Research Group Leaders

After completing his postdoc in Peter Walter's lab at UCSF, Jirka decided that it is time to start his own group. He assembled a group of young scientists around him to dig deep into the world of RNA processing, especially tRNA splicing. Besides that, he has an ever-growing music collection and enjoys playing tennis.

Alex joined the lab as a PhD student in June 2023. He tackles the challenge of dissecting eukaryotic RNA repair systems and explores the realms of cell biology for us. Outside the lab, Alex enjoys cooking and exploring indie music.

After studying Molecular Biology and Genetics in Ankara (Turkey), Ege started his PhD study in the Peschek Lab to investigate the molecular interplay between tRNA modification and splicing. To this end, he is using biochemistry and cell biology. While waiting for his cells to divide, he enjoys having a coffee (or two) in the kitchen.

Anna arrived from Milan (Italy) to start her PhD in the Peschek Lab in February 2023. Through her project, she aims to investigate the interaction between enzymes and RNA substrates during non-conventional splicing. When Anna is not in the lab, she likes hiking in nature.

Bekka joined the Peschek Lab as a PhD student in March 2026, where she dedicates her curiosity and enthusiasm towards dissecting and modulating ATP-dependent RNA ligases. 

Anne has joined our RNA repair team for her Master's thesis.