Head of Research Group

Prof. Dr. Silja Wessler

Prof. Dr. Silja Wessler
Professor for Microbiology

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0)662 / 8044-7210
E-Mail: silja.90OwNQAwesslgqR1Ga7er@pmWrEhHBlus.a7TmWrEhc.ayLnX-e9t7TmWrEh


Senior Scientist

Mag. Dr. Gernot Posselt

Mag. Dr. Gernot Posselt
Senior Scientist

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7211
E-Mail: Gernocz4ft.Poss7Mhqelt@PZdvplus.jE8xac.aawi2tPZdv


PostDoc

Sebastian Diechler

Dr. Sebastian Diechler
PostDoc

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7212
E-Mail: SebahY@A0istian.vBEra.Die_.vBErchler@q7c3GjpluVUT5Kbs.ac.aKbxRnPtc3Gjy6

 


Technical Assistance

Daniel Ferner

Christian Daniel Ferner
Technical Assistance

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7215
E-Mail: chrZspB7istian-AOCkdanielFje6Z.fe0RUuyrneKT0RUr@plus.abL19fc.aT0RUut


PhD Students

Saruchi Wadhwa

Saruchi Wadhwa
PhD student

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7212
E-Mail: sarucUvcV4Hhi.wXQjZbpadhwQjZbpxa@plu1qkas9s.ac.y.2SPratR7lmMo

Saruchi completed her undergraduate degree in microbiology from Gargi College, University of Delhi, India, in 2015. She was enrolled in the Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research (A.C.B.R.), University of Delhi, India, for the master’s degree program in biomedical sciences, which was completed in 2017. She worked as a Research Fellow at Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, India, with a focus on the role of type II toxin-antitoxin systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence. She then worked as a senior research fellow at the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), India, where she characterized the novel mutation in the PRKG2 gene responsible for acromesomelic skeletal dysplasia. As part of a three-month EMBO exchange program, she also worked at the University of Helsinki, Finland, where she learned gene editing of patient-specific mutations using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology in patient-derived iPSCs.

Paul Wätzig

Paul Wätzig
PhD Student

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7212
E-Mail: pauIRqcul.wamnaBMetzig@K4IRqplunaBM7s.ac1@XrD.at3Hymn

Paul earned his Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) degree in 2016 from the Munich University of Applied Sciences. During his bachelor thesis, he worked at the Institute for Translational Cardiac Surgery at the German Heart Centre Munich, where he focused on investigating the direct reprogramming of murine primary fibroblasts into induced cardiac progenitor cells. For his Master’s studies, Paul moved to the Technical University of Munich, completing a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Molecular Biotechnology in 2024. As part of his academic journey, he undertook a six-month industrial internship in the Cell Technologies department at Roche in Penzberg and participated in a semester abroad at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon. His master thesis was conducted at the Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics at TranslaTUM, where he worked on validating a CasRx-based lncRNA screening platform. In 2025, Paul joined Silja Weßler’s group, where his research focuses on developing organoid-based advanced infection models for carcinogenic pathogens.

 

Master Students

Vanessa Albert

Vanessa Albert
Master student

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7216
E-Mail: vanesKbcsa.aDgOlbert8yV@stu_3Cd.pluA5us.aiSWc.aDgOt_3C

Mohamed Elattar

Mohamed Elattar
Master student

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

Tel.: +43 (0) 662 / 8044-7216
E-Mail: mohPB42amed.eer7ylattar@sjRWitudL8cg.pluZq@bs.ac.an1MktL8cg


Research Assistants

Lea Heringlehner

Lea Heringlehner
Research Assistant

Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020 Salzburg

E-Mail: lea.tioghering9NYBlehnereDsU@st-XxZud.YBdHplusXxZG.ac.a@wm3tUErn