Professor | Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology | Germany
Prof. Dr. Simone B. Reber is a Max Planck Fellow and Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and a W2-Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin, specializing in quantitative cell biology, biophysics, and cytoskeletal dynamics. She brings extensive professional experience shaped by leadership roles as an independent group leader, interdisciplinary collaborator, mentor, and investigator on major funded projects advancing cellular architecture, microtubule biology, and nucleocytoplasmic density regulation. Her research explores cytoplasmic material properties, spindle scaling, microtubule diversity across species, and parasite cytoskeletons, with influential contributions published in leading journals including Nature Cell Biology, Nature Communications, Current Biology, and PNAS. She has guided teams across multiple institutions, developed innovative imaging and biochemical approaches, and contributed substantially to methodological advances in cytoskeletal research. Prof. Reber’s work has earned distinctions such as Max Planck and Rosalind Franklin Fellowships, teaching awards for excellence in digital instruction, and invitations to speak at major international meetings. She serves on scientific and advisory committees, reviews grants for major funding bodies including ERC, DFG, and BBSRC, and holds reviewer responsibilities for leading journals. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to advancing fundamental cell biology, fostering scientific talent, and strengthening global research communities, and her research impact includes 2,517 citations, 33 publications, and an h-index of 17.
Profiles: Scopus | ORCID
Featured Publications
1. Biswas A., Muñoz O., Kim K., Hoege C., Lorton B.M., Shechter D., Guck J., Zaburdaev V., Reber S., Conserved nucleocytoplasmic density homeostasis drives cellular organization across eukaryotes. bioRxiv, 2023, doi:10.1101/2023.09.05.556409.
2. Kletter T., Muñoz O., Reusch S., Biswas A., Halavatyi A., Neumann B., Kuropka B., Zaburdaev V., Reber S., Cell state-specific cytoplasmic density controls spindle architecture and scaling. Nature Cell Biology, 2025, doi:10.1038/s41556-025-01678-x.
3. Troman L., de Gaulejac E., Biswas A., Stiens J., Kuropka B., Moores C., Reber S., Mechanistic basis of temperature-adaptation in microtubule dynamics across frog species. bioRxiv, 2024, doi:10.1101/2024.07.29.605571.
4. Bangera M., Wu J., Beckett D., Fachet D., Ferreira J.L., Voth G.A., Reber S., Moores C.A., Adaptations in Plasmodium tubulin determine unique microtubule architectures, mechanics and drug susceptibility. bioRxiv, 2025, doi:10.1101/2025.09.17.676853.
5. Kletter T., Muñoz O., Reusch S., Biswas A., Halavatyi A., Neumann B., Kuropka B., Zaburdaev V., Reber S., Cell state-specific cytoplasmic density controls spindle architecture and scaling. Nature Cell Biology, 2025, doi:10.1038/s41556-025-01678-x.
Prof. Dr. Simone B. Reber’s work uncovers the physical principles that govern cellular organization, revealing how cytoplasmic material properties shape the architecture and function of life across species. Her discoveries advance fundamental biology while driving innovation in biophysics, imaging, and parasite research, enabling new strategies for biomedical analysis and therapeutic development. Through interdisciplinary leadership, she strengthens scientific capacity and inspires next-generation approaches to understanding complex cellular systems.