
We are a growing team of molecular biologists, biochemists and bioinformaticians with a wide range of skills and experience. We embrace diversity and cultivate a strong team spirit.

Dr. Kristina Haslinger
Principle Investigator/ Assistant Professor
Kristina studied Biology in Würzburg, Germany and obtained her PhD in 2014 from Heidelberg university. She did her postdoctoral training in Kristala Prather’s lab at MIT and started her position in Groningen in February 2020. When her eyes aren’t glued to protein structures or scientific literature, she enjoys hiking and biking with her family.

Dr. Riccardo Iacovelli
Postdoctoral Researcher
Riccardo studied Industrial Biotechnology in Rome, Italy. He later joined the Molecular Microbiology department at the University of Groningen for his PhD, where he worked on the characterization and engineering of nonribosomal peptide synthetases. After successfully defending his thesis in 2021, he joined the Haslinger lab to work on the heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters from lichenized fungi. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities, sports, and traveling.

Ting He
PhD candidate
Ting earned her Master’s Degrees in Chemistry of Chinese Materia Medica from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in China. She joined the Department of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Biology as a PhD student in 2020, with her research interests focusing on the engineering of microbial cell factories for the production of natural products with pharmaceutical applications. Research interests: Analytical chemistry, Metabolomics, Natural product characterization

Xiao Li
PhD candidate
Xiao obtained her B.Sc. in Chinese Materia Medica (2014-2018) and M.Sc. in Chemistry of Chinese Materia Medica (2018-2021) at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in China, where she worked on structural characterization and biological activity evaluation of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites isolated from medicinal plants. In July 2022, she joined the Haslinger group to explore potential ways to activate biosynthetic gene clusters of endophytic fungi from medicinal plants to produce natural products with pharmaceutical values.

Bo Peng
PhD candidate
Bo Peng is a PhD Student in the Department of Chemical & Pharmaceutical Biology from 2020. His research interest is in biosynthesis of natural products by constructing recombinant pathways in microbial cell factories. Bo’s hobbies are hiking, playing basketball and working out in his leisure time.

Nika Sokolova
PhD candidate
Nika obtained her B.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology at Odesa National Mechnikov University in Ukraine. Shortly after, she was awarded the Holland-High Potential Scholarship to pursue the Biobased Materials M.Sc. programme at Maastricht University (2018-2020), where she got training in organic chemistry, polymer science and sustainability. For her M.Sc. thesis, Nika worked on recombinant production of spider silk proteins in tobacco and graduated cum laude. In November 2020, Nika joined the Haslinger group at RuG to work on computational and experimental de-orphanization of fungal enzymes.
Technician/ lab manger:
Rita Setroikromo
M.Sc students:
Nour Hashimi, M.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Feb. 2023 – Sept. 2023
Jesper Martens, M.Sc research project (Biomedical Sciences), Feb. 2023 – July 2023
Christiana Psomiadou, M.Sc thesis (visiting student from the University of Freiburg), May 2023 – Nov. 2023
Former team members:
M.Sc. students:
Iris Lokhorst, M.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), April 2022 – November 2022
Fons Poon, M.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Feb. 2022 – July 2022
Pim La Crois, M.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Nov. 2021 – April 2022
Sadaf Deravi, M.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Sept. 2021 – May 2022
Rosa Sagita, M.Sc research assignment (Medical Pharmaceutical Science), Fall 2020
B.Sc. students:
Lobke van Goor, BSc thesis (Pharmacy) Feb. 2023 – April 2023
Maikel Borg, BSc thesis (Pharmacy) Feb. 2023 – April 2023
Golshan Akbari, BSc thesis (Pharmacy) Feb. 2023 – April 2023
Hessel Kooi, BSc thesis (Pharmacy) Feb. 2023 – April 2023
Marjolein Korenhof, BSc thesis (Premaster Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences), Feb./March 2023
Khiara Atilangi Imran, BSc thesis and research assignment (Pharmacy, Honors College), Jan. 2022 – June 2022
Marit de Kooter, BSc thesis (Pharmacy) Feb. 2022 – April 2022
Serj Koshian, BSc thesis and research assignment (Pharmacy, Honors College), July 2020-May 2021
Sadaf Deravi, B.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Spring 2020
Kahraman Gercek, B.Sc thesis (Pharmacy), Spring 2020
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Dr. Kristina Haslinger
Chemical and
Pharmaceutical Biology