Doris Heinrich has headed the newly appointed Group for "Biotechnical Micro- and Nanosystems for the Life Sciences" since the end of 2020. Her research focuses on the biophysics of cells. The systems under investigation include molecular motors, the effects of external stimuli on cells, the dynamics of cell adhesion and migration as well as intracellular transport processes.

She completed her studies with a master's degree in physics (topic: Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy of Semiconductor Nanostructures) at the University of Texas at Austin/ USA and a doctorate in semiconductor physics (topic: Optically induced charge storage in self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots) at the Technische Universität München. She then conducted research in Munich, Los Angeles and Heidelberg with Prof. Dr. E. Sackmann and investigated the mechanical properties of the microtubule/actin cross-talk of living cells.

She then worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company on various projects in France, the Middle East and the USA. In 2007, she founded her own research group at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (LMU). From February 2013 to September 2020, she was a professor at Leiden University (NL). Since February 2019, she has headed the Fraunhofer Center "3DNanoCell" at the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg. Since October 2020, she has also been Director of the Institute for Bioprocess and Analytical Measurement Technology e.V. (iba) in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, an affiliated institute of TU Ilmenau.

 

Professional and scientific experience

Since 2020: Institute Director of the Institute for Bioprocess and Analytical Measurement Technology e.V. (iba) in Heilbad Heiligenstadt

Since 2019: Head of the Fraunhofer Center "3DNanoCell" at the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg

2013-2020: Professor of Biophysics at Leiden University, LION, Institute of Physics

2007 - 2013: Cell Biophysics Group Leader at the LMU Munich, Germany

2006 - 2007: Management consultant at McKinsey & Company

2003 - 2005: Postdoc in Biophysics at TU Munich, Heidelberg University and UCLA, USA

April 2003: Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Semiconductor Physics at the TU Munich (WSI), Germany

 

Prizes, awards, scholarships

2017 Paper of the Year Award (Biophysical Journal)

2015 ERC Consolidator Grant

2013 Fraunhofer Attract Grant

2011 CeNS Publication Award

2007 Science Career Fellowship

2004-2005 Academics & Science Program (HWP II) Postdoc Fellowship

2004 BaCaTec Visiting Fellowship Scholarship

2004 Minerva Foundation Grant

2002 Academics & Science Program (HWP I) Doctoral Fellowship

1997 Honor Society Membership of "Phi Kappa Phi" (Austin, TX/USA) due to GPA of 4.0

1995 German Academic Exchange Program (DAAD) Scholarship for study visits to the USA

 

Invited Talks (selection)

