BenakisLab - Microbiome–gut–brain interactions

Corinne Benakis, Principal Investigator

I received my master’s in Biochemistry from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. I then moved to Australia for a master’s program at Queensland University, where I first became interested in the molecular basis of neuronal communication. In 2011, I earned my PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Lausanne under the supervision of Dr. Lorenz Hirt, Professor of Neurology. I specifically studied the role of a neuroprotective compound – a JNK inhibitor – on microglia activation and peripheral inflammation after stroke. I then joined the laboratory of Prof. Costantino Iadecola at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York as a postdoctoral fellow –funded by the Swiss National Research Foundation – where my work highlighted for the first time the role of gut microbiota and intestinal immune cells in stroke. In July 2016, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Arthur Liesz at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) in Munich, with a Marie-Curie Sklodowska-Curie European fellowship to develop my own research topic on the specific role of gut metabolites, specifically tryptophan metabolites, in immune cell polarization in the context of brain injury. In April 2020, I founded my own research group at the ISD – with a DFG grant – investigating the critical role of the gut microbiome in stroke. I have a passion for communicating science using powerful visuals, and in my free time I like nothing better than to travel the world in search of new culinary experiences.

Rosa Delgado, PhD Candidate

After finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy in Madrid, I discovered the fascinating world of neuroscience while doing an internship in the laboratory of Dr. Emery Brown in Boston. For my master’s thesis, I investigated the communication between vasculature and neurogenesis under the supervision of Dr. Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar. I am currently a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Benakis, where I am studying the role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites on chronic inflammation after stroke. If you don’t see me in the lab, I’m probably outside in the fresh air, doing sports, or traveling around Europe! 

Diana Fink, Master’s student

I come from Slovenia, where I did my BSc in Biotechnology at University of Ljubljana. In 2017 I first came to Germany to do an Erasmus+ internship at ISD in the Liesz lab. One year later I started my master’s in Human Biology at Ludwig-Maximilian University. During my studies I returned to AG Liesz, where I worked under the supervision of Dr. Corinne Benakis. I’ve always loved immunology, as well as microbiology, and the connection of both with the brain makes it all more exciting. As a MSc student in the Benakis lab I am interested in how activation of immune cells in the gut is influenced by microbial tryptophan metabolites, and how those are affected after stroke. When I am not in the lab, I sing in a choir, or by myself at home. I also like to go outdoors with my friends or hop on a bus at the weekend to visit my home in Slovenia. 

Monica Weiler, Lab Technician

I was born in Romania, where I studied biology and worked as a teacher for several years. Once I came to Germany, I became interested in lab work, so I trained as a lab technician and received my PhD in Immunology from LMU Munich. I support the lab members during various daily experiments and by taking care of orders and other organizational issues. Outside the lab, I love to cook with friends, read a good book, take a walk outside or travel and discover new and interesting places.