Staff of Life Science Laboratorium

CEO

Dr. Klaus R. Schröder

Biologist, PhD in Toxicology at the Institute of Occupational Health, Dortmund Germany
Head of Development of Alternatives to Animal Testing and Tissue Models at Phenion GmbH & Co. KG und Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf.
Chief Scientific Officer at Natural Implant, Marseille, France
Establishment of in vitro technologies in industry for testing skin permeation, mutagenicity, skin and eye irritation and sensitization
Development and production of reconstructed tissue equivalents
Member of COLIPA task forces, expert groups of the EPAA and OECD
Referee at the German Ministry of Education and Research for proposals for the topic ‘Alternatives to Animal Testing’
Member of the Scientific Advisor Board of Project ALEXANDRA, Monaco

e-mail: k.schroeder@zet.or.at

senior researcher (assistent CEO zet-LSL)

Dr. Mohammad Reza Lornejad Schäfer

Dr. Mohammad Reza Lornejad Schäfer Studies in biology (biochemistry, hormone physiology and organic chemistry), Diploma Thesis “Molecularbiological Investigations on steroid hormone resistance of Endometrial cancer” at the Clinic of Gynaecology, University of Düsseldorf, Germany; PhD and PhD thesis “Design and development of an in vitro model to estimate the biocompatibility of peritoneal dialysis solutions on resident and transient peritoneal cells” at the Clinic of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Germany - Nils Alwall Award – 4 years postdoctoral research within the special research field (SFB 575) “Experimental Hepatology”, Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectiology at the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Germany – 3 years postdoctoral research on Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Institute for Biological Chemistry and Nutrition at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. Since July 2007 senior postdoc and vice leader at the zet-Life Science Laboratory (zet-LSL), Linz, Austria. Contribution to the establishment of the zet-LSL and molecular, cell biology and protein biochemistry methods and research on the development of alternative methods to animal testing (differentiation of mammary gland cells and liver cells from human origin). Participation in an international validation study of a skin irritation test, which was endorsed by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) in November 2008 as full replacement method.

e-mail: lornejad@zet.or.at

research associate

Dr.ⁱⁿ Christine Schäfer

Dipl. Biol. Christine Schäfer Studies in biology (zoology, biochemistry and organic chemistry), diploma thesis “MAP-Kinase resistance in Hepatoma cells and Hepatocytes”, PhD and PhD thesis “Mechanisms of insulin resistance by changing cellular hydration states in liver” within the special research field (SFB 575) “Experimental Hepatology”, Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectiology at the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. Since July 2007 postdoc at the zet-Life Science Laboratory, Linz, Austria. Contribution to the establishment of the zet-Life Science Laboratory and molecular, cell biology and protein biochemistry methods and research on the development of alternative methods to animal testing (differentiation of mammary gland cells and liver cells from human origin). Participation in an international validation study of a skin irritation test, which was endorsed by the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) in November 2008 as full replacement method.

e-mail: schaefer@zet.or.at

senior researcher

Mag. Dr. Klaus Sommer, MScTox

Mag. Dr. Klaus Sommer, MScTox Studies in Zoology, focus on Molecular Biology – Diploma Thesis at the Institute of Medical Parasitology at the Medical University of Vienna – PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna, field of research: “signal transduction during apoptosis and survival of cancer cells” – Post graduate studies in Toxicology at the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna – Assistant Professor at the Institute of Biophysics at the Johannes Kepler University Linz (2004-2008). Objectives: Project „Reversal of Multidrug Resistance“, „Protein overexpression and purification“, establishment and head of Molecular Biology and Cell Culture, teachings – Since July 2009 Research Associate at the zet-Life Science Laboratories.