Head
Neva Caliskan did her undergraduate degree in Ankara, Turkey and moved to Germany for her PhD at the International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Biology in Göttingen. After completing her PhD, she stayed as a postdoc at the Department of Physical Biochemistry at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. In 2018, she started her independent research group at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research. She also has a joint affiliation as a W1 professor at the University of Würzburg. Her group studies the functional dynamics and regulation of translational recoding in RNA viruses using a combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches.
Caliskan, Neva, Prof. Dr.
Professor
VKL 5.0.16
p: +49 (941) 943 2472
e: neva.caliskan@ur.de
Administration office
Supporting the Biochemical and Medical Chair with precision and care.
A key link in keeping the department running seamlessly.
Torres, Azalia
VKL 5.0.15
p: +49 (941) 943 2471
e: maria-azalia.torres-ramirez@ur.de
Senior Scientists
Griesenbeck, Joachim, Prof. Dr.
VKL 1.0.10E
p: +49 (941) 943 2846
e: joachim.griesenbeck@ur.de
Milkereit, Philipp, Dr.
VKL 1.0.10E
p: +49 (941) 943 2846
e: philipp.milkereit@ur.de
Lab organization
Maier, Andreas, Dr.
VKL 5.0.17
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: andreas1.maier(at)ur.de (opens your email program)
After my Bachelors in Biochemistry and biophysical Chemistry at the Goethe-University in Frankfurt and Masters at the University in Regensburg, I did my PhD at the Buchner chair at the Technical University in Munich working on in vitro characterization of chaperones. Having worked in industry for pharmaceutical process upscaling I am establishing insect cell culture and characterization of RBPs at the Biochemistry III chair besides building up workflows in and around the lab.
Research specialists and technical staff
Raina, Komal
VKL 5.0.18
p: +49 (941) 943 2539
e: komal.raina@ur.de
Braun, Selina
VKL 5.0.17
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: selina.braun@ur.de
Postdocs
Lederer, Eva-Maria, Dr.
VKL 5.0.17
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: eva-maria.lederer@ur.de
Riocreux-Verney, Benjamin, Dr.
VKL 5.0.17
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: benjamin.riocreux-verney@ur.de
Mghezzi-Habellah, Makram, Dr.
VKL 5.0.18
p: +49 (941) 943 2539
e: Makram.Mghezzi-Habellah@ur.de
Thome, Chairini Cassia, Dr.
VKL 5.0.17
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: chairini-cassia.thome@ur.de (opens your email program)
I obtained my PhD degree in molecular biology from the University of Göttingen, where I investigated the role of GTPases during assembly of human ribosomes. Since August 2026, I am a member of Prof. Caliskan’s lab, and my postdoctoral research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying recoding events in mitochondrial translation using reporter assays and single-molecule analysis.
PhD Students
Neuber, Miriam
VKL 5.0.18
p: +49 (941) 943 2539
e: miriam.neuber@ur.de
Since May 2025, I have been working on my PhD in the Department of Biochemistry of Prof. Caliskan. I am interested in single-molecule analysis of macromolecular machines such as the ribosomes to better understand how RNA molecules are decoded during translation.
Karban, Simon
VKL 5.0.18
p: +49 (941) 943 2539
e: simon.karban@ur.de
Sareen, Jhanvi
VKL 5.0.18
p: +49 (941) 943 2539
e: jhanvi.sareen@ur.de
Pröll, Jonas
VKL 5.017
p: +49 (941) 943 2493
e: jonas.proell@ur.de