Tobias Lenz

Consolidated Researcher Details:

Institute:
University of Hamburg
Research Area:
Evolutionary Immunogenetics
Website:
University of Hamburg - Evolutionary Immunogenetics
Prof. Dr.
Tobias Lenz
tobias.lenz [at] uni-hamburg.de
+49 (0) 4522 / 763 - 228
Special / additional position within the RTG: until 2020 Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Plön
RTG-Project (Associated Scientist): Antigenic peptide prediction in inflammatory diseases
RTG-Project (Associated Scientist): Identification of genetic and epigenetic determinants of allele-specific gene expression in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)

Why this profession?

Observing the extent of phenotypic variation among individuals that occurs even within a given species (e.g. humans) surprises me every day. Susceptibility to disease is one of the areas where we can observe the largest extents of individual variation. Realizing this variation immediately raises the question of the underlying causes and mechanisms, given that most individuals in a species are largely identical in their genes.

I find it extremely gratifying to be able to follow my curiosity and explore these questions in a professional manner. And it is even more fulfilling if the gathered insights improve our understanding of diseases specifically and help advance the scientific knowledge of humanity in general.

Why RTG Genes, Environment and Inflammation?

Variation in susceptibility to disease is largely driven by variation in the regulation and efficiency of the immune system. It is well known that these factors are affected by both environment and genetic makeup of an individual. I am particularly interested in understanding how changing environments (including pathogens) contribute to the evolution of genetic variability in immune-relevant pathways (particularly the MHC system of the adaptive immune system), and how this variation is constrained by the requirement for self-tolerance (preventing autoimmunity).