  • "Metal-Cluster-DNA for Advanced Biosensing Applications", BIOCEV Workshop, 16.05.2019, Vestec/Prague, Czech Republic
  • "Cell Dynamics - from insight to control", Cell Observatory Workshop at Leiden University, 12.12.2018, Leiden (NL)
  • "Cell Dynamics in Controlled Micro-Environments" 10.10.2018 Workshop on Mathematical Modeling of Biological Processes, Centro di Ricerca Matematica Ennio De Giorgi, 08.10.2018-12.10.2018, Pisa (I)
  • "Influence of Material Surfaces on Cell Motility" 14.06. 2018, International Conference on Coatings on Glass and Plastics ICCG 2018, 12.6. - 14.6.2018, Würzburg (D)
  • "3D Scaffolds for Controlled Cell Migration and Tissue Engineering", 24.01.2018, NanoMat Workshop, KIT, Karlsruhe (D)
  • "Functionalised Surfaces and 3D Scaffolds for Controlled Cell Adhesion, Migration and Tissue Engineering", Maastricht Topo-Chip Seminar, 08.01.2018, Maastricht (NL)
  • "Should I stay or should I go? Bottom-up designed 3D Scaffolds for Controlled Cell Migration and Tissue Engineering" 29.11. 2017, Annual Meeting of the Dutch Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering NBTE, Lunteren, (NL)
  • "Nanostructured 3D Scaffolds for Controlled Cell adhesion and Tissue Endgineering"14-15.10.2017 Fraunhofer Workshop on "Nanomaterials in Harsh Environments" Bremen (D)
  • "Dynamics of the Cellular Interior - from insight to control", 18-23.9.2017 "Conference on Complex Systems in LifeScience", St. Petersburg (Russia)
  • "Cell Dynamics in Complex Environments", 07.04.2017 PHYSICA Groningen (NL)
  • "Controlled Cell Migration in Complex, Multi-Cue Environments" May 3-5, 2017 CECAM Workshop "Cell and Tissue Motility", Lausanne (CH)
  • "TPA-microstructured ORMOCER- Composites", 01.03.2017 Seminar Talk KIT Karlsruhe (D)
  • "Cellular Dynamics going from intracellular transport to controlled cell migration", 25.01.2017, Lecture at the Winter School in Han-sur-Lesse (B)
  • "Cell Dynamics - from intracellular transport to controlled cell migration" Colloquium talk, 15.9.2016 TU Eindhoven (NL)
  • "Tracer size dependent anomalous transport in living cells" at Mini-colloquium "Anomalous transport in crowded cells and soft matter" at the "CMD 26- Condensed Matter" 6.-9.9.2016 in Groningen (NL)
  • "Control of Cell Functions by Mechano-Chemical Cues", TransRegio-SFB-Colloquium, 13.7.16, University of Gießen (D)
  • "Dynamic Force Field Mapping of Living Cells in a Macro-Scale Transducer Array based on Flexible Semiconductor Nanopillars", 3rd International Symposium on "Integration of Molecular Components in Functional Macroscopic Systems", Volkswagen-Foundation, 2.- 4.5.2016, Hannover (D)
  • "3DNanoZell: Cell-based assays on 3D bottom-up nanostructured surfaces", 23/24.2.16 Fraunhofer Netzwert Symposium, Munich (D)
  • "Interaction of biological cells with three-dimensional (nano-) surfaces", 21.1.16 Materials-Valley Symposium at Heraeus Holding GmbH in Hanau (D)
  • "Guiding cells towards Regeneration", 24.10.15 Invited talk at Alumni Meeting LION, Leiden University, Leiden (NL)
  • "Biomaterials for life-cell applications", 1.10.2015, TechTalk Biomaterials, Lorentz Center , Leiden University, Leiden (NL)
  • "Controlling Cellular Dynamics by External Cues", 28.9.15, Invited talk at Dutch Biophysics Meeting in Veldhoven (NL)
  • "Control of Cell Dynamics by External Cues", 9. 6.15 Invited seminar talk at Max-Planck-Institute and University of Göttingen (D)
  • "Spatio-temporal Control of Cell Dynamics", 13.4.15 Invited seminar talk at AMOLF, Amsterdam (NL)
  • "Dynamics in living cells - from intracellular information transport to cell migration in complex environments", 1st Nanofront Winter-Retreat, March 2015, Courchevel, (France)
  • "BIOPHYSICS, Bridging the distance between the complexity of life and the simplicity of physical laws", LION Physics Ladies Day, Leiden University, 31.10.2014, Leiden (NL)
  • "Fraunhofer Attract 3D NanoCell - Combining physics and life science", Fraunhofer Board of Trustees at ISC, 23.10.2014, Würzburg (D)
  • "Spatio-temporal cues to control cell dynamics", Fraunhofer Sol-Gel Conference, 21./22.10.2014, Würzburg (D)
  • "Fluctuations in Living Cell Dynamics", 12.10.14, International Conference: "Venice Meeting on fluctuations in small complex systems", Venice (Italy)
  • "Perspectives of Sol-Gel Technology for Surfaces with Tunable Cell Interactions", 22.10.14, Fraunhofer Sol-Gel Conference, ISC Würzburg, (D)
  • "Chemotaxis, Cell Shape Changes, and Intracellular Transport Phenomena - An Integrated Story", 04.09.14, International Conference "Physics meets Biology 2014", Oxford (UK)
