Team - European Doctoral Network : LipAgg

Biography : Lucie Khemtemourian

I am a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nano-Objects (CBMN, CNRS, France).

I joined CNRS in 2009 after receiving my PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Bordeaux (France) and completing postdoctoral training at Université Paris Cité (France, UMR 8601) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Isabelle Artaud and at Utrecht University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. J. Antoinette Killian (the Netherlands).

My current research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of amyloid-forming proteins and on the interactions between amyloid proteins and membranes, ranging from artificial membranes to cellular membranes. I am particularly interested in islet amyloid polypeptide, which is associated with type 2 diabetes.

I am the coordinator of the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network LipAgg project.

Biography : Emilie Fontaine

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Finance from Sorbonne University. I began my career in the banking sector, where I developed experience in compliance and European project management, before transitioning into public funding.

These complementary experiences strengthened my ability to work with a large team in multicultural environments and deepened my understanding of how public funding supports strategic initiatives. Over time, they shaped my interest in roles that combine collaboration with meaningful projects.

Today, I am particularly motivated by the LipAgg project, which enables me to support multi-partner initiatives involving diverse teams across countries. My role is to structure this collective work through adapted methodologies while placing collaboration at the core. I strongly believe in European cooperation and in the value of working together to address shared challenges and create a positive impact.

Biography : Carmelo La Rosa

With a solid foundation in Physical Chemistry, my career has been dedicated to unraveling the molecular complexities of biological systems. After obtaining my PhD focusing on model biological membranes, I expanded my research at Leiden University, investigating the folding mechanisms of blue copper proteins.

My scientific journey subsequently pivoted towards the study of prions and intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), including IAPP, beta-amyloid, and alpha-synuclein. Specifically, I explore their critical interactions with model membranes to better understand the mechanisms of protein misfolding. Currently, I am honored to serve as the President of the International Society for Proteinopathies, where I foster global collaboration in this vital field.

Beyond the laboratory, I am a keen tennis player, though my greatest passion remains music. I find my perfect balance away from research by playing my Fender Stratocaster.

Biography : Birgit Strodel

My academic journey began with Chemistry studies at Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from Goethe University Frankfurt and a postdoctoral period at the University of Cambridge.

During my time at Cambridge, I became fascinated by proteins; since then, I have devoted my research to understanding amyloid aggregation under diverse environmental conditions. My primary methodology involves molecular simulations, integrated with close experimental collaborations and, more recently, AI-driven methods. Since joining Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2009, I have risen from Junior Research Group Leader to Acting Institute Director (2025), while concurrently serving as a Professor at HHU Düsseldorf.

In my free time, I love being outdoors and staying active, particularly through road cycling and surfing. I also enjoy the quieter pace of gardening, reading the newspapers, and, above all, spending time with my family.

Biography : Christian Griesinger

I am Christian Griesinger, I did my PhD at the university of Frankfurt (Horst Kessler) on NMR methods. Then I did my Postdoc with Richard R. Ernst at ETH Zürich on High precision methods for determination of coupling constants, three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and relaxation compensated total correlation spectroscopy (CLEAN-TOCSY).

1990- 2001 : full professor for organic chemistry at Frankfurt University. European large scale Facility for Biomolecular NMR

1995: Sensitivity enhanced NMR spectroscopy, novel methods to measure scalar couplings, optimal control and cross correlated relaxation spectroscopy.

Since 1999 Director of the Department of NMR based structural biology at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen. Protein dynamics at ms time scale, structure and dynamics of membrane proteins, neurodegeneration and –protection: drug in clinical trial.

Organized ENC 2000, ICMRBS 2006, Dr. hc Univ Rosario, Argentina, various prizes including the Leibniz prize, 1998, the Bayer prize 2003, the Ampere prize 2014 and the Laukien prize 2019. Honorary memberships. ERC advanced grant 2008. Co-founder of MRFARM and MODAG.

Biography : Anna Erlandsson

After being a post doc at University of Toronto and Karolinska Institute, I started my own research group at Uppsala University in 2009.

Since then, my line of research has been astrocytes in the injured and diseased brain. I have published 53 original articles, of which I am the last author on 30. Astrocytes and their role in neurodegenerative processes have recently received much attention.

Alongside a few other research groups in the world, we have been pioneers in this rapidly expanding research field and contributed with several important and well-cited publications. I have been the supervisor of 13 PhD student (primary supervisor for 7 and co-supervisor for 6), of which 10 have completed their PhD studies.

