Sigmar Stricker, Regeneration Researcher

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Sigmar Stricker joined Karl Landsteiner University (KL) in September 2025 as Head of the newly established Department of Cell Biology. After 25 years in Berlin, where his roles included Group Leader and Professor of Biochemistry and Genetics at Freie Universität Berlin, KL offered him the opportunity to establish a new department and connect his research into the musculoskeletal system and stem cells with KL’s existing research priorities of allergology and immunology. 

Even as a child, Sigmar Stricker was fascinated by the natural sciences. This passion was kindled by his grandfather, who supervised Stricker during his first chemistry laboratory experiments. This sense of wonder at chemical and biological processes at an early age led to an interest in molecular genetics and how genes control vital processes – and that interest endures to this day. Stricker’s academic journey began with a biology degree at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, where he went on to obtain a Master’s degree. After receiving a Doctorate in Molecular Genetics from the University of Potsdam in 2002, Stricker initially worked as a postdoc before becoming a Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. He obtained his habilitation in 2010 and was awarded a professorship at Freie Universität Berlin in 2014. His strong roots in basic research are an important source of strength for his research today.

Stricker focuses on the musculoskeletal system – that is, muscles, bones and tendons – and how somatic stem cells support its regeneration. These cells are essential for repairing tissue after injury and maintaining the functionality of the locomotory system. As we grow older, however, these cells become less effective. Muscle fibres become weaker, bones become porous, and overall mobility deteriorates. Common consequences include diseases such as sarcopenia and osteoporosis. 

Stricker investigates how these stem cells are formed and preserved, and how they exert their molecular control. A particular focus is epigenetic programmes, which are mechanisms that act as molecular “switches” to determine which genes are activated in stem cells. While these programmes are affected by the ageing processes, they are also influenced by systemic factors, such as diet, metabolism and the immune system. By drawing on modern omics technologies such as transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as epigenetic analyses such as ChIP sequencing, researchers can explore how environmental and lifestyle influences – such as an unhealthy diet during childhood and adolescence – can trigger long-term epigenetic changes. Research in this field seeks to determine whether such changes at a young age have a permanent impact on stem cells and thus pave the way for diseases later in life.

Developmental biology is another important starting point for Stricker’s work. He explores how muscle cells, connective tissue cells and cartilage cells are specified in embryonal development. These processes demonstrate a surprising number of parallels with regeneration in adult organisms. Stricker uses this knowledge to better understand regenerative organisms and depict them in experimental models. Mesenchymal stem cells and muscle stem cells play a particularly important role in this work.

Stricker also places a strong emphasis on fundamental understanding in his teaching activities. In his introductory lectures on biochemistry and cellular biology, he explains to his students how molecular mechanisms work, from gene regulation to cell control, and why they have different effects in specific cells. His aim is not simply to convey information but to ensure that students understand the key biological principles that explain both health and disease.

Prof. Stricker has a clear long-term vision: to decipher the “epigenetic loads” on the musculoskeletal system over the course of a person’s life, and to develop new, targeted methods of modulating ageing processes. “We need to understand how diet, the immune system and stem cells jointly dictate the health of our locomotory system,” he says, explaining his approach. This systemic understanding could help us to preserve our mobility and quality of life well into old age – and is the target of Stricker’s