Dear colleagues,
We have wonderful news! We are delighted to announce that the ECR subcommittee has five new members! We are really excited to see what they bring to the team and look forward to working together on exciting new initiatives!
In today's newsletter, we will acknowledge the hard work from our past members and we will introduce you to our new members. We will also announce the upcoming April’s webinar discussing chaperones in redox biology and share with you a summary of March’s webinar. At the end of the newsletter, as always, you can also find a collection of upcoming events with important deadlines, some suggestions of interesting redox reads recently published, open call for papers and job opportunities for young redox researchers.
Good people go…
Last year, we bid farewell to some of our valued members.
- Carmen Castell: She first took charge of our LinkedIn account before transitioning to the webinar team, where she was responsible for the communications with the webinar invited speakers. She was known as our plant girl and, without a doubt, the best dancer!
- Eduardo Fuentes Lemus: As one of the founding members, he played a key role in conceptualizing and creating both the mentoring program and the editorial mentoring program. His kindness and professionalism left a lasting impression.
- Nikos Margaritelis: Nikos helped bring our webinar series to life and was also involved in the social media team. He was the creative force behind many of our initiatives, always full of original ideas. He was also the soul of our subcommittee—always ready for a good laugh, a good beer (via zoom or in person), and a reminder of the importance of numbers and statistics.
- Valeria Scalcon: A founding member and one of the masterminds behind our webinar series, Valeria was known for being the tallest member of the subcommittee, her incredible sense of humor, her impeccable organisation skills and her natural talent for teaching.
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially to people who have had such a meaningful impact on our lives. These ECR subcommittee members were not just essential contributors—they became our friends and an irreplaceable part of our redox family. We will miss them dearly, but their legacy will always remain a part of what we do.
…and new people come! Meet the new members of the ECR subcommittee!
Our subcommittee has recently welcomed five new members! We are excited to introduce them and look forward to the fresh ideas and energy they will bring. Meet our new members below!
Alina Sigaeva
I am a postdoc at SciLifeLab and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, where I am working on bringing together spatial proteomics and redox biology.
I studied cell biology and histology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and during that time I was working on the effects of visible light spectrum on the ageing of the eyes. Ageing made me interested in oxidative stress, and for my PhD I joined Prof. Romana Schirhagl’s group in Groningen, the Netherlands. During my PhD project, I was developing and validating new nanoparticle-based sensors that now allow us to use quantum effects to detect free radicals in live cells with extremely high sensitivity and resolution. Being a biologist and working with physicists and engineers was challenging, but fun and extremely rewarding, and I could not have imagined a better environment. Over these years, I have also been involved in the organization of the Symposium for Biology Students in Europe, an event for Biology students from all fields and backgrounds, which has made me appreciate the importance of different perspectives and interdisciplinary dialogue even more. After my PhD I received a Rubicon fellowship from Dutch Research Council to spend 2 years in Sweden, at Prof. Emma Lundberg’s lab, where I am currently working with some wonderful people in a quest to bridge the fields of spatial proteomics and redox metabolism.
What annoys you in the lab?
Running out of pipette tips and having to walk to the storage room to fetch those.
What do you like to do the most in the lab?
I could spend hours at the confocal microscope.
What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment?
It usually means having some breathtakingly beautiful images to show, so I share those with my colleagues (and friends). Afterwards, there’s usually a relaxing evening at home.
Which was your first spot in your lab coat?
Probably hematoxylin, eosin, or some other histological stain.
Avilien Dard
I am a postdoc at VIB-Ugent Center for Plant System Biology in Ghent, Belgium, where I am working on redox regulation in stress granule formation during heat stress.
