Roger Godschalk

Head of the Department, Associate Professor

Genetic toxicology and molecular epidemiology

About Info

Dr. Roger Godschalk graduated in Biological Health Sciences in 1995 at the Maastricht University (The Netherlands). He specialised in genetic toxicology and molecular epidemiology. Dr. Godschalk’s research focuses on the assessment of DNA damage in in vitro cell-cultures, animals and humans exposed to mutagenic compounds from exogenous and endogenous origin. In 1999 he obtained his PhD at the Dept. of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology at the University of Maastricht with his thesis entitled "Biomarkers for exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons".

After that, Dr. Godschalk joined the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Risk Factors at the German Cancer Research Center (Heidelberg, Germany) until October 2002. At this institute, he developed and validated an improved methodology to measure the DNA adduct O4-ethyl-thymidine, which is induced by ethylating compounds present in diet and cigarette smoke. This assay was subsequently successfully applied to human lung samples. In January 2001, Dr. Godschalk received a Marie-Curie fellowship, to perform a 2 year study on the role of DNA lesions induced by lipid peroxidation in the aetiology of atherosclerosis. In this interdisciplinary project, knowledge from the field of carcinogenesis was applied in the research area of atherosclerosis.

Dr. Godschalk was appointed assistant professor at the University of Maastricht in November 2002, and his current research activities focusses on the biological consequences of DNA adduct formation and subsequent preventive mechanisms of the cell, with special emphasis on Reproduction Toxicology. Dr. Godschalk frequently acts as a peer reviewer of papers submitted to various international journals.

Teaching

• Coordinator of a course in Molecular Life Sciences entitled 'From gene to individual'.
• Gives lectures and organizes practical trainings