  • "Intracellular Transport Phenomena addressed by Single Particle Tracking and Local Mean Squared Displacement Analysis", 26.8.14, European Condensed Matter Physics Conference (CMD25), Paris (France)
  • "Cellular Kinetics - from intracellular transport to cell migration", 02.07.14, "Reaction Kinetics in Soft and Condensed Matter RKCM 2014", Orleans (France)
  • "Living Cell Dynamics - from intracellular transport to cell migration", 14.6.14, "Self-propelled Particles"-Conference, Bad Honnef (Germany)
  • "Advanced Microfluidics for Control of Living Cells", 06.02.14, "Prof meets CEO"-meeting, Leiden BioScience Park, Leiden (NL)
  • "Dynamic force field mapping of living cells in a macro-scale transducer array based on flexible semiconductor nanopillars", 13.1.14, 2nd International Symposium on "Integration of Molecular Components in Functional Macroscopic Systems", Volkswagen-Foundation, Hannover (D)
  • "Dynamics of cellular nano-architecture in spatio-temporally controlled environments"Biophysical and Biomedical Technology Meeting, November 2013, Amsterdam (NL)
  • "Cell-based Assays on 3D-nanostructured Surfaces for Regenerative Medicine" Medical Seminar at the University Hospital Würzburg , October 2013, Würzburg (D)
  • "Cellular Dynamics and Nano-architecture for Biomedical Applications" LION Discovery Day, June 2013, Doorn (NL)
  • "Cellular Migration Strategies in 3D-Structured Environments" Casimir-Research School Symposium `Science Day', June 2013, Leiden (NL)
  • "Cells under external stimuli: Chemotactic cell control in spatio-temporally alternating gradient fields" Imperial College, Seminar, December 2012, London (UK)
  • "Dynamics and Control of Cellular Nanoarchitecture" Cell Microscopy Workshop, October 2012, University of Bayreuth (Germany)
  • "Controlling Cell Migration by External Stimuli " International Workshop "Cancer Cells On-Chip", June 2012, University of Lyon (France)
  • "Control and Functions of Cellular Nanoarchitecture " Symposium at the University of Cologne, February 2012, Cologne (D)
  • "Impact of Cellular Nanoarchitecture on Function-Control in Living Cells" Physics Seminar, University Würzburg, February 2012, Würzburg (D)
  • "Dynamics and Control of Cellular Nanoarchitecture " Symposium at the University of Tübingen, December 2011, Tübingen (D)
  • "Cell Dynamics and Cellular Function Control" Professor Selection Seminar, LION, Leiden University, September 2011, Leiden (NL)
  • "Controlling cell migration by spatio-temporally defined microfluidics " Colloquium of the Dutch National Academy of Science, September 2011, Amsterdam (NL)
  • "Investigating the Dynamics of Cellular Nano-Architecture to Control Cell Functions" Symposium at the University of Erlangen, September 2011, Erlangen (D)
  • "Dynamic Polymer Systems - from Cellular Nano-Architecture to Force Sensor Arrays " Symposium at the University of Würzburg, July 2011, Würzburg (D)
  • "Probing Intracellular Feedback by Advanced Microfluidics " Colloquium of the Graduiertenkolleg, July 2011, Saarbrücken (D)
  • "Controlling Cell Migration Strategies by External Cues " Physics Colloquium, July 2011, Erlangen (D)
  • "Probing PI3-kinase and Phospholipase A2-based Feedback with Ongoing Starvation of Cells" Short talk at the Gordon Conference on "Gradient sensing and directed cell migration",June 2011, Les Diablerets (Switzerland)
  • "Motion Analysis Applied to Living Cells - from intracellular transport to cellular migration strategies" Symposium TU Chemnitz, February 2011, Chemnitz (D)
  • "Dynamic Nanoarchitecture in Living Cells" Symposium at the University of Münster, April 2011, Münster (D)
  • "Motion States in Intracellular Transport " Topical Talk at DPG-Springmeeting (Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft), March 2011, Dresden (D)
  • "Spatio-Temporally Controlled Cell Migration " Eugene-Wigner-Colloquium of the Graduiertenkolleg 1558 and the SFB 910, February 2011, Berlin (D)
  • "Dynamic Properties of the Cellular Micro- and Nanoarchitecture - from intracellular transport to celllular migration strategies" Symposium at the BIOTEC /TU Dresden, January 2011, Dresden (D)
  • "Physics in Living Cells: Intracellular Transport and Cellular Migration" Physikerinnentagung of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, November 2010, Munich (D)
  • "Intracellular Transport Phenomena and Cellular Migration Processes " University Lyon, Biophysics-Seminar, Prof. Jean-Paul Rieu, May 2010, Lyon (France)
  • "Influences of Cellular Nano-Architecture on Transport Phenomena in Living Cells and Organisms " International Workshop on "Molecular Motors, Tracks & Transport",January 2010, Pondicherry (India)

