New Video Portrait of Jens Timmer

How can mathe­mat­i­cal models help us to better under­stand the complex processes in cells and the effect of drugs? The new Hector Fellow Academy video portrait intro­duces Jens Timmer, theoret­i­cal physi­cist and co-founder of the research field of systems biology.

Jens Timmer is a profes­sor at the Univer­sity of Freiburg and one of the first members of the Hector Fellow Academy. His focus is on the mathe­mat­i­cal model­ing of biolog­i­cal processes. Timmer is one of the leading minds in the research field of systems biology — an inter­dis­ci­pli­nary disci­pline that combines physics, mathe­mat­ics, computer science, biology and medicine. His aim is to gain a profound under­stand­ing of biology and drive forward devel­op­ments in medicine.

Mathe­mat­i­cal models and simula­tions based on exper­i­men­tal labora­tory data can be used to decipher biochem­i­cal processes, predict reactions and test hypothe­ses. This approach not only enables more targeted planning of exper­i­ments, but also speeds up drug devel­op­ment and reduces the need for animal testing. Timmer sees partic­u­lar poten­tial in person­al­ized medicine. Thanks to Timmer's scien­tific achieve­ments, biolo­gists and doctors now have much more in-depth knowl­edge about diseases such as tremor, cancer, anaemia and immunology.

Jens Timmer is also keen to pass on his knowl­edge to the next gener­a­tion of scien­tists. Since 2023, he has been super­vis­ing young researcher Katha­rina Lauk in her doctoral project. The young researcher studied biology and success­fully applied for a doctoral position at the Hector Fellow Academy. In her doctoral project, she is research­ing a rare gene mutation in children and hopes that her work will contribute to the devel­op­ment of a therapy.