Sabine Fischer geb. Schamberg

Biological processes occur over a wide range of time and length scales and rely on the coordination of the different parts. In particular, tissue architecture and function depend on the properties of the individual cells and the three-dimensional cell neighbourhood. The quantitative analysis of cell neighbourhood features is the main interest of my research.

In my previous research, I have focused on the role of intercellular interactions during Drosophila morphogenesis and three-dimensional cellular aggregation. My results provide insight into the mechanisms that affect tissue coherence, a topic of medical relevance since disruptions of these mechanisms are associated with a large number of diseases. Currently, I am involved in different projects that address the role of spatial interactions in the response of cells to drugs as well as in mouse embryogenesis.

All my projects are based on close collaborations with experimentalists. Together we use an image-based systems biology approach. The joint work comprises planning of the experiments, bioimage informatics and mathematical modelling. As a mathematician, my contributions to the work flow are advice regarding the experiments and active involvement in the theoretical parts.