About me
My name is Dr. Gerit Arne Linneweber and I am a DFG Emmy Noether Group Leader at FU Berlin. My workgroup investigates the developmental origins of behavioral individuality. My current projects deal with the problem of the developmental origins of individuality and personality in animal model systems. This is a highly fascinating research question, and I hope that my work will contribute to a better understanding of behavioral differences in individual animals and humans. Previously I was an EMBO Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the research groups of Professor Dr. Bassem Hassan and Professor Dr. Joris de Wit at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) of KU Leuven and the Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) in Paris. From 2016 onwards, I was further affiliated with Professor Dr. Robin Hiesinger at FU Berlin.
I received doctoral training in the Wellcome Trust 4 year PhD Programme in Developmental Biology at the Department of Zoology – University of Cambridge. My PhD work was supervised by Dr Irene Miguel-Aliaga (now Clinical Science Centre – Imperial College London). The main findings of my PhD work were published in Cell in January 2014. The paper describes the regulation of tracheal branching by several subpopulations of metabolically important neurons. This is the first description of a non-target derived mechanism regulating an oxygen delivery system, as the human vasculature or insect trachea. Furthermore, the work indicates that the nervous system regulates the oxygen supply of metabolically important organs in times of nutrient scarcity, which is adaptive and prolongs survival. Further results of my PhD were published in the Journal Advances in Physiology Education and in PNAS. The first paper in Advances in Physiology Education explains how to teach non-scientists the advantages of Drosophila in scientific research. The second in PNAS is about the functions of the VIP-like protein Pigment dispersing factor (Pdf) in enteric neurons. In addition to these major achievements, I won poster and image competition prizes from the Graduate School of Life Science – University of Cambridge. I received several travel grants from the British Society of Developmental Biology to attend conferences in India and Great Britain. I gave talks and one poster presentation at three major international research conferences, the EDRC 2013 in Barcelona, the Neurofly 2012 in Padua and the Drosophila Maggot meeting in Bangalore. I supervised two graduate students and participated in the 2011 and 2012 Cambridge Science Festival as a public awareness demonstrator. Previous to my doctoral training I received a Master of Philosophy from Emmanuel College – University of Cambridge as part of the first year of the Wellcome Trust 4 year PhD Programme in Developmental Biology. During the lab rotations, I worked in the laboratories of Professor Dr. Sarah Bray, Dr. Boris Adryan, Dr. Irene Miguel-Aliaga and Dr. Eric Miska.
Previous to my doctoral studies in Cambridge, I received a Diploma (M.Sc. equivalent) from the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg. My Diploma thesis was performed in the laboratory of Professor Dr. Karl-Friedrich Fischbach. Afterward, I received a scholarship to continue on this project before leaving Freiburg. The work was published in the Journal of Neurogenetics in 2009 and in PlosOne in 2015. The first paper shows the interaction of the four cell adhesion molecules Roughest, Hibris, Kin of irre and Sticks and Stones in several fly organs. The second paper is the in detail analysis of the interactions of the four proteins in the anterior wing margin of the fly. This work was presented at the Neurofly 2008 in Würzburg, at the GFE meeting 2007 in Marburg, at the EDRC 2007 in Vienna, and at the BCCN Neurex Meeting 2007 in Freiburg. During my studies in Freiburg, I supervised one undergraduate student and I acted as a substitution lecturer for Professor Dr. Fischbach in an undergraduate training course (Biology 1B). In my effort to promote public awareness for science, I took part as a demonstrator at the Wissenschaftsmarkt 2007 in Freiburg.
Additionally to my research career and my interest in scientific imaging, I am a dedicated photographer. Furthermore, I try to be the best father in the world to my beloved daughter and son.
About this website
This website aims to present images and research outcomes of my past and present scientific and non-scientific endeavors. It should serve as a digital business card but should also provide a possibility for public engagement. Therefore I highly encourage both professional and non-professional contacts about the subjects shown on this website.