PanOmics

Biography

Carleen Kluger, Group Leader of Clinical Proteomics at Evotec, has built a remarkable career at the intersection of (bio)physics and biology. Throughout her academic journey, she delved into complex biological processes, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as molecular tension sensors and high-resolution imaging-based methods. Evolving from a bioinformatician to a leader in clinical proteomics, Carleen spearheaded the implementation of novel mass spectrometry-based approaches for biofluids and tissues from humans and animals.

In her role, Carleen collaborates closely with clients to develop innovative protein biomarkers that enhance the success of pre-clinical and clinical studies across diverse therapeutic areas, from neurodegeneration to oncology and rare diseases. Embracing a curiosity for exploring new frontiers, her team pioneers’ technologies like extracellular vesicle enrichment, nanoparticle-based proteomics, and multi-omics data integration.

Carleen's passion lies in the profound impact clinical proteomics has on patients' lives and medical decision-making. By quantifying thousands of proteins without preconceived hypotheses, her work accelerates scientific discoveries, paving the way for groundbreaking treatments and disease diagnosis.

Interest and Experience

Carleen's private life is rich with family and global connections, with two kids, two cats, and loved ones residing in five different countries. Her greatest joy comes from spending time outdoors, nurturing her garden, while enjoying a good book or hosting friends for coffee. Professionally, she thrives in two contrasting settings: lively discussions and collaborations with colleagues in a bustling environment, or late evenings in the quiet of her home office. A fulfilling and creative workday for Carleen entails brainstorming with her team, spending quality time with her family in the afternoon, and engaging in scientific literature reviews and bioinformatics analysis during late-night sessions. This dynamic balance fuels her passion for innovation and discovery.

Biography

Christiane Honisch is an esteemed international business leader, innovator, and accomplished scientist with an impressive 25-year track record in research and development in the US and Europe. Currently, she holds the position of Senior Vice President at Evotec International GmbH in Hamburg, where she leads Evotec's Diagnostics Application Business. Christiane's expertise as an independent board member span across various boards and companies, such as IMIDomics, Inc., PathoQuest SAS, and Deutsche Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY),.

With a background in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in molecular biology, Christiane's contributions to cutting-edge technology and diagnostic assay development are diverse and impactful. Christiane's remarkable journey has seen her in pivotal roles at prominent organizations in the life sciences sector. As the former Head of Global Business Intelligence and Development at Eppendorf AG in Hamburg, she contributed to driving strategic growth and advancements. Moreover, her tenure as the Director of Microbiology Markets at Illumina, Inc., in San Diego, showcased her ability to forge vital partnerships and devise effective market strategies. Prior to that, she made groundbreaking contributions at Roche Molecular Diagnostics in Pleasanton, CA, where she served as the Director of Infectious Disease Research, spearheading crucial in-vitro diagnostics research and microbial surveillance, earning her team the esteemed Roche Innovation Award.

In earlier stages of her career, Christiane played an essential role in pioneering the use of mass spectrometry for DNA sequencing and ultrasensitive detection of cancer mutations at Sequenom, Inc. in San Diego, CA. The groundbreaking monitoring system she developed found its place at prestigious institutions like the CDC in Atlanta, GA, and the Health Protection Agency in London, UK.

At Evotec, as the head of Evognostics, the diagnostic applications department, Christiane leads a dynamic team of scientific, computational, and machine learning innovators. In collaboration with a physician and hospital network, they focus on patient data-centric approaches, utilizing panomics and machine learning to create personalized diagnostic biomarker panels for complex diseases. A resulting deep understanding of disease, stratification of heterogeneous patient populations and personalized treatment strategies will speed up the process of bringing new medicines to the right patients faster. Christiane's passion for cutting-edge technologies and precision medicine drives her team towards groundbreaking advancements in diagnostics and personalized treatments.

Interest and Experience

Christiane finds great joy in her personal interests of sports and travel, which she combines through her passion for triathlon and long-distance racing. Completing 7 Ironman races and numerous Half Ironman events across the globe, she embraces the challenges, cultural experiences, and self-discovery that come with these extreme competitions. Christiane draws inspiration from translating her motivations in sports into business and coaching of her dynamic and engaged Evognostics team. She values the healthy work-life balance that these pursuits provide. Her creativity thrives while gliding along on her bike on a Saturday morning, as well as during brainstorming sessions with her team at Evotec.

