Following studies in biochemistry at the Freie Universität Berlin, I gained a PhD in human genetics for a project exploring the genetic basis of palmoplantar keratodermas. I continued working on genetic disorders of keratinisation with Prof. A. Reis (then Institute of Human Genetics, Charité Berlin) and Prof. I. Leigh (then Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London) before moving to the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin. I was appointed Junior Research Group leader at the Cologne Center for Genomics (director Prof. P. Nürnberg) and headed research groups in dermatogenetics at the University of Cologne and the Medical University of Innsbruck. In 2016, I became Reader in Molecular Biology at the University of Huddersfield, and I joined Staffordshire University in 2024.
My major research interests include the genetic basis of skin diseases, in particular congenital ichthyoses, and novel approaches to their treatment. We have been using 3D full-skin models for the analysis of epidermal development and barrier function and therapeutic applications of recombinant proteins. Moreover, we have generated iPS cells to produce disease- and patient-specific models for monogenic skin diseases. My research has been funded by major funding bodies, and I am a board member of the European Network for Skin Engineering and Modeling. I have extensive teaching experience in medical genetics, genomics, physiology, pathology, and other topics of BSc and MSc courses in biology and biomedical science.
Professional memberships and activities
- Member of the American Society of Human Genetics
- Member of the Association for Biology and Life Sciences
- Member of the European Society of Human Genetics
- Member of the German Society of Human Genetics
- Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science
Academic qualifications
- PhD in Human Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin
- Master in Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin
Expertise
- Medical Genetics and Genomics
- Molecular Medicine
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Histology and Pathology
- Genodermatology
Research interests
- Rare diseases, especially genetic skin diseases
- 3D skin modelling
- Skin barrier function
- Epidermal differentiation
- Translational dermatologic research
- Precision medicine
Teaching
A broad range of topics in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, including -
Genomics
Medical Genetics
Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
Current Topics
Research Projects
Publications
- Riesmeijer SA, Kamali Z, Ng M, Drichel D, Piersma B, Becker K, Layton TB, Nanchahal J, Nothnagel M, Vaez A, Hennies HC, Werker PMN, Furniss D, Nolte IM (2024) A genome-wide association meta-analysis implicates Hedgehog and Notch signaling in Dupuytren's disease. Nat Commun 15(1):199
- Brauer N, Maruta Y, Lisci M, Strege K, Oschlies I, Nakamura H, Böhm S, Lehmberg K, Brandhoff L, Ehl S, Parvaneh N, Klapper W, Fukuda M, Griffiths GM, Hennies HC, Niehues T, Ammann S (2023) Immunodeficiency with susceptibility to lymphoma with complex genotype affecting energy metabolism (FBP1, ACAD9) and vesicle trafficking (RAB27A). Front Immunol 14:1151166
- Hake L, Süßmuth K, Komlosi K, Kopp J, Drerup C, Metze D, Traupe H, Hausser I, Eckl KM, Hennies HC, Fischer J, Oji V (2022) Quality of life and clinical characteristics of self-improving congenital ichthyosis within the disease spectrum of autosomal-recessive congenital ichthyosis, J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 36(4):582-591
- Eckl KM, Gruber R, Brennan L, Marriott A, Plank R, Moosbrugger-Martinz V, Blunder S, Schossig A, Altmüller J, Thiele H, Nürnberg P, Zschocke J, Hennies HC*, Schmuth M* (2021) Cystatin M/E gain-of-function variant causes autosomal dominant keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans by dysregulating cathepsins L and V, Front Genet 12:689940
- Lima Cunha D, Oram A, Gruber R, Plank R, Lingenhel A, Gupta MK, Altmüller J, Nürnberg P, Schmuth M, Zschocke J, Šarić T, Eckl KM, Hennies HC (2021) hiPSC-derived epidermal keratinocytes from ichthyosis patients show altered expression of cornification markers, Int J Mol Sci 22:1785
- Plank R, Yealland G, Miceli E, Graff P, Eckl KM, Lima Cunha D, Gruber R, Moosbrugger-Martinz V, Calderón M, Hennies HC*, Hedtrich S* (2019) Transglutaminase 1 replacement therapy successfully mitigates the ARCI phenotype in full-thickness skin disease equivalents. J Invest Dermatol 139:1191-1195
- Lima Cunha D, Alakloby OM, Gruber R, Kakar N, Ahmad J, Alawbathani S, Plank R, Eckl KM, Krabichler B, Altmüller J, Nürnberg P, Zschocke J, Borck G, Schmuth M, Alabdulkareem AS, Alnutaifi KA, Hennies HC (2019) Unknown mutations and genotype/phenotype correlation of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis in patients from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Mol Genet Genomic Med 7:e539
- Ng M, Thakkar D, Southam L, Werker P, Ophoff R, Becker K, Nothnagel M, Franke A, Nürnberg P, Espirito-Santo AI, Izadi D, Hennies HC, Nanchahal J, Zeggini E, Furniss D (2017) A genome-wide association study of Dupuytren’s disease reveals 17 additional variants implicated in fibrosis. Am J Hum Genet 101:417-427
- Gruber R, Rainer G, Weiss A, Udvardi A, Thiele H, Eckl KM, Schupart R, Nürnberg P, Zschocke J, Schmuth M, Volc-Platzer B, Hennies HC (2017) Morphological alterations in two siblings with autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis associated with CYP4F22 mutations. Br J Dermatol 176:1068-107
- Becker K, Siegert S, Reza Toliat M, Du J, Casper R, Dolmans GH, Werker PM, Tinschert S, Franke A, Gieger C, Strauch K, Nothnagel M, Nürnberg P, Hennies HC (2016) Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies and network analysis-based integration with gene expression data identify new suggestive loci and unravel a wnt-centric network associated with Dupuytren’s disease. PLoS One 11:e0158101
- Ammann S, Schulz A, Krägeloh-Mann I, Dieckmann N, Niethammer K, Fuchs S, Eckl KM, Plank R, Werner R, Altmüller J, Thiele H, Nürnberg P, Bank J, Strauß A, von Bernuth H, zur Stadt U, Grieve S, Griffiths G, Lehmberg K, Hennies HC*/Ehl S* (2016) Mutations in AP3D1 associated with immunodeficiency and seizures define a new type of Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome. Blood 127:997-1006
- Witting M, Molina M, Obst K, Plank R, Eckl KM, Hennies HC, Calderón M, Frieß W, Hedtrich S (2015) Thermosensitive Dendritic Polyglycerol-Based Nanogels for Cutaneous Delivery of Biomacromolecules. Nanomedicine 11:1179-1187