Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg
Research Group
Anne Dudeck
Research Group Anne Dudeck
The Dudeck lab explores the intercellular communication of innate immune cells which ensure the first line immune defense and tissue integrity. In different mouse models of inflammatory skin diseases, we study the complex dynamics of tissue resident immune cell responses and cell recruitment processes.
The main focus of our research group is the investigation of mast cells as orchestrators of local inflammatory processes in the skin and their systemic effects. Although mast cells are known to be effector cells of type I allergy, their role in the induction and regulation of innate and adaptive immunity and in maintaining tissue integrity is poorly understood. Our work over the last years has shown that mast cells play an important role as tissue-resident sentinel cells which initiate the innate immune response and can also influence the adaptive defense.
For our work, we apply high-performance methods for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of different immune cell populations, such as elaborate flow cytometry analysis and transcriptomic profiling. In particular, we perform sophisticated imaging analysis, such as intravital 2-photon microscopy and light sheet microscopy of transgenic mouse models, in which certain cells express fluorescent reporter proteins. Most notably, the non-invasive intravital microscopy of the skin enables us to track immune cell motilities and interaction in real time and study the course of an inflammatory response up to tissue regeneration. Moreover, we use mouse models of conditional gene inactivation to decipher the relevance of certain mast cell mediators or signaling compenents.
Latest News
07/2026
It's not always about science: Sometimes doing sports together is all it needs to refresh your mind. And if thousand others run with you at the Firmenstaffel Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt company relay race) in Magdeburg, it's real fun!
06/2026
Welcome to beautiful Vienna! It was time for the next meeting of the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN). From 10.-12.06.2026 we had very inspiring exchanges with researchers, clinicians, and professionals from around the world. And also our group had multiple chances to present our latest findings in the field of allergy, skin inflammation and mast cell biology. See you next time at the EMBRN meeting again!
05/2026
Good bye, Dr. Ali El-Bizri! After your successful defense it is now time for you to move on. Thank you for your valuable support, the research you moved forward and all the fun times in the lab. We wish you all the best for your future and great success in your scientific career!
05/2026
The Young Research Day 2026 at the Medical Faculty of the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg was a great opportunity for networking and to present the latest research findings. It was a day filled with exciting presentations, inspiring discussions and valued awards: Dr. Konstantinos Katsoulis-Dimitriou was awarded with the best paper of the year ('Ingestion of mast cell granules boosts macrophages and drives atypical programming', Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) and Aaron Hoffmann won the poster prize for biomedical research. What a success, congratulations to you both!
See here for the press release (German only).
03/2026
You did it, Lea and Mira! It was such a pleasure to see two master's theses defended in March - what a great couple of presentations they were! Both were passed with flying colors. Well done!
As Lea is staying with us to work on her PhD thesis, we wish Mira all the best for her future!
12/2025
2025 is coming to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights from the past year. We're so greatful for our International Symposium in Magdeburg, the publication of exciting papers and the new dynamics in our growing lab group.
We hope you enjoy some restful holidays and a wonderful start into the new year!
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