My journey in plant sciences integrates plant adaptation to environmental stress, redox mechanisms, and epigenetics. Trained at the University of Perpignan Via Domitia and the University of Toulouse Paul Sabatier in France, I developed expertise in molecular biology and genetics, laying the foundation for my research career. In October 2019, I started my PhD under Dr. Jean-Philippe Reichheld's supervision at the Laboratory of Plant's Genome and Development in Perpignan, France. Our research revealed redox mechanisms' significance in plant adaptation to heat waves and their impact on chromatin regulators, including histone deacetylases HDA6 and HDA19. After defending my thesis successfully in May 2023, I began my first postdoc in Prof. Dr. Frank Van Breusegem's lab at VIB-Ugent Center for Plant System Biology in Ghent, Belgium. My initial project focused on uncovering redox-sensitive proteins in the nucleus using redox proteomics. In April 2024, I secured the prestigious MSCA postdoc fellowship to initiate my independent research within the same team. This project involves developing new tools like genetically encoded redox proteomics probes and biosensors to investigate the role of redox regulation in stress granule formation during heat stress.
What annoys you in the lab?
Finding empty stock boxes!
What do you like to do the most in the lab?
Confocal imaging
What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment?
Enjoying a good beer with the team
Which was your first spot in your lab coat?
Coomassie blue probably
Chantalle Moulton
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Human Longevity Program at IRCCS San Raffaele in Rome, Italy. My current research focuses on the role of redox biology in aging and neuroinflammation by combining molecular and cellular biology with nanotechnology to optimise biomimetic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in the brain.
My academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology, Genetics, and Psychology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where I developed a fascination for the molecular mechanisms at play in everyday life and also in pathology. This led me to pursue an interdisciplinary master’s degree in Health and Physical Activity taught by a cohort of European institutions, where I explored the role of extracellular vesicles in redox homeostasis after exercise in trained and untrained individuals. I then continued with a PhD at the University of Rome “Foro Italico,” where I investigated the impact of physical activity on DNA methylation, biological aging, and oxidative stress in breast cancer patients undergoing medical treatment.
Now, as a postdoc researcher, I am exploring how redox mechanisms contribute to neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and aging, and how we can treat related conditions via targeted drug delivery to the brain using biomimetic nanoparticles. Over my career, attending SFRR-E meetings has been a great experience, reinforcing my interest for redox research and interdisciplinary collaboration. I look forward to contributing to this scientific community and continuing to investigate the role of oxidative stress in health and disease.
What annoys you in the lab?
Failed experiments and western blots.
What do you like to do the most in the lab?
Brainstorming new experiments.
What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment?
Excitedly declaring “It worked!” to anyone that will listen.
Which was your first spot in your lab coat?
I think silver nitrate stains back in bachelor’s chemistry.
Marin Kuntic
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular Cardiology at the University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany. My research focuses on the effects of environmental and behavioural risk factors on the cardiovascular system.
My scientific interests started during my high school years, as I was involved in a training program for talented youth in Serbia. I went on to study physical chemistry at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, where I obtained a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree with the focus on biophysical chemistry. After this, I went to Germany where I obtained a PhD in the field of translational biomedicine, with the focus on molecular cardiology. My PhD thesis and my current research focus on the effects of environmental (noise and air pollution) and behavioural (smoking and diet) risk factors on the cardiovascular system in mouse models. I would like to continue my research career and lead my own lab one day.
What annoys you in the lab?
Lack of management.
What do you like to do the most in the lab?
Write papers.
What is your favourite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment?
Go home early.
Which was your first spot in your lab coat?
Concentrated HCl. It was more of a hole than a spot.
Tim Baldensperger
I am a Moritz Schlick Postdoctoral Fellow in protein chemistry at the University of Vienna. My research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of aging and age-related diseases. I study how cellular stressors such as reactive oxygen species, acyl-CoA species, α-dicarbonyls, and formaldehyde influence posttranslational modifications and protein aggregation.
I studied Food Chemistry at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and joined the research training group “Protein Modifications: A Key Mechanism in Aging” as a PhD student to investigate how posttranslational modifications change during aging. For my first postdoctoral position, I joined Tilman Grune’s lab at the German Institute of Human Nutrition, where I elucidated cytotoxic effects of the oxidatively crosslinked protein aggregate lipofuscin. In 2023 I relocated to Vienna and aim to establish my own junior research group “Posttranslational Modifications in Neurodegenerative Diseases” under the mentorship of Christian Becker.
