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Lipids are essential building blocks of cells and powerful signaling molecules, yet we still have much to learn about how their diversity is controlled and interpreted. How do cells establish and maintain lipid homeostasis? How does lipid composition shape cellular function, and how are changes in lipids translated into signals? We aim to uncover the fundamental principles that govern lipid organization, signaling and function in cells.
We use lipid chemical biology to understand how the composition, organization and dynamics of lipids shape cellular function. We develop and apply chemical tools to manipulate, visualize and study individual lipid species with high spatial and temporal precision. By combining synthetic chemistry with cell biology and advanced imaging, we connect lipid chemistry to molecular interactions, signaling pathways and cellular processes.
Milena studied Chemistry at the Universities of Heidelberg and Auckland. In 2015, she joined André Nadler’s lab at MPI-CBG, Dresden, developing lipid probes to study lipid kinetics. Since 2021, she has led an independent lab at EPFL, studying lipid signaling and developing probes to track lipid delivery, localization and metabolism. In 2027, she joins the Max Perutz Labs as a group leader.