Dr. Dorothee Bornhorst-Ohmstede
Endothelial Regulation of Reproductive Organ Function
Vascular Biology / Angiogenesis
Cell Biology / Molecular Biology
Stem Cell Biology
Reproduction
Zebrafish
Infertility affects one in six adults worldwide, yet a substantial proportion of cases remain unexplained. Our research focuses on a critical and understudied dimension of reproductive biology: the role of blood and lymphatic endothelial cells (ECs) in gonadal development, homeostasis, and fertility. We investigate how vascular networks structurally and molecularly regulate germ cell maturation, endocrine function, and overall gonadal physiology. By integrating patient-derived genomic data with vertebrate models, such as zebrafish, we aim to identify endothelial-associated mechanisms that contribute to unexplained infertility. This comparative and mechanistic approach enables us to dissect vascular-gonadal crosstalk at cellular and molecular resolution. By bridging vascular biology and reproductive medicine, our work seeks to uncover novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, advancing both fundamental understanding and clinical management of reproductive disorders.
Vita
- 2009 - 2012 Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology, University Osnabrück, Germany.
- 2012 - 2014 Master of Science in Developmental Biology, University Heidelberg, Germany.
- 2015 - 2019 Dr. rer. nat., Hanover Medical School (MHH), Germany
- 2020 - 2023 Leopoldina fellow, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
- 2023 - 2025 Postdoctoral Fellow, ZMBE, Münster, Germany.
- Since 2026 IZKF – Junior Research Group Leader, Institute of Cell Biology, ZMBE & Institute
for Reproductive and Regenerative Biology, CeRA, Münster, Germany.
Selected references
Bornhorst D, Mortazavi N, Gunawan F (2025). Force of change: How biomechanical cues drive endothelial plasticity and morphogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2025.103623.
Bornhorst D, Hejjaji AV, Steuter L, Woodhead NM, Maier P, Gentile A, Alhajkadour A, Santis Larrain O, Weber M, Kikhi K, Guenther S, Huisken J, Tamplin OJ, Stainier DYR, Gunawan F (2024). The heart is a resident tissue for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in zebrafish. Nat Commun. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51920-7.
Emiliano B, Bornhorst D, Iyer LM, Dorota Z, Nina F, Michael M, Lucas L, David G, Nadine S, Andreas L, Wunder J, Annika F, Lika D, Sebra R, Axel S, Alexander G, Nicole D, Gergana D, Alessandra M, Zelarayán LC, Salim AS, Robert Z (2024). Transient stabilization of human cardiovascular progenitor cells from hPSCs in vitro reflects stage-specific heart development in vivo. Cardiovasc Res. doi: 10.1093/cvr/cvae118.
Bornhorst D, Xia P, Nakajima H, Dingare C, Herzog W, Lecaudey V, Mochizuki N, Heisenberg CP, Yelon D, Abdelilah-Seyfried S (2019). Biomechanical signaling within the developing zebrafish heart attunes endocardial growth to myocardial chamber dimensions. Nature Communications, doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12068-x.
Olmer R, Engels L, Usman A, Menke S, Malik MNH, Pessler F, Göhring G, Bornhorst D, Bolten S, Abdelilah-Seyfried S, Scheper T, Kempf H, Zweigerdt R, Martin U (2018). Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Functional Endothelial Cells in Scalable Suspension Culture. Stem Cell Reports, doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.03.017.
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