REICHERT LAB

Principal Investigator

Maximilian Reichert

I studied Medicine in Heidelberg and at the Technical University of Munich. I graduated with my thesis focusing on PI3K signaling and cell cycle progression in pancreatic cancer (PDAC) with summa cum laude. During my postdoctoral fellowship at the University in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, I discovered novel mechanisms of transcriptional regulation of PDAC cell plasticity using 3D culture models. After my return to Germany, I transferred my knowledge of advanced 3D culture systems successfully to cancer patients generating a cancer patient-derived organoid repository at TUM.

We are Groot. – Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy, MCU

Lab manager

Laura Schmidleitner

After receiving my bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from the University of Regensburg, I did my PhD at the Helmholtz Center Munich and the Technical University Munich. I investigated the role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition to identify factors that play a role in the progression of breast cancer. Since 2021, I manage the lab located in Garching and support the other scientists of our group.

Be grateful.

Postdoc

Martin Troßbach

Having received my BSc and MSc from the Technical University of Munich in the Molecular Biotechnology program, I moved to Stockholm to obtain a PhD from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. I worked at the Science for Life laboratory, an institute jointly run by KTH, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholms Universitet and Uppsala Universitet, and got training in droplet microfluidics at the interface of engineering, biotechnology and medical research. My thesis work focused in large parts on droplet cell and microtissue culture.
In the Reichert lab I am co-coordinating the establishment of a multicentric organoid biobank in the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) network, while aspiring to leverage microfluidics to further streamline our organoid pipeline.

We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works. – Douglas Adams

Postdoc

Janine Murr

Growing up in Munich, I initially found myself drawn to the business sector during high school, largely due to a lack of interest in science. However, everything changed in my final year when my biology teacher’s enthusiasm and insight opened my eyes to the wonders of the natural world. This propelled me to pursue both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, where I began delving into the complexities of human and cellular biology. My academic journey was completed with a thesis at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, investigating the Epstein-Barr Virus and its effect on cancer patients. Two significant cancer diagnoses within my family in that time established a personal motivation to further develop myself in a cancer researcher. This drove me to embark on a Ph.D. journey under the mentorship of Günter Schneiders Lab at TUM, where I’ve dedicated myself to understanding the intricacies of pancreatic cancer subtypes and investigating novel drug treatments using cutting-edge techniques like high-throughput screening and omics approaches. Since 2024, I joined the Reichert Group. Here, my focus has shifted even more onwards to translational research, bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications. To reach a more personalized treatment strategies for cancer patients, high-throughput drug screening methodologies using patient-derived organoids will be established. Combined with genetic alterations or driver mutations, this information will gain further knowledge in a future personalized treatment option and drug development in the fight for cancer.

Cancer may have chosen the battlefield, but it has picked the wrong opponent.

Postdoc

Raphela Ranjan

I joined the group in 2019 May as a PhD candidate. I did my bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences (2016) at the Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai (India) and my Master’s degree in Molecular Medicine (2018) at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany). During my Master’s, I developed chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) xenografts to model various entities of cancer for functional studies of cancer hallmarks. During my PhD I am focusing on establishing the CAM model to study the interaction of tumor cells and Cancer associated fibroblasts in the regulation of metastasis by in ovo CRISPR/Cas9 dropout screening.

Success is a decision.

Postdoc

Aashreya Ravichandra

I completed my Bachelor’s in Biology and my Master’s in Biotechnology from CUNY Hunter College in 2018 before working as a research technician for 2 years at the Schwabe Lab at Columbia University. I started working in Max Reichert’s lab in April 2021 and my project focuses on understanding how cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) plasticity and heterogeneity alters tumor vascularization and endothelial cells in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the liver.

Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.

PhD candidate

Akul Shastri

I completed my masters at the LMU Munich during which I had the opportunity to work on a research course in the Reichert lab, which was based on understanding the individualistic effect of specific growth factors and agonists on the morphology of PDAC organoids in vitro. I then stayed on as a master’s student with the lab. During my thesis, we were able to define a media composition which would enable branching morphogenesis in patient-derived organoid (PDOs) lines. This would allow us to understand the pathways that are involved in the phenomenon of branching morphogenesis in PDOs.

Research Associate

Lisa Fricke

I did my Master in Nutrition and Biomedicine at TUM. Since February 2020 I am working for clinical studies at MRI. Within the SFB1321 I take care of the samples for pancreatic cancer patient-derived organoids and provide the link between the clinic and the research lab.

Never stop exploring.

Technical Assistant

Sabrina Wenderoth

I completed my training as a biology laboratory assistant at the company “Sanofi” in Frankfurt am Main. I started working in Professor Reichert´s lab in July 2023 and I am responsible for the organoid biobank. I isolate and cultivate organoids from patients’ pancreatic tumor tissue.

Never a failure, always a lesson.

PhD Candidate

Lea Sieber

After completing my Bachelor`s degree in 2022 and my Master`s degree in 2024 – both in Molecular Medicine at the University of Regensburg – I began my PhD in April 2025. During my Master`s thesis in the Reichert lab, I studied the reciprocal interactions between macrophages and tumor cells in pancreatic cancer, using in vitro models. My current doctoral research is embedded in a Phase I/IIa clinical study and focuses on investigating the therapeutic efficacy and immune evasion mechanisms of a CD318-directed CAR-T cell therapy, employing organoid-based tumor models.

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. – Lewis Carroll

PhD Candidate

Nina Haindl

I’m a scientist. Once I do something, I want to do something else. – Clifford Stoll

PhD Candidate

Dong Wook Min

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Manchester (UK), followed by a Master’s degree at the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory at Seoul National University (South Korea). During my Master’s, I led a project investigating intra-tumoral heterogeneity in colon cancer stem cells using single-cell sequencing. In parallel, I developed hands-on expertise in organoid culture systems, which I further expanded during a subsequent three-year tenure as a technical research personnel. During this period, I played a key role in establishing a patient-derived colon organoid biobank.

In 2024, I joined Reichert lab as a PhD candidate. My current research focuses on the reciprocal crosstalk between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and pancreatic endocrine cells, particularly how this interaction reshapes the surrounding tumor-immune microenvironment.

Technical Assistant

Marija Simic

After obtaining my Master’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Belgrade in 2018, I explored several different research topics over the years before finally joining the Reichert Lab in March 2025. My research focuses on the development of a patient-derived organoid biobank and the optimization of protocols for isolating and maintaining wild-type organoids derived from normal adjacent PDAC tissues. I am particularly interested in improving reproducibility and translational potential in organoid-based models. Moreover, I am focused on exploring patient-derived heterogeneity and integrating organoid-based studies with in vivo experiments to better understand pancreatic cancer biology.

Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time with friends, talking with my family, and staying active through running, hiking, playing volleyball, swimming, and fitness. I’m always up for trying new activities — maybe diving or learning to play the piano next!

“What we know is a drop; what we do not know is an ocean.” – Isaac Newton