Humboldt Research Fellowship Awarded

The fellowship is awarded to researchers of all nationalities and disciplines who demonstrate outstanding academic qualifications, and supports them in conducting their research in Germany. It is part of the “Global Minds Initiative Germany” of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). Fellows benefit from individual support provided by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as well as from its broad funding portfolio, which promotes international exchange and long-term academic collaboration.

Her project, “Spatio-temporal Interactions Between the Cell Nucleus and the Cytoskeleton During Cell Navigation,” addresses fundamental questions regarding cell motility. This process is crucial for physiological functions such as immune surveillance and tissue morphogenesis. Dysregulation of cell migration is associated with numerous pathological conditions.

Although the cytoskeleton has long been recognized as the primary driving force behind cell movement, recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of the cell nucleus in regulating cell navigation. The cell nucleus functions both as a physical constraint and as an active participant. In her current project, Dr. Sarah D’Annunzio will investigate how chromatin reorganization during restricted leukocyte migration influences the function of immune cells and their ability to overcome physical constraints.

Dr. Sarah D'Annunzio began her Ph.D. in biomolecular sciences at the University of Trento (Italy) in 2018, where she investigated how chromatin changes influence the mechanical responsiveness of the cell nucleus to external physical forces, focusing on the genetic disorder Kabuki syndrome. She has been a member of the Renkawitz Lab at the BMC since 2025.