What annoys you in the lab?
When I am ready to start an experiment, only to find that an essential chemical is empty because someone forgot to reorder it.
What do you like to do the most in the lab?
I enjoy working with analytical instruments like flow cytometry and mass spectrometry. These high-tech instruments are extremely fascinating and it is a huge privilege to operate them.
What is your favorite thing to do for celebrating a successful experiment?
I like to celebrate the successful completion of a project with a nice dinner at a great restaurant.
Which was your first spot in your lab coat?
Countless holes from acid splashes in “Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry”.
Next Webinar series “Emerging leaders in redox biology”
The next webinar will take place on April 1st, 2025, at 15:00 CET, focusing on the topic “Chaperones in redox biology” with featured speakers Kathrin Ulrich and Reymond Sutandy.
Redox-regulated chaperones in organismal proteostasis regulation
Kathrin Ulrich, PhD
Institute of Biochemistry, Center of Molecular Biosciences, CoMB, University of Cologne
Kathrin received her PhD in 2017 at Heidelberg University where she worked in the lab of Luise Krauth-Siegel on oxidative thiol modifications in African trypanosomes. As a postdoc, she joined the lab of Ursula Jakob at the University of Michigan to study redox-regulated chaperones and their roles in cell stress responses. Since Oct 2022, she is Juniorprofessor for Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Cologne. Her research group focuses on redox regulation of chaperones and their role in maintaining a healthy proteome during aging and environmental stresses. https://ulrichlab.uni-koeln.de
ROS-mediated signaling of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response
Reymond Sutandy, PhD
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, USA
Reymond Sutandy is a molecular biologist currently establishing his independent lab as a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular Systems Medicine within the Medical Department of Goethe University Frankfurt. He earned his B.Sc. from Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, in 2011, and his M.Sc. from National Central University, Taiwan, in 2013. For his doctoral studies, Reymond moved to Germany, completing his Ph.D. in 2019 in molecular biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. His doctoral research, conducted at the Institute of Molecular Biology under Dr. Julian König, focused on alternative splicing regulation by examining transcriptome-wide RNA-protein interactions. Following his Ph.D., Reymond joined the lab of Prof. Christian Münch as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Biochemistry II, Goethe University Frankfurt. There, he investigated the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), a proteostasis pathway triggered by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in mitochondria. His research revealed that UPRmt activation in humans is signaled by two critical mitochondrial-derived molecules: reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the accumulation of mitochondrial precursor proteins in the cytosol. Detection of these signaling molecules involves the oxidation of cysteine residues on the cytosolic co-chaperone DNAJA1, which in turn activates the transcription factor HSF1 to initiate the UPRmt. This work uncovered a novel role for DNAJA1 as a cytosolic surveillance molecule in UPRmt signaling. Reymond’s lab will continue to focus on exploring non-classical roles of chaperones beyond their traditional function in protein folding, specifically in mediating cell signaling and responding to changes in the cellular environment, including redox shifts. Ultimately, his lab aims to explore the relevance of these non-classical chaperone roles in both physiological and disease contexts, including aging.
Exciting update! The early bird registration and abstract submission deadlines for poster presentations at SFRR-I have been extended!
The early bird registration deadline for the 22nd SFRR-I Biennial Meeting hosted by the Society for Free Radical Research - Europe “The New Era of Redox Biology: from Basic Biochemistry to Redox Omics” to be held in Galway, Ireland, June 03 - 06, 2025 has been extended!
The early bird registration deadline is now 3rd April 2025.
The deadline for abstract submission for a poster presentation, has also been extended to 3rd April 2025.
For more details about the conference and the details of the program, including the symposia and keynote lectures, please visit the conference website: https://www.sfrrgalway2025.com/
Summary of March’s webinar:
On March’s webinar we learnt about “Redox, exercise and nutrition” with three wonderful talks by Stephen Bailey, Edziu Franczak and Lewan Parker. If you didn’t have a chance to follow the webinar, here’s a summary for you. Remember that you can also watch the recordings of the webinars through the SFRR-E intranet.
