Marios Georgakis, PI

Read more in the PI section.

Sabrina Lukanovic, LL.M / Team Assistant

After finishing my Bachelor studies in law, I was awarded a scholarship for Master studies in International Business Law at the Central European University (Hungary). Currently, I am the team assistant to Prof. Bernhagen, Prof. Wahl and Dr. Georgakis. When I am out of the office, I love to spend time with my daughter and son. 

Roya Batool, M.Sc. / Technical Assistant

I am originally from Pakistan and completed my Bachelor in Biosciences there. Pursuing further studies, I gained admission to the Master’s program at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Germany. There, I worked as a student research assistant and tutor in biochemistry and biotechnology for two years. While I enjoyed preparing bachelor’s students for molecular biology lab practices, I discovered a stronger interest in molecular biomedicine research. I joined the CURE-3D Lab at University Hospital Düsseldorf, where I completed an internship and Master thesis in area of cardiovascular diseases. In 2024, I joined research groups of Professor Bernhagen and Dr. Georgakis as a technical assistant. I am excited about gaining knowledge in modern technologies and applying my experiences for a meaningful cause. In my leisure time, I enjoy experimenting with recipes, writing blogs and reading books.

Paulo Alabarse, Postdoc

I am a biologist with a Master's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, PhD in Medicine from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and a double degree PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK). I have previously worked (over 5 years) as a post-doctoral at the University of Sao Paulo and the University of California. I joined Dr. Georgakis' research group in 2023 to work on atherosclerosis and stroke as part of the AtherOmics project that aims to build a biobank, dissect the cell population, and molecular basis of the atherosclerosis plaque, focusing on single-nuclei RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, as well as correlate our findings with imaging (histology and MRI). My personal interest is to help society with remarkable findings to improve overall health and longevity. In my free time I like to practice kung fu, dance tango and study chess.  

Barnali Das, Postdoc

Originally from India, I joined ISD in 2024 and am currently working on integrating multi-omics datasets for predictive modeling of cardiovascular diseases. Prior to this, I was a Postdoc in Prof. Dmitrij Frischmann’s lab at TUM where my project focused on ML-based prediction of B-cell epitope candidates for pan-coronavirus-vaccine design. I did PhD in Computer Science & Engineering (specialization – bioinformatics) from IIT Kharagpur. During my PhD, I worked as visiting research fellows in University of Oxford and University of Bristol. I also worked as an Assistant Professor in TMSL in CSE and AI & ML departments. In my leisure time, I enjoy reading books and travelling.

Murad Omarov, PhD student

I earned my Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology. While working on my bachelor's thesis, which focused on mobile genetic elements in plant genomes, I was introduced to bioinformatics and developed a keen interest in it. Subsequently, I pursued a master's degree in computational biology, where I became fascinated by the application of machine learning in human disease research. In early 2023, I joined Dr. Georgakis' research group as a PhD student. My project aims to identify novel biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis using computer vision and machine learning techniques. In my free time, I enjoy playing guitar, traveling, exploring science beyond my field, and watching movies.

Anushree Ray, PhD student

I hold dual Masters' degrees in Biology from University of Mumbai and Epidemiology from Utrecht University, and I leverage my expertise in both disciplines for my ongoing research. I have joined ISD in 2023 as a PhD student. My work in Dr. Georgakis' research group focuses on unraveling cell-specific immune mechanisms across various stroke subtypes through the analysis of multi-omics data. Beyond my research, I am passionate about my work as scientific editor and am deeply committed to science communication and writing.

Lingling Xu, PhD Student

I studied veterinary medicine for my bachelor's degree and life science informatics for my master's degree. After my master thesis, whose topic is drug repositioning with knowledge graph, I joined a biotech company to identify drug targets for cardiovascular diseases with transcriptome data. Three years working experience in industry made me think about the gap between academia prototypes and commercial applications. Currently I'm working on the topic 'Vascular aging as a contributor to cerebrovascular diseases' to pursue a doctor's degree. With public cohort data from UK Biobank and NAKO, machine learning and deep learning methods will be applied to predict 'vascular age' for participants and then GWAS will applied to find responsible genetic loci for vascular aging.

Lanyue Zhang, PhD Student

I am from China and pursued my studies in Clinical Medicine at Jilin University, where I earned both a Bachelor's degree in Medicine and a Master's degree in Neurosurgery. In 2023, I was awarded the 4-year LMU-CSC scholarship and joined Dr. Georgakis' research team as a PhD candidate. My research focuses on identifying novel biomarkers for atherosclerosis using omics data and machine learning techniques. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, playing badminton, and snowboarding.

