I am a trained pharmacist and T cell biologist with a background in autoimmunity, as well as a cancer biologist with over eight years of experience in receptor tyrosine kinase research. Having worked closely with Lasker Awardee Axel Ullrich, co-developer of Herceptin and Sunitinib, I am passionate about clinically oriented basic research into the genetic basis of individual variation in membrane-proximal tyrosine phosphorylation signalling.

My research group (Arbeitsgruppe Ulaganathan) focuses on cancer-associated human germline variants that alter membrane-proximal signalling. We use cutting-edge techniques such as Whole-Exome and RNA Sequencing, Genetic Engineering by Retroviral Transduction, CRISPR Cas9 Knockouts, CRISPR nickase-Prime Editing, Flow Cytometry Sorting, Peptide Transfection Assays and Advanced Microscopy. To minimize the use of transgenic mice, we address our scientific questions by using genetically engineered syngeneic primary cell lines co-cultivated with immune cells, modelling the tumour microenvironment. We are also developing AI-driven tools to identify and characterize germline variants relevant to cancer immunotherapy for potential clinical applications.