Daniel Koch, MD, PhD

Research summary

The "Cardiac and Cellular Dynamics" lab led by Dr. Daniel Koch studies how the dynamics of intra- and extracellular signaling processes shape cellular function and how their disruption leads to dysfunctions and diseases such as cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure. 

A key focus is treating living systems as non-autonomous, time-dependent systems to understand how cellular behavior emerges. 

As an interdisciplinary group at the interface of biology, physics, and medicine, we combine experimental cell biology and biochemistry (e.g., live-cell imaging using FRET biosensors, microfluidics, RT-qPCR) with approaches from dynamical systems theory, mathematical modeling, and data analysis to uncover principles of cellular regulation.

Dr. Daniel Koch is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Manitoba and a principal investigator at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, where he leads the Cardiac and Cellular Dynamics Group.

Following studies in philosophy and medicine, Dr. Koch completed a Master’s degree in Cardiovascular Sciences and a PhD in Cell Biology at King’s College London, where he developed a strong interest in cardiac cell biology. To better address the inherent complexity of living systems, he was supported by a fellowship from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) to pursue postdoctoral training in dynamical systems theory at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior in Bonn, Germany.

Dr. Koch’s research aims to understand how cells process complex, time-varying information they receive from their environment and how disruptions of these processes contribute to disease, particularly in the heart. His highly interdisciplinary approach has contributed to new insights into signaling mechanisms in the heart and beyond. A central emphasis of his work is on biological behavior over time rather than static states, providing conceptual frameworks for understanding living systems in continuously changing environments.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Cell Biology, Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, UK (2022)

Doctor of Medicine (MD), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (2019)

Master of Research (MRes) in Cardiovascular Sciences, Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, UK (2018)

German State Examination in Medicine (M3), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (2017)

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (2015)

Awards

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022–2024)

Participant of the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (2023)

King’s Outstanding Thesis Prize, King's College London (2022)

Outstanding Student Prize in Cardiovascular Sciences programme, King’s College London (2018)

PhD Studentship of the British Heart Foundation (2017–2021)

Studentship by the German National Scholarship Foundation (2013–2016)