Elena Nicolay
Research Interests
• Enteroneurotoxicity: Investigating the effects of environmental chemicals on the enteric nervous system using zebrafish as a model organism.
• Immunomodulation: Exploring the interactions between the innate immune system and enteric nervous system cells under exposure to endocrine disruptors.
• (Semi-)Automated high-content confocal imaging and analysis: Development and application of 3D high-content imaging of transgenic zebrafish larvae to study the individual and combined impacts of chemical exposure on the innate immune and enteric nervous systems.
• Immunomodulation: Exploring the interactions between the innate immune system and enteric nervous system cells under exposure to endocrine disruptors.
• (Semi-)Automated high-content confocal imaging and analysis: Development and application of 3D high-content imaging of transgenic zebrafish larvae to study the individual and combined impacts of chemical exposure on the innate immune and enteric nervous systems.
Curriculum Vitae
Since 10/2024
Doctoral Researcher
Department Ecotoxicology, Mechanistic Toxicology Group, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig
02/2024 - 09/2024
Research assistant for establishing high content fluorescence imaging and image analysis pipeline using transgenic zebrafish larvae,
Mechanistic Toxicology Group, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig
Mechanistic Toxicology Group, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig
11/2023 – 12/203
Research assistant for generation of a scientific manuscript,
Doyle lab, Physics of Life Dresden (PoL)
Doyle lab, Physics of Life Dresden (PoL)
2021 - 2023
M.Sc. Regenerative Biology and Medicine,
Technical University Dresden, Germany
Becker lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD)
- Student research assistant for bioimage analysis of patient-derived intestinal cancer organoids, Dye lab, PoL
- Research assistant at the lab for molecular genetics of autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, Lee-Kirsch Group, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden
2018 - 2021
B.Sc. Molecular Biology,
Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, Recklinghausen, Germany
Schmucker lab, Limes Institute Bonn
- Laboratory Assistant at Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, Recklinghausen
2016 - 2018
Biological-Technical Assistant,
Sabine-Blindow School, Hanover, Germany
Sabine-Blindow School, Hanover, Germany
Awards/Grants/other Activities
01/2025
NeuroToxicology Cover Image May 2025
06/2023
Audience Award for ‘Best scientific content’ (Poster Prize):
“Dynamics of macrophage polarization during spinal cord regeneration in zebrafish larvae“, Life Science Campus Summer Conference 2023
04/2023 - 09/2023
CRTD e.V. Scholarship for Master’s Thesis