Irene was born and raised in Switzerland where she studied at ETH Zurich, with the exception of a one year escape to the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Along the way she became intrigued by the atomic-resolution that structural biology offered to understand how proteins and other biomolecules operate. For her PhD she joined the lab of Frédéric Allain at ETH Zurich where she got hooked on NMR, RNA biology and splicing. After graduating, Irene moved to San Francisco to join Hiten Madhani's lab at UCSF. There she set up a CRISPR-Cas9 base editing system in haploid cells to study splicing using forward genetic screens, supported by fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Since September 2024, Irene is an independent junior group leader at the Institute of Molecular Infection Biology at the University of Würzburg.

In her free time, Irene used to try visiting as many of the US national parks as possible to camp there and hike. She is now looking forward to (re-)discovering beautiful spots across Germany and Europe.

I began my path into science with a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Life Science at the University of Lübeck, where I developed a strong appreciation for scientific research and its ability to uncover fundamental biological processes. During this time, I also participated in an Erasmus exchange at the University of Stockholm, where I was first introduced to the structure–function relationships of proteins—and quickly became fascinated by the insights offered by structural biology.

I continued my education with a Master's program in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the Universities of Freiburg and Strasbourg. For my Master's thesis, I joined the research group of Dr. Natacha Rochel at the IGBMC Strasbourg, where I used protein biochemical and biophysical methods to investigate interactions of nuclear receptors.

In the Beusch lab, I’m excited to expand my skills and knowledge in molecular and RNA biology by joining a project focused on proteins involved in early spliceosome assembly.

Outside of he lab, I’m currently trying to improve my badminton skills and enjoy engaging in conversations about literature, cinema, television, and political and social topics.

Inspired by science, I began my research journey at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, where I pursued an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s program. Among the four coredisciplines-mathematics, life sciences, chemistry, and physics, I was more drawn to life sciences which led me to choose Biology as my major.

During the academic training, I explored diverse areas of biology through internships at IISER and TIFR Hyderabad, gaining exposure to fields such as Immunology, and Neuroscience. For my master’s thesis, I worked under the guidance of Dr. Shravan Mishra, focusing on RNA Biology. My project investigated the role of B-complex spliceosome proteins in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing in S. cerevisiae which strengthened my knowledge on molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry.

In my PhD with the Beusch lab,  I am continuing to build on this foundation by focusing on understanding the processes involved in alternative splicing regulation.

Outside the lab, I enjoy exploring new places across European cities and spending time with people.

II was born and raised in Karnataka, India, where I did my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Zoology at St. Aloysius in Mangalore. Following my graduation, I gained practical experience working in a tissue culture laboratory at the same institution, which helped solidify my interest in life sciences.

I am currently a Master's student in Life Science. Having explored different research areas through internships, I realised my interest lies in RNA biology. I am eager to use my time in the lab to further understand the biology and techniques involved. 

Outside of my studies, I enjoy playing badminton and going on hikes.I am also excited about my new hobby, sewing!

Farimehr Etemadian - TA (2025-2026)