Nikolas Gunkel

A passion for innovative cancer targets. Drug Discovery Unit at DKFZ

Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Area

About

Drug Discovery at the DKFZ: Translating research findings into therapies, through the combined processes of basic research, drug discovery, and translational medicine is a priority at the DKFZ. The key to a better understanding of cancer lies in identifying specific biological pathways that lead to disease development. The discovery of novel substances designed to target these pathways, and the clinical development (translation) of these substances into therapeutic drugs then leads to improved cancer treatments. Strong basic research at the DKFZ coupled with clinical excellence at the NCT offers a unique academic environment to perform drug discovery. Our group has expertise in target identification and validation, assay development and screening, synthetic chemistry, and cellular testing. Unique for an academic drug discovery group, we also have a dedicated project manager to coordinate the advancement of a project through the various phases of its development. In addition, our group is interested in investigating the chemistry and biology of natural products with unusual phenotypic profiles and novel chemical structures. With the ability to develop de novo synthetic routes to these substances as well as identify their biological target(s), our group has a unique platform for natural product research.

Experience

  • Head of Drug Discovery Unit at DKFZ
    Sep 2012 - Present · 13 yrs 10 mos

  • Senior R&D Manager, Target Discovery at MSD Animal Health
    Apr 2002 - Jun 2012 · 10 yrs 3 mos

    As a Senior Manager Target Discovery at MSD Animal Health, he was accountable for the delivery of milestones for pharmaceuticals in early research phases (From target validation over in-vitro screens to target animal study). He is experienced in coordinating, planning, and budgeting of pharmaceutical projects. *Member of senior research manager team responsible for DrugDiscovery portfolio (>20 Projects). *Initiation, implementation, leadership of an animal health projects with a market potential of >100mio$. * Responsible for technology evaluation. * Managerial competencies with respect of objectives, high team spirit, reporting, representation. * Interface between different expertise’s groups, international networking, negotiation. * Capacity to work in international and intercultural environments.

  • Lab Head at Aventis cropscience
    Jan 1997 - Mar 2002 · 5 yrs 3 mos

    Pesticide Research: Established a balanced portfolio of internal and external target identification and validation technologies to optimize effectiveness. Performed mode of action studies for promising insecticides. Built and cultivated an international network of leading scientists, university institutes and other 3rd parties to feed validated quality targets into the pipeline.

  • Post Doc at EMBL-Heidelberg
    1993 - 1997 · 4 yrs

    I was excited to learn how tightly connected mRNA transport and translation is in Drosophila development (and elsewhere).

  • Student at University of Oxford
    1991 - 1993 · 2 yrs