/ the team / students
Doctoral students:
Irem got her MSc in Bioinformatics from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She is interested in structural variants in cancer genomics. More specifically, she is working on understanding different classes of complex structural variants using machine learning in her project. In her spare time, she enjoys being out in nature, especially hiking and mountaineering.
Noah, from Michigan USA, completed his BSc at Constructor University (Bremen, Germany) and MSc in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics from ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, and University of Basel. Fundamentally, Noah is interested in using computational methods to connect molecular information with cellular phenotype. At the Genome Data Lab, he is working on refining cutting-edge genomic models to capture variant impact on chromatin accessibility and propose non-coding drivers in cancer. Outside research, Noah is a multi-instrumentalist and home-cook.
“Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing.” ― Wernher von Braun
Coming from a biotechnology background, Marcel joined the wet-lab part of the GenomeDataLab. He is exploring genetic interactions between and within DNA repair pathways, and analyzing how these interactions shape the mutational landscape in tumors. Ultimately, his interest is discovering cancer vulnerabilities inferred from mutational profiles. Like probably everyone else, Marcel really enjoys sporting, and on lazier days he enjoys the outdoors and taking walks and hikes.
Luka holds a MSc degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Belgrade (Serbia), where he specialized in genomics. He is passionate about bioinformatics, genomics, and evolution. His doctoral research focuses on applying machine learning to study copy-number altering somatic variants in cancer and their role in tumor evolution. In his free time, Luka loves painting, playing bass guitar and long walks on the beach.
“The only phrase I’ve ever disliked is, ‘Why, we’ve always done it that way.’ I always tell young people, ‘Go ahead and do it. You can always apologize later.'” ― Grace Hopper
Maia graduated with an MSc in Genetics from the University of York (United Kingdom) in 2021. She is interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie genomic instability, with a particular emphasis on DNA repair deficiencies. Her project focuses on developing novel statistical methods for analysing mutational patterns in cancer genomes. Some of her hobbies include mixology, baking, gardening, and knitting.
Patricia studied biotechnology in Valencia and is currently studying a Bioinformatics MSc in the UAB. For her Master’s thesis she joined the GenomeDataLab, where she will be studying the distribution of somatic mutations in cancer genomes. In her free time, Patricia enjoys going on walks in nature, listening to music and making crafts.
"Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try." ― Yoda.
Marcell, from Hungary, has a solid Mathematics and Computer Science background. He earned a BSc from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in Modeling for Science and Engineering from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Passionate about AI and deep learning, he explores cancer genomes at our lab, studying frameshifted peptides and their immunotherapy applications. Outside research, Marcell enjoys learning about math history and participating in board sports.
Guille is a geneticist and bioinformatician from Barcelona. His research is focused on the study of RNA quality control pathways through statistical and computational techniques. Guille aims to quantify the variability in efficiency of these pathways between individuals and tissues and associate it with genetic diseases and cancer. During his free time he composes music, so email him if you want to make a collab ;)
“Highly organized research is guaranteed to produce nothing new.” ― Frank Herbert, Dune.
Daniel is a molecular biologist from Zagreb, Croatia. He has a background both in experimental science and computational Biology and Chemistry, but opted for a PhD in Bioinformatics. His main interest is to systematically investigate and understand the role of genetic interactions during cancer evolution, deciphering the order of driver mutations in time. In his spare time, he goes hiking or attends classical music concerts and football games.
Junior students:
Mario Egea Rodriguez
MSc student
Javier Herranz del Cerro
MSc student
“Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.” ― Pablo Picasso