Heimel, Kai, Prof. Dr.

apl. Professor for Microbial Cell Biology

01/2019-03/2019: Guest Professor (invited), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Since 04/2018: apl. Professor for Microbial Cell Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen
04/2012-03/2018: Junior Professor for Microbial Cell Biology, Georg-August-University Göttingen
2012: Teaching stand-in for W3 Professorship of Genetics and Cell Biology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
2010-2011: Postdoctoral fellow at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
2010: Dr. rer. nat., Philipps-University Marburg
2005 - 2010: Doctoral thesis, Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) (Germany)
2000 - 2005: Diploma (Biology), Philipps-University Marburg (Germany)

Major Research Interests
Our lab investigates how communication between pathogenic fungi and their plant hosts is achieved. Previous studies revealed an intricate regulatory network between highly conserved signaling pathways and development- and lifestyle-specific regulators, leading to mutual modulation and adaptation of cellular signaling to changing environments. Of central interest is the unfolded protein response (UPR), which serves as a regulatory hub and dominant regulator of fungal virulence.
Specific research interests are:

Pathogenic development of Ustilago maydis
Function and regulation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway
UPR signaling and regulation of plant/fungal communication
UPR-MAPK interactions and quantitative control of virulence potential

Homepage Department/Research Group
http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/434133.html

ORCID: 0000-0002-1396-8622