Dr. Anna Dowbaj

Biography

Anna Dowbaj is a stem cell biologist and geneticist whose research focuses on using novel complex organoids to study the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell communication, aging, and disease, utilizing a liver model organ. Her work specifically investigates the signaling of epithelial cells in their niche. The long-term goal of her research is to find new therapeutic targets for treatment interventions in personalized medicine. Dowbaj completed her undergraduate studies in Molecular Genetics at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She earned her PhD in cell biology from the Francis Crick Institute, UCL in London, under the supervision of Professor Erik Sahai. Following her doctoral studies, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, working with Professor Meritxell Huch. In June 2025, Dowbaj began her position at the TUM School of Life Sciences and the Center for Organoid Systems (COS), where she was appointed to the Professorship of Integrated Organoid Systems (IntOS).

Research Interests

Experience