I am a curious about how environmental cues shape systemic physiology through neuroendocrine, metabolic, and glia-mediated pathways. During my PhD at the University of Birmingham, I uncovered an insulin-driven neuron–glia communication loop required for CNS regeneration. Now as a postdoc, I am investigating Toll receptor signalling, gut–brain communication, and how these systems integrate behavioural and metabolic responses. My work spans genetics, confocal imaging, metabolic and behavioural assays, and the development of innovative injury and infection models in Drosophila. Alongside my research, I enjoy organising scientific events as a Senoir member of the BIOPostdoc Network, and contributing to a creative and collaborative research community. Outside the lab, I enjoy playing the piano and attempting to create the perfect brownie.

I am passionate about uncovering the molecular mechanisms that govern stem cell behavior, with a particular focus on mechanotransduction - the conversion of mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a powerful genetic model, my work integrates Drosophila genetics, advanced live cell microscopy, and quantitative bioimaging to dissect how mechanical forces regulate stem cell dynamics within adult epithelia. Through this multidisciplinary approach, I aim to illuminate the pathways that drive tissue regeneration and repair, contributing foundational insights with the potential to inform future therapeutic strategies in regenerative medicine.  

Postdoc at Section of Cell and Neurobiology, Department of Biology, Rewitz Group 

mette.lassen@bio.ku.dk

Driven by curiosity about how cells sense and respond to their environment, I have a passion for puzzling out molecular mechanisms, particularly those that drive disease development. My research has spanned diverse model systems, including Drosophila melanogaster, mice, organoids, and cell culture. I have focused primarily on metabolic pathways, including the TOR pathway and insulin signaling/glucose uptake pathways. Beginning with Drosophila, I translated our findings into mammalian systems, employing approaches such as genetic manipulation, nutrient modulation, immunohistochemistry, and bioinformatic analysis of RNA-seq and phosphoproteomics datasets. Outside the lab, I enjoy learning piano, hiking, and cooking as a way to recharge.

I am a cellular and molecular biologist interested in the neuroscience of behavior and the molecular logic of synaptic function. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen, where I study how synapses adapt, with a focus on local protein translation and targeted protein transport.

Using Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model, my previous work explored insulin signaling in stress, as well as RNA-protein complex remodeling in gene regulation during aging. My career has taken me from India to France to Denmark, and outside the lab, I enjoy traveling and creative arts.

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