Biography

Christoph Schaab is the Senior Vice President and Head of Proteomics and Metabolomics at Evotec. With a wealth of  experience in proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and software and database development, he joined Kinaxo  Biotechnologies, now part of Evotec, in 2008. Since 2018, Christoph has led the global proteomics and metabolomics unit, as well as operations at the Munich site. In his role, he develops strategies for proteomics and metabolomics platforms and their application to drug discovery. Utilizing high-end mass spectrometry and machine learning, his team studies the impact of diseases and therapeutic agents on cellular systems, uncovering new therapeutic targets and predictive biomarker signatures.

Evotec's unique combination of world-leading technology platforms, expert teams, and a vast network in different therapeutic areas attracted Christoph to the company, where he enjoys collaborating with colleagues with diverse scientific and cultural background to push proteomics without compromise, achieving the highest coverage and maximum throughput in supporting drug discovery.

Interest and Experience

When it comes to thinking and creativity in his work, Christoph finds inspiration in quiet moments at home, on the golf course, and in the mountains. However, he thrives on exchanging ideas with colleagues in various group settings, making use of the opportunities at Evotec's Munich facility for fruitful discussions and collaboration. In his free time, Christoph is drawn to the mountains. As a ski mountaineering trainer for the DAV, he enjoys guiding others through the winter wonderland, sharing his knowledge about avalanche risk and planning tours. Playing golf with his wife is a recent interest that offers both challenges and a connection to nature.

Biography

Erik Schliep is the Product Manager for PanHunter at Evotec, bringing a rich background in molecular biology and experiences from renowned institutions like the Max-Planck-Institute and Stanford University. In his role, Erik is the vital link between science, software development, and business. He works closely with users to understand their research goals and collaborates with a diverse team of experts to create tailor-made software solutions. Erik's dedication revolves around helping users conduct data-driven research effortlessly and successfully. He finds immense joy in Evotec's multifaceted environment, where a vast array of experts collaborates on innovative projects, fueling exciting conversations and sparking new ideas. This interdisciplinary approach ensures that no challenge is insurmountable, and every customer's unique needs find innovative solutions within the Evotec ecosystem. With unwavering support and an unwritten "can-do" attitude, Erik and the team at Evotec provide an unparalleled partnership experience, driving customer projects forward with boundless possibilities.

Interest and Experience

Erik's interests span both sports and nature. As a devoted basketball enthusiast, he actively participates in league schedules, organizing events for his sports club, and even referees on the court. Watching Bundesliga games also brings him joy. When seeking tranquility, Erik embarks on hiking adventures, capturing nature's wonders through his photography. Regarding his work, Erik's creativity knows no bounds. Whether engaged in stimulating discussions with colleagues or partners while developing software or enjoying a peaceful moment with a cup of coffee, he finds inspiration flowing effortlessly. His creativity often strikes at his desk or even during leisurely moments while commuting home. This versatile and dynamic approach ensures that Erik brings innovative solutions to every challenge he encounters.

Biography

Florian Tegeler is SVP PanHunter Business at Evotec, a role that revolves around managing the multi-omics data analysis platform PanHunter. Florian's focus is to ensure the success of the platform for both internal and external users by overseeing product development, partnering and user support. His expertise lies in the fusion of technology and strategy, particularly in the field of drug discovery. This work results in the advancement of analytical tools to make sense of complex high dimensional datasets, ultimately accelerating the development of effective medicines. He aligns his efforts with Evotec's overall strategy, securing R&D resources and fostering partnerships to accelerate drug discovery.

The PanHunter platform supports biologists, computational biologists and bioinformaticians with its user-friendly interface and advanced analytical tools. Florian's commitment to Evotec is driven by the company's strategic vision, inclusive culture and talented colleagues. Working with Evotec not only provides customers with effective drug discovery solutions, but also opens new avenues for exploring disease understanding and drug development.

Interest and Experience

Outside of work, Florian enjoys spending time with his family and outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and water sports. Water activities have always been special to him, from rowing since his school days to more recent pursuits such as sailing. Being outdoors also helps him to manage stress and gain a more distant perspective on problems, which often leads to better solutions.

Biography

As EVP Head of Metabolic and Renal Diseases at Evotec, Uwe Andag leads a strategic therapeutic area with a strong background in biochemistry. His expertise includes making strategic decisions, overseeing the portfolio, and exploring innovative technologies to enhance Evotec's drug discovery platform. Notably, Uwe's contributions include establishing Evotec's molecular patient database (EMPD), a valuable resource for research and collaborative drug discovery programs. Through PanOmics activities and data mining in EMPD, Uwe's team generates high-resolution patient data, enabling precise and personalized drug development. Evotec's collaborative and interdisciplinary approach fosters an innovative environment that benefits the company and its partners in academia and industry. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and a wide network of collaborators, Evotec tackles challenging therapeutic areas.

