Team

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Charles Imbusch, MBA

Charles is a bioinformatician by training and leads the research group Quantitative Biomedicine at the University Medical Center Mainz. He is also affiliated with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), where he heads the Computational Oncoimmunology team. Outside of work, when his two children allow, Charles enjoys playing badminton, flying gliders (a past hobby), and exploring entrepreneurship.

Contact: [email protected]

Joachim Seebass (PhD student)

Joachim is a former physics student who transitioned into the interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics during his master’s studies at the German Cancer Research Center where he met Charles. There, he completed a master’s thesis that combined his strong physical background with current biological research. While working on the thesis he found the topics so interesting and fascinating that he decided to continue his research in this area.

Contact: [email protected]

Lenart Žežlina (PhD student)

Lenart is a PhD student in the Quantitative Biomedicine research group at University Medical Center Mainz. With a background in Applied Statistics and Molecular Biology, he focuses on understanding T cell subpopulations and collaborates with the DKFZ to study extrachromosomal DNA in pancreatic cancer. Lenart is interested in the integration of statistical methodologies with biological research.

Contact: [email protected]

Rahma Qadeer (PhD student)

Rahma is a doctoral researcher at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), where she investigates the mechanisms regulating anti-tumor immune responses in lung cancer. She completed her Master’s thesis at DKFZ, employing machine learning alongside single-cell, bulk, and spatial transcriptomics to study the tumor immune microenvironment of brain metastases. She is passionate about utilizing AI and analytical pipelines to enhance the understanding of complex biological systems and drive advancements in immunotherapy research.

Farhad Faghihi (PhD student)

Farhad is a PhD student at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), focusing on unraveling the underlying facts about tumor dormancy, exploiting cutting-edge sequencing and computational techniques. He studied biotechnology in Iran for his master’s. Farhad is eager to collaborate with elite scientists around the world, as he believes science is developed not in isolation but in cooperation. Outside of work, Farhad enjoys spending time with his wife.

Contact: [email protected]

Linda Welte (Bioinformatics and Data Management)

Linda has a biomedical background and transitioned to bioinformatics during her Master’s where she joined Charles’ team at the DKFZ for her Master’s thesis. Now, she continues her work in the Quantitative Biomedicine group while also providing support in data management & IT. In her leisure time, Linda enjoys an active lifestyle with gym training, bouldering, and yoga. She is also passionate about personal development and diving deeper into the world of Data Science and AI.

Contact: [email protected]

Norma Wendel (Bioinformatics and Data Management)

Norma is part of our bioinformatics and data management team, contributing to the technical infrastructure that supports our research efforts.

Jan Altenhofen (Master’s student in Bioinformatics, JGU Mainz)

Jan is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Bioinformatics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and has joined Charles’ team to complete his thesis. His interest in immunobiology began during his Bachelor’s studies in Biology, and since then, he has been eager to contribute to this field. Within Charles’ group, he is focusing on uncovering the origins of hybrid T-cells. Outside of research, Jan enjoys cooking and can often be found on the tennis or volleyball court.