Research interests

My research interest is animal development against the background of evolution. Understanding the transformation of character complexes, as for example early cleavage patterns, gastrulation processes or neurogenesis, is a fascinating task, which requires a detailed knowledge about the ontogenetic events in the various animal groups. This knowledge is best gained by combining a broad variety of methods, such as histology, molecular and immunohistochemical techniques, SEM or in vivo labelling with fluorescence dyes. A comparison of the data between the different animal groups in the light of phylogenetic trees subsequently allows an evaluation of the primary homology hypotheses about certain characters and the development of evolutionary scenarios. In addition, the data can be added to morphological or combined data sets to increase the reliability of the resulting phylogenetic trees. Currently, I am working on the early neurogenesis of two crustaceans - the branchiopod Daphnia magna and the malacostracan Orchestia cavima.

Positions

2008 – now  Postdoctoral Research Associate in the group of Angelika Stollewerk, Queen Mary University of London (DFG Research Fellowship abroad)

2006 – 2008 Research Associate in the group of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Scholtz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Vergleichende Zoologie, Germany

2002 – 2005 Research Associate at the Department of Pathology, Charité, Berlin, Germany

2001 Research Assistant at AREVIA GmbH, Berlin, Germany

2000 Technical Assistant at the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Inst. of Zoology, Universität Wien, Austria

Education

2006  PhD in zoology (summa cum laude) “Aspekte der Neurogenese von Orchestia cavimana (Amphipoda, Malacostraca, Crustacea)” in the group of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Scholtz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany

2002  Practical training in methods of comparative developmental biology in the group of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Scholtz, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany

2001  Diploma thesis in zoology “Cerci and Terminal Filament in Basic Hexapods: Functional and Evolutionary Morphology“ at the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Universität Wien, Austria in the group of Prof. Dr. Günther Pass

Publications

Ungerer P, Eriksson BJ, Stollewerk A (2011) Neurogenesis in the water flea Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) suggests different mechanisms of neuroblast formation in insects and crustaceans. Developmental Biology 357: 42-52

Ungerer P, Geppert M, Wolff C (2011). Axogenesis in the central and peripheral nervous system of the amphipod crustacean Orchestia cavimana. Integrative Zoology 6: 28-44

Ungerer P, Scholtz G (2009) Cleavage and gastrulation in Pycnogonum litorale (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida): morphological support for the Ecdysozoa? Zoomorphology 128: 263-274

Koenemann S, Olesen J, Alwes F, Iliffe TM, Hoenemann M, Ungerer P, Wolff C, Scholtz,G (2009) The post-embryonic development of Remipedia (Crustacea) - additional results and new insights. Development Genes and Evolution 219(3): 131-145

Brenneis G, Ungerer P, Scholtz, G (2008) The chelifores of sea spiders (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida) are the appendages of the deutocerebral segment. Evolution & Development 10(6): 717-724

Ungerer P, Scholtz G (2008) Filling the gap between neuroblasts and identified neurons in crustaceans adds new support for Tetraconata. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 275: 369-376

Ungerer P, Wolff C (2005) External morphology of limb development in the amphipod Orchestia cavimana (Crustacea, Malacostraca, Peracarida). Zoomorphology 124: 89–9

Invited lectures

Ungerer P. Zur Evolution der Neurogenese bei Arthropoden - Ein Vergleich der Neuroblasten von Krebsen und Insekten. Zoologisches Kolloquium 2009, Universität Wien, Austria

Ungerer P, Scholtz G. The ancestral cleavage pattern of arthropods was not spiral – early development of sea spiders (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida). 1st International Congress on Invertebrate Morphology 2008, Copenhagen, Denmark

Selected presentations

Ungerer P, Eriksson BJ, Stollewerk A. Neurogenesis in the water flea Daphnia magna. Daphnia Genomics Consortium (DGC) Meeting 2010, Leuven, Belgium. Talk.

Ungerer P, Eriksson J, Mittmann B, Stollewerk A. Neurogenesis in the water flea Daphnia magna (Crustacea, Branchiopoda). 16th International Society of Developmental Biologists Congress (ISDB), 6 – 10 Sept 2009, Edinburgh, UK. Poster.

Wolff C, Ungerer P. Axogenesis in the central nervous system of the higher crustacean Orchestia cavimana. Euro Evo Devo. 2nd Meeting of the European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology 2008, Ghent, Belgium. Poster.

Ungerer P, Brenneis G, Scholtz G "Phylogenetic and evolutionary implications of sea spider development (Arthropoda, Pycnogonida)." The evolution of the animals: A Linnean tercentenary celebration 2007, London, The Royal Society. Poster.

Ungerer P, Scholtz G “Homology of insect and crustacean neuroblasts.” The first and founding meeting of the European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology (EED) 2006, Prague, Czech Republic. Talk.

Ungerer P, Scholtz G „Homology of insect and crustacean neuroblasts?“ Sixth International Crustacean Congress 2005, Glasgow, UK. Talk.

Ungerer P, Scholtz G “Laterale Neuroblasten im Keimstreif von Orchestia cavimana (Amphipoda) Sind die Neuroblasten der Krebse und Insekten homolog?“ 12. Crustaceologentagung 2005, Wilhelmshaven. Talk.