Leithner Lab
Alex is a cell biologist and immunologist with a deep interest in the mechanistic principles that govern how cells interact, communicate and make decisions. His fascination with the immunological synapse, high-end imaging, and the cytoskeleton dates back to his PhD in Michael Sixt’s lab at IST Austria, where he investigated immune cell migration and dendritic cell–T cell contacts using advanced microscopy and reductionist model systems.During his postdoctoral work in Michael L. Dustin’s group at the University of Oxford, Alex established next-generation reductionist platforms to study signaling events at immune cell interfaces with precise control over ligand mobility. In Oxford, he also expanded his research into the field of cancer immunotherapy, focusing in particular on bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs). His work uncovered structural and physicochemical determinants of BiTE function, revealing how molecular architecture, synapse organization and early signaling dynamics shape their cytotoxic potency. Across these experiences, Alex has developed a research program at the intersection of biophysics, immunology and synthetic biology, aimed at uncovering how physicochemical properties of cell surfaces shape immune recognition, signaling, and cytotoxicity — and how these principles can be leveraged to design more effective immune-based therapies.
Beatriz is a cell biologist with an interdisciplinary background spanning molecular biology, mechanobiology, and immunology.
During her postgraduate studies in Dr. Laura Escobar’s lab at UNAM, Mexico, she investigated the regulation of potassium channel trafficking and its role in cell cycle progression. She subsequently joined the labs of Dr. Mathieu Hautefeuille and Dr. Genaro Vázquez at UNAM, where she studied how mechanical cues influence cellular behaviour and phenotype, while developing biomimetic cell culture platforms.
For her second postdoctoral position, she joined Dr. Laurent Limozin and Dr. Kheya Sengupta at Aix-Marseille Université, France, investigating how immune cells recognise and kill tumour cells in response to different immunotherapeutic agents. Her work also contributed to the development of deep-learning-based image analysis tools for quantifying immune cell cytotoxicity and cell–cell interactions.
Beatriz joined the Leithner lab in September 2026.
Copyrights: Alexander Leithner, Daniel Čapek respectively