Influence of dietary nitrate supplementation on skeletal muscle redox processes, physiological responses and exercise performance
Stephen Bailey, PhD
Loughborough University, UK
Nitrate power: Fueling muscle performance. In this webinar, Dr. Stephen Bailey explored how dietary nitrate supplementation influences skeletal muscle redox status, physiological responses, and exercise performance. Dr. Bailey’s research demonstrates that nitrate supplementation can reduce the oxygen cost of exercise, improve endurance, and enhance muscle contractility, particularly in conditions where oxygen availability is limited. Additionally, he showed how nitrate affects oxidative stress and redox signaling in skeletal muscle, which plays a crucial role in muscle adaptation and fatigue resistance. By optimizing NO bioavailability, dietary nitrate has the potential to boost athletic performance and improve muscle function under conditions of intense exercise. Dr. Bailey’s work provides valuable insights into how nutrition-based strategies can support metabolic and cardiovascular health, making nitrate supplementation a promising tool for improving exercise capacity and overall well-being.
Mitochondrial quality control: Another reason why women are superior
Edziu Franczak, PhD candidate
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, USA
Uncovering women superiority. Edziu's presentation explored how mitochondrial quality control may contribute to women’s innate protection against metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Particularly, his talk emphasized how estrogen influences mitochondrial function in the liver, particularly in response to exercise and dietary metabolic stressors such as high-fat, high-sucrose diets. Edziu’s work suggests that estrogen-related signaling enhances mitochondrial respiratory capacity and promotes more effective quality control mechanisms, which could explain why females tend to have a lower risk of MASLD compared to males. By studying rodent models, he provided evidence that estrogen supports liver health and further investigated whether these protective mechanisms could inform new treatment strategies for MASLD. Importantly, his findings highlight the importance of sex differences and divergence in aerobic capacity in metabolic disease research and suggest that targeting mitochondrial function may be a promising therapeutic avenue.
The effect of exercise and nutrient ingestion on biomarkers of redox homeostasis
Lewan Parker, PhD
Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Australia
Redox interindividual variability. Dr. Parker's talk focused on how exercise and nutrient ingestion affect redox homeostasis, specifically biomarkers related to oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses. In his recent work, Dr. Parker examined the individualized responses to exercise and high-glucose ingestion, and mainly how these factors influence oxidative balance in healthy individuals. His research proposes a significant degree of variability between individuals in response to exercise and nutritional interventions, highlighting the role of interindividual differences in redox homeostasis and adaptations. Notably, Dr. Parker’s research proposes that this variability is crucial for developing personalized exercise and nutrition approaches in managing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
More information about the ECR Subcommittee can be found on the SFRR-E website (ECR Committee), while regular updates can be found on Twitter (@SFRR_Europe), Instagram (@sfrr_ecr) and LinkedIn (SFRR-E). For any question or suggestion you might have, you can contact us via email:
Hope to see you online for our next Webinar Series appointment,
The ECR subcommittee
Upcoming events:
UK Redox Network Meeting
- 28 April 2025
- Location: ICR Administrative Building, 123 Old Brompton Road (SW7 3RP), Chelsea, London
- Organisers: Joerg Mansfeld, Olena Rudyk & Giovanni Mann
- Speakers include: James Nathan, Elizabeth Veal, Paraskevi Kritsiligkou, Joseph Burgoyne
- Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/8Zt9Kq2dag
- DEADLINE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION for oral and poster presentations: 31st MARCH 2025!
22nd SFRRI Biennial Meeting
- The New Era of Redox Biology: from Basic Biochemistry to Redox Omics
- 3 - 6 June 2025
- Location: Galway, Ireland
- Deadlines: Early Bird Registration and abstract submission for poster presentation: 4 April 2025
- Further information: https://www.sfrrgalway2025.com
- Don’t miss out on the fascinating satellite symposia!