Yingle Li, PhD Student

I have completed my medical and master's studies in Neurology at the Southern Medical University of China in 2023. I joined LMU Munich and the ISD a PhD in 2024. I work with neuroimaging data and my current research focus is on atherosclerosis imaging for assessing stroke risk and offer novel insights into stroke prevention. In am enjoying the motivating environment at the Georgakis lab. Outside of research, I like running having recently completed a full marathon in 3 hours and 41 minutes.

Marek Konieczny, MD

I am originally from Poland and earned my degrees in Clinical Psychology and Molecular Neurosciences from the University of Groningen, graduating in 2015. Following this, I completed my PhD with a focus on Neuroimaging of small vessel disease at the ISD in 2020. In 2023, I graduated from medical school at TU München. Currently, while working in the pharmaceutical industry, I have joined Marios Georgakis group at the ISD to explore the genomic architecture of circulating cytokines and inflammatory pathways, particularly as potential drug targets for autoimmune diseases.

Jana Mattar, MD Student

I began my medical studies at LMU Munich in 2018. In 2022, I joined the Georgakis lab to pursue my MD doctoral thesis, with a focus on examining the role of cytokines, particularly MCP-1/CCL2, as inflammatory biomarkers in stroke recurrence to enhance secondary prevention strategies. My involvement extends to our ongoing AtherOMICS biobanking project. Beyond my research and ongoing medical studies, I mentor fellow medical students, lead as the front singer in a Bigband, and enjoy running in 10k races.

Stefan Mayrhofer, MD Student

I am originally from Austria. I am currently studying medicine at the LMU. Having always been fascinated by the creative and logical nature of science, I joined the Stroke Precision Lab in the spring of 2023. In my project I am exploring an imaging biomarker of inflammation in atherosclerosis, specifically by analysing the fat tissue around carotid arteries in computed tomography angiography. To achieve my goal, I am additionally leveraging histological analyses of human carotid artery samples from patients we recruit in the AtherOMICS study. In my free time I enjoy going out with my friends, exploring new restaurants and movies, exercising at the gym and since recently also learning about computer science.

Ali Antabi, MD student

Originally from Syria, my academic journey began with premedical studies in Biology at the American University in Beirut, later graduating from Charles University in Prague as a medical doctor, my passion for research led me to the Mayo Clinic in the USA, where I worked in the cardiovascular and aging laboratory. Additionally, I collaborated with EuroSurg, specifically in the CASCADE project. During that period, my commitment to understanding vascular and soft tissue dysfunction grew stronger. To deepen my expertise in this field, I joined the Georgakis Lab for my Dr.med thesis project. In the ISD, I am immersed in AtherOMICS in collaboration with the Vascular Surgery Department at LMU Klinikum. I have a role in the development of a biobank of human atherosclerotic plaques, with direct patients contact in the OR and around the surgery. Additionally, my responsibilities involve working with epidemiological data derived from stroke patients. In the lab, I work with Cyto-flowmetry, Proteomics, and Histological analyses. Looking ahead, my aspirations involve a dual career path: one as a clinical surgeon and the other dedicated to advancing research. Beyond professional pursuits, I enjoy skiing, boxing, and traveling.

Philip Melton, Clinician Scientist

Originally from Canada, I first joined the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research in 2018 to pursue my MD thesis under the supervision of Prof. Arthur Liesz. My doctoral research focused on the persistence of metabolomic and metagenomic alterations to the gut-brain axis after ischemic stroke in both patients and murine models. After completing medical school in 2023 I joined the ISD as a clinician scientist and am researching the role of circulating monocytes on the development of secondary mortality after stroke. I joined the AG Georgakis in 2024 to initiate a new clinical trial targeting post-stroke vascular inflammation.

Luka Zivkovic, MD student

Born and raised in Munich, I enrolled at LMU Medical School in 2016, where I am currently completing the internship year to obtain my medical licensure. I joined the lab in 2023 after working on my MD thesis under the supervision of Martin Dichgans. My research interests revolve around how white blood cells – in particular macrophages –  propel inflammation in atherosclerosis. I believe that insights into pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in concert with harnessing genomic, proteomic, histological and imaging data will open new avenues for the detection and prevention of cerebrovascular disease. To that end, I contribute to the design and operation of the AtherOMICS biobanking project. To relax and recover, I love cooking at home and supporting my favorite basketball clubs, along with playing recreational matches with friends on the outdoor court.