Introducing Dr Mafalda Escobar-Henriques
"This particular project, but also my team in general, greatly benefited from the CMMC and its network. I am particularly grateful for having been supported by the CAP and Research Grant programs, which also fostered currently ongoing collaborations with Margarete Odenthal, Reinhard Büttner and Axel Hilmer, amongst other members from the Pathology Institute." - Photo: MedizinFotoKöln
Mafalda Escobar-Henriques is a distinguished geneticist specializing in mitochondrial biology and ubiquitin-dependent cellular stress responses. Since 2016, she has served as the Principal Investigator at the Institute for Genetics and CECAD University of Cologne. Mafalda received the prestigious Career Advancement Program award from the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne and is Principal Investigator at the CMMC since 2020.
Prior to these appointments, she held the position as scientist at the same institution from 2011 to 2015 and previously held research positions at CNRS, IBGC, Bordeaux University (2008-2011) and the University of Geneva (2001-2002). She earned her Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Institute de Biologie et Génétique Cellulaires in France (1997-2001), following an MSc in Biotechnology (1997) and a Dipl. Ing. in Chemical Engineering (1994) in Portugal, her home country.
Dr. Escobar has received numerous accolades, including the EMBO long-term postdoctoral fellowship (2003-2005), and admission into the +3 Program from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. She took leadership roles such as Head of the Genderboard of CRC1218 and organizer of the "Yeast Club" seminar series at the University of Cologne in 2016.
Her research focuses on the intricate mechanisms of mitochondrial dynamics and ubiquitin-dependent stress responses. The team investigates how mitochondrial morphology is actively regulated by ubiquitination, particularly through the mitochondrial fusion factors, known as mitofusins. They also explore the role of ubiquitin in mitochondrial quality control, stress adaptation, and proteostasis. By leveraging cellular and biochemical studies, as well as models like yeast, worms, and patient-derived samples, her work aims to uncover potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.
Dr Escobar's research has led to significant contributions in molecular cell biology, including the identification of the E4 ubiquitin ligase Ufd2/UBE4B's role in mitofusin turnover and mitochondrial stress responses, and the current study reporting on how mitofusins regulate protein homeostasis and cellular health. The long-term goal of Dr Escobar is to translate these fundamental insights into medical applications, addressing conditions linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, such as neurodegeneration, cancer, and metabolic disorders. She has published extensively in high-impact journals, with key recent articles in Nature Communications, Molecular Cell, iScience, and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.
For more information, please check Escobar Lab.