FASEB Science Research Conference. Ferroptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Lipid Metabolism
- 27 - 31 July 2025
- Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
- Deadlines:
- Abstract Submission: 1 June 2025
- Early Registration: 15 June 2025
- Housing: 13 July 2025
- Further information: https://events.faseb.org/event/11797f9e-df16-42b9-9c47-f1e06713c4fb/summary
EMBO Workshop: Thiol based redox switches: From chemistry to physiology and pathology
- 13 - 18 September 2025
- Location: Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain
- Abstract Submission Deadline: 18 May 2025
- https://meetings.embo.org/event/25-thiol-switches
Interesting Redox Papers:
Marker, T., Steimbach, R.R., Perez-Borrajero, C. et al. Site-specific activation of the proton pump inhibitor rabeprazole by tetrathiolate zinc centres. Nat Chem (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01745-8
Miró-Vinyals, C., Emmert, S., Grammbitter, G., et al. Characterization of the glutathione redox state in the Golgi apparatus. Redox Biol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2025.103560
Zuhra, K., Petrosino, M., Janickova, L. et al. Regulation of mammalian cellular metabolism by endogenous cyanide production. Nat Metab (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01225-w
Steglich, M., Larrieux, N., Zeida, A., et al. Human glutathione transferases catalyze the reaction between glutathione and nitrooleic acid. J Biol Chem (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108362
Borbényi-Galambos, K., Erdélyi, K., Ditrói, T., et al. Realigned transsulfuration drives BRAF-V600E-targeted therapy resistance in melanoma. Cell Metab (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2025.01.021
Noce, B., Marchese, S., Massari, M., et al. Design of Benzyl-triazolopyrimidine-Based NADPH Oxidase Inhibitors Leads to the Discovery of a Potent Dual Covalent NOX2/MAOB Inhibitor. J Med Chem (2025). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c02644
Insightful Redox Reviews:
Lancaster, G.L. & Murphy, A.J. Do physiological changes in fatty acid composition alter cellular ferroptosis susceptibility and influence cell function? J Lipid Red (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2025.100765
Grimmett, Z.W., Schindler, J.C. & Stamler, J.S. Gases define redox signalling: NO, H2S, O2 … and cyanide. Nat Metab (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01229-6
Park, W.Y., Montufar, C. & Zaganjor, E. Mitochondrial substrate oxidation regulates distinct cell differentiation outcomes. Trends Cell Biol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2025.02.004
Hartsema, E.A., Hemmling, H. & Hawkins, C.L. Comparative reactivity of hypohalous acids with proteins: Chemistry, biological effects and consequences. Adv Redox Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arres.2025.100119
Latest Redox Preprints:
Zeisel, L., Dessen-Weissenhorn, L., Scholzen, K.C., et al. Bicyclic selenenyl sulfides tune stepwise rates of thiol/selenol addition, resolution, and cyclisation, to reveal cellular constraints for bioreductive probes targeting mammalian thioredoxin reductase. ChemRxiv (2025). https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-6vbn2
Zimmermann, J., Lang, L., Malo Pueyo, J., et al. Heterooligomerization drives structural plasticity of eukaryotic peroxiredoxins. BioRxiv (2025). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.03.641172
Button, E.L., Lewis, J.B., Dwyer, E., et al. The 1-Cys peroxiredoxin, PRDX-6, suppresses a pro-survival response, including the Flavin monoxygenase, FMO-2, that protects against fungal and bacterial infection. BioRxiv (2025). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.06.640586
Call for papers:
Journal: Redox Biochemistry and Chemistry
- Special Issue: Spatial analysis and new methods of identifying and quantifying intracellular oxidants
- Submission deadline: 31 August 2025
- More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/320420/spatial-analysis-and-new-methods-of-identifying-and-quantifying-intracellular-oxidants
Redox Job Opportunities:
Remember that if there’s an open position in your lab for early career researchers and you would like to advertise it in our newsletter, just write us an email (
- Kind of position: (PhD student, Postdoc, etc)
- Research topic
- Institute/University
- Deadline
- Contact information
- Further information about the position (if any)