For Uwe, working at Evotec offers unparalleled excitement and satisfaction. The dynamic company culture, comprising a mix of motivated young professionals and experienced individuals, fosters an environment of continuous growth and learning. Utilizing patient high-resolution PanOmics data from EMPD as a starting point for drug discovery and biomarker development is particularly rewarding, as it brings the potential to positively impact patients' lives.

Interest and Experience

Uwe enjoys spending quality time with his family, combining it with travel and camping experiences. While no longer playing football and handball, he finds pleasure in mountain biking and hiking when time allows. Cultures, countries, and music are among his keen interests. Uwe's best thoughts come during quiet moments, savoring a glass of red wine in serene settings like a lake or his garden. Yet, his creativity soars in non-agenda meetings with small teams, engaging in science and strategic brainstorming. International cross-site meetings and discussions with diverse cultures also inspire his creativity in his work.

Biography

Sandra Lubitz is heading the iPSC platform for drug discovery (E.iPSC) at our headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. Together with her team she strives to provide human iPSC-derived disease models for drug screening as a novel approach for the discovery of therapeutics that can radically improve patients' lives. With more than 20 years of research experience in stem cells, Sandra is highly regarded as an expert in this field. Indeed, stem cells run like a common thread through all of Sandra’s career milestones. Ever since her PhD, which she obtained from the International Max Planck Research School in Dresden, Germany in the lab of Prof. Francis Stewart, Sandra was intrigued by the potential of human stem cell models. Upon transition to industry, she started working for Genea Biocells, a stem cell company based in Sydney, Australia and subsequently Pfizer Regenerative Medicine / Neusentis in Cambridge, UK. Upon joining Evotec in 2011, Sandra has played a key role in establishing Evotec’s iPSC platform and is working closely with our management team on corporate development activities for iPSC, including new partnerships.

Interests & Experience

As Sandra is drawn to innovation and highly passionate about stem cells, she was thrilled about the opportunity to build an industry scale iPSC platform. At Evotec, she has found the financial and intellectual capital to grow these efforts continuously and to jointly deliver novel drug candidates for a variety of currently untreatable conditions. Sandra's work to set up a large-scale iPSC platform at Evotec was pioneered by the industrialization of our first iPSC differentiation protocol in collaboration with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (together with Prof. Kevin Eggan and Prof. Lee Rubin). Since then, we have overcome numerous challenges related to iPSC-based drug screening and we continue to build more complex iPSC disease models that are designed to help speed the delivery of novel therapeutics to patients. She loves the creative nature of science and feels she can think best in a collaborative environment. In her team's brainstorming sessions they often come up with highly innovative ideas. She is incredibly inspired by the brilliant minds around her.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling. She feels that learning new things, meeting new people and discovering new cultures greatly enriches her life. She is also passionate about music and dancing and has managed to bring her dancing shoes around the globe to some amazing places.

Biography

Timur Samatov, is a molecular biologist with a groundbreaking academic background. Getting his PhD from Moscow State University in 2006, he developed a pioneering cell-free genetic display technology. His postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry focused on pre-mRNA splicing, where he developed high-throughput assays and conducted large-scale screens for splicing inhibitors.

Joining Evotec in 2016, Timur now leads a team driving high-throughput and high-resolution transcriptomics. As a Group Leader, he ensures team efficiency, individual growth, and a conducive work environment. Timur, an expert in transcriptomics, engages in strategic discussions with partners, defining support avenues and articulating data value.

Timur's team plays a crucial role in diverse disease-centric projects, actively progressing toward impactful medicines and therapies. Their daily work aligns with the overarching goal of enhancing global well-being.

Choosing Evotec was a natural fit for Timur. Drawn by Evotec's ambition to revolutionize drug development, he initiated proof-of-concept experiments that evolved into fully established, industrialized platforms managed by highly qualified teams.

“Our strength lies in its scientific foundation and seamless cross-disciplinary collaboration”, says Timur. The company encompasses capabilities from patient and disease models to omics technologies and AI/ML-driven data analysis. He views efficient interaction between diverse teams as a key advantage, making Evotec an ideal partner for complex drug development projects.

Interests & Experience 

Timur enjoys spending time with family and exploring different cultures. He's into fine arts, opera, and theater, finding joy in life's diverse experiences.

When it comes to thinking, Timur has two favorite settings. First, quiet moments alone, like when he walks his dog. This peaceful time lets him really think things through. On the other hand, lively brainstorming with colleagues is a big hit. Sharing ideas in a group setting energizes him and sparks creativity. He sees the value in both quiet reflection and team collaboration, understanding that each adds something special to his thinking process and creativity.