Metaplastic niche and emerging infections in carcinogenesis
Metaplastic niche and emerging infections in carcinogenesis
Our Lab Team
Prof. Dr. Cindrilla Chumduri
Principal Investigator
Cindrilla's research focus on understanding the genesis and evolution of the premalignant metaplastic niches and how microbes thrive in these niches and contribute to neoplasia development. She was trained as a cancer cell biologist during her Ph.D. at Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, focusing on the mechanisms underlying therapy resistance and aggressive relapse of the lymphomas. Later, at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin she revealed that bacterial pathogen Chlamydia causes cellular and genomic instability, predisposing to mutations, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition; both hallmarks of cancers. For the last few years, she has become fascinated to understand why certain tissue microenvironments in the body like metaplastic adaptations are more susceptible to infections and cancer development. She developed novel in vitro 3D organoid models and revealed stem cell homeostasis and the role of microenvironment in the emergence of precancer metaplasia.
Dr. Rajendra Kumar Gurumurthy
Senior Scientist
Rajendra is a senior scientist with expertise in Infection, developmental, and cancer biology. He has been at the forefront of research throughout his career, starting at Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, with a high-throughput screening and host-pathogen interaction to develop host-directed therapies against infections. Further, he explored the new ground to understand the impact of Infection on cancer development. He is instrumental in developing cutting-edge methodologies like assay establishments for high throughput screens and physiological patient-derived 3D organoids, leading to high-impact publications and patents.
Dr. Naveen Kumar Nirchal
Post Doc
Naveen's research explores gastroesophageal junction homeostasis and Barrett’s esophagus metaplasia using patient-derived organoid models and multi-omics approaches. He earned an MSc in Biotechnology from Mangalore University, India, and researched Mycobacterial protein-immune interactions at IISc, Bangalore, before transitioning to industry work on monoclonal antibodies and protein synthesis. He later pursued a PhD at the University of Würzburg, Germany, focusing on gastroesophageal junction histogenesis and host-pathogen interactions.
Dr. Pon Ganish Prakash
Post Doc
Pon applies advanced bioinformatics and machine learning to study host-pathogen interactions and carcinogenesis. He earned a PhD from the University of Würzburg, Germany, modeling Chlamydia and HPV infections using human primary tissues and organoids at a single-cell level. He holds an MSc in Bioinformatics (2020) from Freie Universität Berlin, with research in cheminformatics at Charité and RNA structure modeling at MDC Berlin.
Gaurav Jethva
PhD student, Aarhus University
Gaurav's PhD focuses on the investigation of host-pathogen interaction in driving carcinogenesis. He comines organoids CRISPR cas9 gene aletration in modeling the infection outcomes. He joined the lab as a Master's student in Feb 2023. His master's internship involves high throughput transcriptomics data analysis of bacterial infection-induced host signaling. He obtained his Master's degree in Biotechnology in 2020. He has previous research experience involving cancer immunology.
Nanna Søndberg Lindberg Breum Nielsen
Lab Technician, Aarhus University
Nanna joined the group since 2023. Before she worked as a lab technician for several years at the University Clinic and Medical biotechnology section at Biological and Chemical Engineering Department, Aarhus University.
Signe Agergaard Jochumsen
R & D and Master Thesis, Aarhus University
Signe joined the lab for her Master's degree internship and thesis project (2025-2026). Previously, she completed her Bachelor's degree project in our lab in 2024, where she explored and gained hands-on experience with 3D stem cell-derived organoid models. Now, she is eager to advance her expertise by developing more complex organoid systems.
Ashmita Kumari Singh
R & D and Master Thesis, Aarhus University
Ashmita is pursuing her Master's degree at Aarhus University and joined our lab for her MSc thesis project in 2025. She is eager to explore the advanced world of 3D cell and tissue organoid culture and leverage these models to study host-pathogen interactions and cancinogenesis.