International conferences (selection):

  • D. Heinrich "Influence of Material Surfaces on Cell Motility" 14.06. 2018, International Conference on Coatings on Glass and Plastics ICCG 2018, 12.6. - 14.6.2018, Würzburg, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Tracer size dependent anomalous transport in living cells" (Invited Talk)in Mini-colloquium "Anomalous transport in crowded cells and soft matter" at the "CMD 26- Condensed Matter"6-9.9.2016 in Groningen, NL
  • German Physical Society Meeting "Tag der Physik" as Council member and price committee member, 10./11.11.2016 in Bad Honnef, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Cell Migration in complex environments", Dictyostelium discoideum meeting December 2015 in Göttingen, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Cell migration in complex environments and intracellular sensor dynamics" (Posters), Physics of Cells 2015, 31.8.-4.9.2015, Kloster Banz, Bad Staffelstein, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Controlling Cellular Dynamics by External Cues", 28.9.15, Invited talk at Dutch Biophysics Meeting in Veldhoven, NL
  • German Physical Society Meeting "Tag der Physik" as Council member and price committee member, November 13/14, 2015 in Bad Honnef, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Dynamics in living cells - from intracellular information transport to cell migration in complex environments" (invited talk), 1st Nanofront Winter-Retreat, March 2015, Courchevel, France
  • German Physical Society Meeting "Tag der Physik" as Council member and price committee member, November 2014 in Bad Honnef, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Dynamic force field mapping of living cells in a macro-scale transducer array based on flexible semiconductor nanopillars",(Poster), 2nd International Symposium on "Integration of Molecular Components in Functional Macroscopic Systems", Volkswagen-Foundation, 13.1.14, Hanover, Germany
  • D. Heinrich "PI3-Kinase Based Cell Repolarization Mechanisms in Spatio-Temporally Varying Chemotactic Gradient Fields" (Talk), Annual meeting of the German Biophysical Society 2012, Göttingen,Germany
  • D. Heinrich "Probing PI3-Kinase based feedback in alternating chemotactic gradient fields with ongoing cell starvation time" (Talk), Annual International Dictyostelium Conference DICTY 2012, Madrid, Spain
  • D. Heinrich, "Spatio-temporally controlled actin polymerization and pattern formation in living cells" (Talk), CellMech - Cell Mechanics Meeting 2011, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • B. Meier, D. Heinrich, "Spatio-temporally alternating gradient fields for chemotactic cell control" (Talk + Poster) Gordon Conference on "Gradient sensing and directed cell migration" 2011, Les Diablerets, Switzerland
  • D. Heinrich "Dynamic Nano-Architecture in Living Cells: from intracellular transport to cell migration strategies" (Poster) NanoBioMeeting 2011, Singapore
  • D. Heinrich, "Cell motility in surface-structured environments" (Talk), International Dictyostelium Conference DICTY2010, Cardiff, UK