Who is Dr. Robert Hänsel-Hertsch

Dr. Hänsel-Hertsch earned his Diploma in Biochemistry (summa cum laude) in 2009 and completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry (summa cum laude) in 2013 at Goethe University Frankfurt under the mentorship of Prof. Volker Dötsch. During his doctoral studies, he conducted research at the University of Tokyo as a JSPS Predoctoral Fellow. He then pursued postdoctoral research at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, working with Sir Prof. Shankar Balasubramanian. In 2019, he returned to Germany to establish his research group at the CMMC. 

Dr. Hänsel-Hertsch's laboratory explores how structural changes in the genome and epigenome contribute to aging and disease. A significant aspect of his work involves studying G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures - four-stranded DNA configurations that can influence gene regulation and genome stability. His team has developed advanced sequencing technologies to map these structures in cancer genomes, revealing their enrichment in active promoters and their potential role in genome instability. 

The lab addresses key questions such as:

• Are epigenome structural alterations drivers of aging and disease?
• Do specific epigenome states promote genome instability?
• Can modifying epigenome structures enhance tissue health?
• Are these structures viable targets for diagnostics and therapy?

Their research integrates genomics, structural biology, and molecular biology to understand the interplay between epigenetic alterations and genome instability in aging and cancer. 

Dr. Robert Hänsel-Hertsch has recently received several notable honors and made significant contributions to the field of genome biology:
 

• DFG CRC1678 (2024 – ongoing): “Consequences of age-related G-quadruplex formation for the fidelity of mammalian transcription”
   
• DFG RU5504 (2023 – ongoing): “Epigenetic determinants of genome stability for mammalian tissue homeostasis” 
   
• DFG project funding (since 2023): Stucture, biological and medical potential of plasma-derived ultrashort cell-free DNA
   
• DFG funding CRC1399 (2020 – ongoing): “Decoding epigenetic subtypes, resistance mechanisms and vulnerabilities of small cell lung cancer”
   
• Fritz Thyssen Foundation Grant (2023–2024): Awarded funding to investigate epigenetic alterations and genome instability in mesenchymal stromal cells, with a focus on Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome models.
   
• EMBO Short-Term Fellowship Committee Member (Since 2020): Appointed to the committee, contributing to the evaluation and support of emerging scientific talent.
   
• CMMC Junior Research Group Leader (2019): Selected through a competitive international process to lead an independent research group at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), focusing on epigenome structural changes in aging and cancer. 

• Localisation and actionability of G-quadruplex DNA structures in breast cancer: Developed a quantitative ChIP-seq technology to identify G-quadruplex DNA regions in breast cancer genomes, revealing their association with gene amplification and expression. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-020-0672-8)
   
• Discovery of G4 DNA potential in plasma-derived ultrashort cell-free DNA: Found that a substantial amount of plasma-derived cell-free DNA is short, single-stranded (~50 nucleotides) and is enriched in G-quadruplex DNA forming sequences. (https://genome.cshlp.org/content/early/2021/12/20/gr.275691.121.long)
   
• Research on Genome Instability and Aging: Proposed that helicases lose their ability to resolve G-quadruplex DNA with age.(https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1873-3468.14939)
   
• Developed DynaTag to robustly profile transcription factor activities. DynaTag can reveal nuanced transcription factor occupancy behaviour and shed light on transcriptional regulation in health and disease. In small cell lung cancer PDX models, it uncovered surprising gain-of-function p53, FOXA1 & MYC activity post-chemotherapy – not for ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3 or YAP1. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61797-9)

These achievements underscore Dr. Hänsel-Hertsch's impact on understanding the structural dynamics of the genome and their implications for aging and disease.

• P. Hunold, G. Pizzolato, N. Heramvand, L. Kaiser, G. Barbiera, O. van Ray, R. Thomas, J. George, M. Peifer, R. Hänsel-Hertsch, DynaTag profiles dynamics of transcription factor-DNA binding for low-input samples and at single-cell resolution, Nat Commun (2025), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61797-9 
   
• A. Simonis, S. J Theobald, A. E. Koch, R. Mummadavarapu, J. M. Mudler, A. Pouikli, U. Göbel, R. Acton, S. Winter, A. Albus, D. Holzmann, M.-C. Albert, M. Hallek, H. Walczak, T. Ulas, M. Koch, P. Tessarz, R. Hänsel-Hertsch# and J. Rybniker#, Persistent epigenetic memory of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in monocyte-derived macrophages, Mol Syst Biol (2025), https://doi.org/10.1038/s44320-025-00093-6 
   
• I. Hudecova*, C.G. Smith*, R. Hänsel-Hertsch*, C. Chilamakuri, J.A. Morris, A. Vijayaraghavan, K. Heider, D. Chandrananda, W.N. Cooper, D. Gale, J. Garcia-Corbacho, S. Pacey, R.D. Baird, N. Rosenfeld, F. Mouliere, Characteristics, origin, and potential for cancer diagnostics of ultrashort plasma cell-free DNA, Genome Research (2022), DOI:10.1101/gr.275691.121 
   
• R. Hänsel-Hertsch, A. Simeone, A. Shea, W.W.I. Hui, K.G. Zyner, G. Marsico, O.M. Rueda, A. Bruna, A. Martin, X. Zhang, S. Adhikari, D. Tannahill, C. Caldas, S. Balasubramanian, Landscape of G-quadruplex DNA structural regions in breast cancer, Nature Genetics (2020), 52: 878–883
   
• R. Hänsel-Hertsch, D. Beraldi, S.V. Lensing, G. Marsico, K. Zyner, A. Parry, M. Di Antonio, J. Pike, H. Kimura, M. Narita, D. Tannahill, S. Balasubramanian, G-quadruplex structures mark human regulatory chromatin, Nature Genetics (2016), 10: 1267-72

*contributed equally
#co-corresponding

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