, I conducted a postdoc at the University of Helsinki in the lab of Assoc. Prof. Virpi Talman, where I further expanded my expertise in stem cell-based disease modelling and cardiovascular biology.
Today, my research combines these hiPSC-derived cardiovascular cells with advanced 3D models, and multi-omics to understand how the coronary microvasculature is implicated in the development of cardiac disease.
Rebekka Roth
PhD student
rebekka.roth[at]pharmakol.uni-freiburg.de
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Hi, I'm a researcher with a passion for understanding the complexities of cardiovascular disease. I completed my studies in pharmacy at the University of Freiburg, where I focused my diploma thesis on gene expression changes in cardiomyocytes in the context of atrial fibrillation at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.
Currently, I’m working on my doctoral thesis, where I’m uncovering cell-type-specific gene regulatory programs associated with cardiovascular disease. I use single cell epigenomic technologies to explore how different cardiac cell types undergo cellular remodeling during heart disease and development. My research integrates single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic data to identify key epigenetic and gene regulatory pathways that drive these processes.
I’m deeply committed to advancing our understanding of heart disease and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Through my work, I hope to identify new therapeutic targets that could help prevent and treat cardiovascular disorders.
Samuel Wald
PhD student
samuel.wald[at]pharmakol.uni-freiburg.de
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Hi, I studied pharmacy at the University of Tübingen and subsequently began my PhD at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Freiburg.
My research focuses on the dissection of epigenetic processes underlying perinatal and postnatal adaptations of skin macrophage subtypes.
Fang Wang, PhD
Postdoc
fang.wang[at]uni-graz.at
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I am currently a postdoctoral researcher investigating molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying cardiometabolic diseases, with a particular focus on diabetic cardiomyopathy. I completed my undergraduate studies in pharmacy in China, followed by a master’s degree during which I examined protein–protein interactions, histone modifications, and the role of PAQR7 in the reproductive system. During my PhD, I aimed to develop improved therapeutic strategies for diabetic cardiomyopathy by targeting CD36 and V-ATPase. More broadly, my research interests lie in elucidating disease mechanisms using integrative multi-omics approaches, with special attention to sex-specific differences in pathophysiology.
Alumni:
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Claudia Domisch (Technician)
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​Severin Haider (MD student)
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Luis Hortells, DVM, PhD (Senior Scientist, Postdoc)
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Maren Leibrecht (MD student)
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Amirhossein Naghsh Nilchi (PhD student shared with the Grüning lab, University of Freiburg)
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Eliza Sassu (Master student)
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Dragana Stefanovska (Master student)
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