Markus Eszlinger
Research Manager
PhD
Contact information
Location
Research and teaching
Research areas
- Molecular diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid FNA cytologies
Summary of Research
Dr. Eszlinger’s major research interests include the molecular etiology of cold thyroid nodules and the identification and application of molecular markers that help to differentiate benign and malignant thyroid tumors. In a translational approach he aims on improving the pre-surgical diagnosis of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules by analyzing a panel of point mutations, gene fusions and microRNA markers using targeted next generation sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Moreover, he is interested to apply his expertise also to other tumor entities, and to guide cancer therapy with targeted drugs. With Dr. Ralf Paschke he is directing a research laboratory in the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute (ACCI). Together with Drs. Khalil, Ghaznavi, Symonds, and Paschke he is aiming for a major change of clinical practice by solving the inherent limitations of thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).With Dr. Holger Jäschke in the laboratory of Jukka Kero and Matti Poutanen at the University of Turku, Finland he is currently working on a knock-in mouse model of non-autoimmune hyperthyroidism and other genetically modified mouse models.With Dr. Carolina Ferraz (Sao Paulo, Brazil) he is working on a project analyzing a microRNA panel in material obtained from fine needle aspiration biopsies of thyroid nodules and peripheral blood and its application as a diagnostic molecular test.
Biography
Dr. Eszlinger graduated in Biochemistry from the University of Leipzig. Prior to completing a PhD also from the University of Leipzig he worked in the medical diagnostics industry in Berlin. He joined the Department of Oncology in the Cumming School of Medicine as a Research Manager in 2016. His research laboratory is located in the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute (ACCI). Dr. Eszlinger spent 6 years as a Principal Investigator in the molecular laboratory of the Division of Endocrinology at the University of Leipzig, Germany, working on the “MicroRNA signature of thyroid tumors and its possible diagnostic application for the differential diagnosis of follicular thyroid cancer and follicular adenomas“ (funded by the German Research Council), “Molecular diagnosis of indeterminate routine thyroid nodule FNA cytology results“ (funded by the German Cancer Research Foundation), and “Molecular diagnosis of indeterminate thyroid nodule ThinPrep cytology results“ (funded by the Wilhelm Sander Foundation). He is the author of more than 70 original publications.