In addition, I have supervised 6 post docs and 25 project students. I find it extremely stimulating and fun to take part in the students’ development and learning process. To design projects, solve scientific problems, interpret data and discuss research with my co-workers is probably what I like best about my job. Today, my research team consists of 2 PhD students, 2 post docs, 1 research assistant and 2 master students.

Biography : Sandrine Ongeri

I obtained my PhD in 1999 after three years in Paris (Fr) and one year in Oxford (UK). I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Milan (Italy) funded by a European project. I became associate professor in 2001 and full professor of medicinal chemistry in 2011.

My areas of expertise include the design and synthesis of peptides, peptidomimetics, and foldamers targeting protein-protein interactions, in particular, Aβ protein, hIAPP, synuclein, and tau aggregation.

My research group at the Université Paris-Saclay (BioCIS CNRS/Upsaclay unit) gathers medicinal, organic and biophysical chemists. I directed the Doctoral School of Therapeutic Innovation from Basic to Applied Research (ITFA) (300 doctoral students, 40% of whom were international) (2018-2024).

Since October 2024, I have been Vice-President of Université Paris-Saclay, in charge of doctoral programs (4,450 doctoral students across 21 doctoral schools). My supervisory experience: 24 doctoral theses defended (including 10 co-supervised with Italy and Germany), 3 theses in progress, 9 post-doctoral students, 17 master’s students.

Biography : Céline Galvagnion

Passionate about protein and lipids and their role in health and disease, I was first trained as a chemist at the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (France) and then as a protein/lipid biophysicist at the University of Waterloo (Canada) and Paris Sorbonne (France), where I did my MSc and PhD, respectively.

After two post-docs at the University of Cambridge (UK) and the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (Bonn, Germany), I moved to Copenhagen where I have established my current research line aiming at investigating the role of lipids in the initiation and spreading of Parkinson’s disease using a combination of lipidomics, proteomics, stem cell biology, biochemistry and lipid/protein biophysics.

In my free time, I practice Ashtanga yoga and enjoy reading, cooking and spending time with my family.

Biography : Rita Guzzi

I did my PhD in Biophysics at the University of Calabria (UniCal), with research focused on the spectroscopic characterization of blue copper proteins, including a visiting period at the University of Virginia (USA).

Subsequently, I carried out postdoctoral research also in collaboration with Prof. G. Canters at Leiden University (The Netherlands), working on folding mechanisms of wild-type and mutant forms of blue copper proteins.

My recent research projects have focused on protein–lipid interactions (Na,K-ATPase) in collaboration with Prof. D. Marsh (Max Planck Institute, Gottingen), aggregation processes of plasma proteins (human serum albumin), FTIR analysis of human plasma for disease discrimination, and the biophysical characterization of liquid–liquid phase separation in biomimetic compartments.

In my free time, I enjoy traveling, listening to music, and going to the cinema.

Biography : Gunnar Schröder

I completed my PhD in Theoretical Biophysics at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, followed by a postdoctoral position at Stanford University, where I worked with Michael Levitt and Axel Brunger on methods to determine protein structures at low resolution by combining experimental data with structure prediction.

In 2009, I started my own research group at Forschungszentrum Jülich, and since 2011 I am a professor at the University of Düsseldorf. My group uses cryo-EM to determine the structures of amyloid fibrils. Our work focuses on understanding how these fibrillar protein aggregates form and how their structure relates to disease.

We are particularly interested in alpha-synuclein and amyloid-beta, which are associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. A central goal is to use the structural data to support the development of therapeutic strategies.

Guiding principles and recommendations

MSCA participants are expected to explain the actions they are taking to address the sustainability of their research projects in their proposals and at final reporting stage.

Sustainability can play a role as an additional criterion in the evaluation of ex-aequo proposals.

To help participants better understand how they can integrate sustainability concerns into projects in practice, the charter and its supporting material offer practical recommendations covering topics such as :

travel, events and meetings
resource-intensive research settings
hardware, software and data usage
facilities, infrastructure and procurement.

While the relevance of the charter’s principles and recommendations may vary depending on the MSCA participants and projects, the guidance documents are there to help everyone find the resources they need depending on their own situation.

LipAgg team

Lucie Khemtemourian

Emilie Fontaine

Carmelo La Rosa

Birgit Strodel

Christian Griesinger

Anna Erlandsson

Sandrine Ongeri

Céline Galvagnion

Rita Guzzi

Gunnar Schröder