Meet the team
Experts from the lab to the clinic
Strategy & Communications
Christina Bornschein
Christina Bornschein is Strategic Communications Officer and contact for all public-relations activities, acting as the liaison for journalists and partner press offices. She oversees social media and website communications and ensures the strategic communication of the chair’s initiatives, projects, and academic activities.
Christian Knies
Christian Knies supports the strategic development of the chair as Project Coordinator. He serves as the central contact for political decision-makers in Bavaria and Berlin, for partners and industry exploring collaboration opportunities, and for all matters related to fostering a sustainable innovation environment.
Dr. David Krones
David Krones is Scientific Project Manager, responsible for overseeing the execution of scientific projects, with a focus on patent strategy, research funding, and compliance with national regulatory and research frameworks. He represents the Würzburg branch of the Fraunhofer IZI.
Dr. Carmen Sanges
Carmen Sanges, PhD, is the Scientific Project Lead for Cellular Immunotherapy, focusing on regulatory strategy and stakeholder engagement in advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). She leads EU initiatives within the Cellular Immunotherapy Program at the University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) and coordinates, among others, the European T2EVOLVE consortium.
Chair, Cellular Immunotherapy
Prof. Dr. Michael Hudecek, MD
The Chair of Cellular Immunology, led by Michael Hudecek, focuses on next-generation CAR T-cell therapies and encompasses a broad range of activities, including target discovery and validation, advanced virus-free genetic engineering, clinical translation of innovative CAR T-cell approaches into first-in-human trials, flagship academic–industry collaborations to improve safety and efficacy of CAR T cell therapies, development of manufacturing and clinical platforms, and the application of super-resolution microscopy.
Michael Hudecek has received several prestigous awards, including the Artur Pappenheim Award of the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology in 2017, and the Friedrich Joseph Wilhelm von Schelling Award of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in 2022.
Professor Hudecek completed his medical training at the University of Leipzig and joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle in 2007 as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Stanley R. Riddell. His work focused on novel tumor antigens in hematologic malignancies, CAR design and optimization, and defining effective cellular compositions for CAR T-cell products. In 2012, he moved to the University Hospital Würzburg, where he established a translational research program in CAR T-cell immunotherapy. He is now Chair of Cellular Immunotherapy for Malignant Diseases at the University of Würzburg and serves as Director of the Translational CAR T-Cell Research Program in the Department of Internal Medicine II.
He also leads the Würzburg branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), where CAR T-cell manufacturing processes are further developed and optimized. The goal is to optimize and scale production, facilitating faster and more efficient patient access to therapy.
Administration
Julia Krüger
Julia Krüger is personal assistant to Prof. Hudecek and is responsible for the core administrative operations of the chair. She manages schedules and appointments, coordinates travel arrangements, ensures smooth internal communication, and acts as the primary point of contact for all matters concerning the chair’s activities and responsibilities.
Anja Timmermann
Anja Timmermann is the personal assistant to Prof. Hudecek and is responsible for the core administrative operations of the Würzburg Fraunhofer IZI site. She coordinates schedules and appointments, manages correspondence, and ensures efficient internal communication. In addition, she supports organizational processes, facilitates administrative workflows, and serves as a key point of contact for matters relating to the site’s day-to-day operations.
Clinical Team
Dr. Julia Beckmann
Barbara Huber
Dr. Birgit Seidelt
The Clinical Team is an interdisciplinary group composed of clinical and scientific experts, and a project management team with long-standing expertise in clinical trials. It builds on promising preclinical results and concepts from the lab and advances them into clinical development.
It manages and oversees all activities related to clinical studies: from planning, set-up, and submission of clinical trial to study execution.
Facilities & Resources
Stephan Bates, Lab Management
Deputies: Anna Bachmann, Annika Dressler, Julia Franz, Björn Grams
Stephan Bates is Lab Manager and ensures the effective operation of our laboratory. His responsibilities include overseeing the lab infrastructure, coordinating technical staff, and managing equipment. He is also responsible for safety and data protection, supports IT and general laboratory organization, provides staff briefings and introductions, handles building-related technical matters, and serves as a central contact for operational and technical issues.
Dr. Tatjana Williams, Animal Facility
Tatjana Williams is responsible for overseeing the mouse facility and acts as the animal facility manager for our chair. Her role includes coordinating day-to-day operations, ensuring smooth workflows, and supporting the team in their research activities. She helps maintain an organized and reliable environment that meets all necessary standards.
