Research

Postdoc Metabolic Flux Analysis

At ETH Zurich, I work on quantifying metabolic fluxes in cancer models using 13C isotope tracing, machine learning, and metabolic network modeling. The goal is to support clinical diagnostics by understanding pathway-level flux changes in patient samples.

PhD Mitochondrial Biology & Muscle Ageing

My PhD research focused on age-related changes in mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle. I investigated how mitochondrial calcium uptake influences the cellular redox state and energy metabolism. A key part of this work involved testing the effects of selected plant-derived compounds on mitochondrial function, with the goal of identifying potential interventions for age-related muscle decline, particularly in the context of sarcopenia.

Publications:

• Mitochondrial calcium uptake declines during aging and is directly activated by oleuropein to boost energy metabolism and skeletal muscle performance. (2025)
• The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) activates mitochondrial respiration and enhances mobility by regulating mitochondrial redox state. (2023)
• Mitochondrial Calcium Signaling in Pancreatic β-Cell. (2021)

Early Background – Diabetes & Data analysis

Before my PhD, I worked on identifying metabolic signatures in diabetic and pre-diabetic mice and human cohorts. I was involved in preparing biological samples for mass spectrometry and focused on modeling the relationship between metabolic fingerprints and diabetic health status using functional data analysis.

Publications:

• Acylcarnitine Profiles in Plasma and Tissues of Hyperglycemic NZO Mice Correlate with Metabolite Changes of Human Diabetes. (2018)
• Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis Identifies Gender Specific Modules and Hub Genes Related to Metabolism and Inflammation in Response to an Acute Lipid Challenge. (2018)
• Comparison of lipidome profiles of Caenorhabditis elegans-results from an inter-laboratory ring trial. (2021)