Sarah Esselami
Bachelor Thesis, Aarhus University
Sarah is pursuing her Bachelor's degree at Aarhus University and joined our lab to gain hands-on experience in advanced preclinical primary culture and molecular biology techniques.
Laura Josephine Jeppesen
Bachelor Thesis, Aarhus University
Laura, a Bachelor's student at Aarhus University, joined our lab to expand her practical skills in molecular biology and advanced preclinical primary culture techniques.
Alumni
Dr. Stefanie Koster
Stefanie joined the Chumduri group as a Ph.D. student in 2015 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Germany. Her work focuses on the establishment of cervical organoids as HPV, Chlamydia trachomatis, and co-infection models and characterization of their impact on cervical epithelial tissue. She obtained her M.Sc. in Molecular Life Science from Humboldt-University, Germany.
Dr. Mi Yang
Yang joined Chumduri's group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology as a Ph.D. student in June 2013 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Germany. His work focuses on the impact Chlamydia trachomatis on ATM dependent Homologous end joining repair in the infected cells.
Dr. Piotr Zadora
Piotr joined the group as a Ph.D. student in June 2013 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, Germany. His work focuses on the impact Chlamydia trachomatis on host signaling by integrating the global phosophoproteome and transcriptomics.
Kristine Brix Poulsen
R & D and Master Thesis
Kristine is pursuing her Master's Degree in 2024 at Aarhus University. She joined our lab with a passion for understanding how infections affect the innate immune defense of the host in near-physiological patient-derived 3D organoid models.
Kaya Helene Rosell
Master Thesis
Kaya is pursuing her Master's Degree in 2024 at Aarhus University. She joined our lab with enthusiasm to develop next generation 3D stem cell-derived organoid models to model health and disease.
Shilpa Mary Kurian
Shilpa joined the lab as a Master's student in February 2021. Her master internship and thesis project involves the Optimization and Genetic Manipulation in Cervical Organoids. She successfully defended her thesis work in 2022. She obtained her Master's degree in Integrated Biotechnology (Medical biotechnology) from India in 2018. She started her Master's degree in Cell and Infection Biology at the University of Würzburg, Germany in 2019.
Jaya Bhuvaneshwari
Jaya joined the lab as a Master's student in August 2020. Her master intership and thesis project involves the characterization of the chlamydia-induced transcriptional changes on the columnar endocervical and stratified ectocervical epithelium using 3D organoid models. She defended her thesis work in 2021. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology in India in 2017. She also worked as a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology - Madras.
Philip Nkemdirim Mbonu
Philip joined the group as a Master's student in January 2020. His Master thesis work focused on the characterization of Chlamydia infection in 3D mouse cervical organoid. Philip did his bachelor’s degree in Microbiology in Nigeria and started his master’s degree in Molecular infection biology in Wuerzburg, Germany in April 2017 .
Dajung Son
Dajung joined the lab as a Master's student in January 2020. Her thesis project is the characterization of the immune cell composition of uterine cervical squamocolumnar junction. Dajung obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology (Bachelor of Engineering) in South Korea and started her master’s degree in Molecular infection biology in Wuerzburg, Germany in October 2017.
Christian Wentland
Christian joined the lab as a Master's student in February 2020. His master thesis project involves the bioinformatic investigation of the transcriptomic changes upon Chlamydia infections of columnar endocervical and stratified ectocervical epithelia. He strated his master’s degree in infection biology in University of Wuerzburg, Germany.
Sofia Bayer
Sofia joined my group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, as a Master's student in 2017. Her master thesis project involves the study and establishment of HPV lifecycle and HPV virions production in 3D Transwell based air-liquid interface and Organoid derived from ectocervical stem cells .
Cora Beckman
Cora joined my group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, as a Master's student in 2018. Her master thesis project involves Chlamydia infections of stratified ectocervical epithelia.
Marina Typos
Marina joined the group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, as a ERASMUS bachelor student in 2018. Her project involved the genetic manipulation of organoids.