Lisa Wiesmüller is a full professor at Ulm University, where she is the Head of the Division of Gynecological Oncology. She is internationally recognized for her work on DNA repair recombination and replication and their perturbations in carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and aging.

Born in Germany, she studied Biochemistry at the University of Regensburg, at Colorado University in the United States, and at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, where she also earned her Ph.D. degree.

The purpose of her research is to understand the molecular details of DNA damage response mechanisms and their deregulation in immunodeficiency and chromosome instability syndromes and cancer, as well as upon viral infection and during aging. Her team generated valuable tools for basic and translational research. The team’s mechanistic research led to the identification and molecular characterization of DNA repair and replication factors, hierarchical relationships, and signaling pathways. In parallel, Wiesmüller’s team performs translational research aiming at the identification of novel disease-causing genes, the development of new biomarkers for patient classification for cancer treatment, and the improvement of the existing screening approaches for breast, ovarian, prostate, and lung cancer.

She is a member and principal investigator in the German Collaborative Research Center 1506 “Aging at Interfaces”. Within this interdisciplinary network, she is addressing the crosstalk between aging-associated DNA damage response and inflammation using human cells from both sexes, to uncover the specific impact of the sex on age-associated genome stability.

Prof. Wiësmuller has received numerous awards, among which the Susan G. Komen Award for the Cure, EACR 2014, for her significant contribution to breast cancer research, the Innovation Award 2009 of the BioRegions Germany, the Merckle Research Award 2004, and the Ursula-M.-Händel Award of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2004. She authored more than 200 research publications in renowned peer-reviewed international journals.

Her research projects, in which she collaborates with researchers from Argentina, the USA, Finland, Italy, Israel, and other German universities are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Cancer Aid, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) among others.

Keywords: DNA Repair, DNA Damage Response, Genome Stability, DNA Replication, Cancer Biology. 

Ulm – September 27th, 2023

How did you (decide to) become a scientist? 

In the beginning, there were several steps. During my senior year of high school, I had many interests, ranging from mathematics to music. It was during this time that I attended a meeting organized by my city’s Employment Agency, where the different University faculties were presented.

During the break, I had the opportunity to talk to one professor and asked him for advice. Before our conversation, in his presentation, he remarked that biology was very challenging and told me: “You should have a diving license and speak many languages and have a major in mathematics rather than biology.” However, in the end, he was more encouraging and said “Well If you really want it, then do it”. And so, I did. 

Perhaps it’s the challenge itself that drew me in, the determination to not be easily dissuaded. That’s part of the secret behind my journey probably, and that’s why I wanted to go for it. And then many things happened, often unconsciously.

For example, after two years of university studies, everything seemed to progress smoothly. I thought to myself, “If I continue with this pace, I will complete my degree in two years and should start thinking about working”. So, I took advantage of this opportunity to go abroad because our university had an exchange program with the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States. I studied for one year there, and I must say, this changed my life. I still have many friends from those days.  A completely different spirit entered my life. Because I needed money for that, I took up a paid internship at the Max Planck Institute, and that is how I got access to the Max Planck Institute. So, step by step I became a scientist. I truly believe in the perspective that “luck needs a prepared mind”. There’s something about it. If you’re ready for it and actively pursue it, I believe that it should work out.

What is your drive and excitement in science and in doing what you do now? 

I think this is very individual. Everybody has a different driving force. In my case, it is related to my personal skills.  I think I’m best at analysing data, I have an abstract mind. I see a pile of data and work until I find the structure.  That’s what I can do very well. Others are very good at technologies or in formulating hypotheses. I accept the data the way they are. I always say they’re talking to us, even if we don’t understand them. Often, only one year later we understand the data. What I like is to formulate mechanisms, from symbols and pieces. Truly molecular biology.

Would you have one word to give as a gift to other women and more in general to young aspiring scientists, women, or men? 

I have one message that I wrote down on purpose because one of my closest collaborators, from Argentina, gave it to me during a meeting in Santa Fe. It’s a quote from the modernist American painter Georgia O’Keeffe: “If you can believe in what you are (or in what your science is, I would add) and keep to your line, that is the most one can do with life”. And I would apply it to science too. Because I think it doesn’t mean anything if you try to adapt. Of course, you have to make certain compromises and learn to be a little bit more diplomatic along the way but don’t distort yourself, and don’t let others stand in your way, because it won’t work, and it will make you sick. 

There is a second message that I would like to give as a gift: “Select your collaborators carefully, because there are many bright and great scientists, but among them choose the ones that are complementary to your science. It can be technology or conceptual topics and so on, but they should be sharing your chemistry and your passion. They should possibly become your friends. You don’t have to necessarily aim at that, but it is so rewarding when it happens. Most of my close collaborators have become close friends over time. At one point I decided not to look for the big shots (established experts) because they would not consider me anyway.

If you team up with your collaborators, you create your network and you can be very strong together. I experienced that and I find it very rewarding.