Curriculum vitae
Professional Career:
- June 2024: Head of the Animal Welfare Committee at TiHo
- since 2024: Senate Commissioner for the Training of Animal Care Professionals, Specialization in Research and Clinical Care
- May 2020: Scientific head of the Neurogastroenterology Research Group; veterinary supervision of the institute’s animal population (small and large animals)
- May 2017: Research Associate at the Institute for Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Education:
- Since 2025: Continuing education in the Peer-Review Learning Community for Innovators in Universities
- Since 2023: Residency training to become a Certified Veterinary Specialist in Physiology
- 2022: Qualification as Animal Welfare Officer
- April 2013 – April 2016:
PhD thesis within the PhD program “Veterinary Science and Animal Biology,” University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Institute for Physiology and Cell Biology
Title of PhD thesis: “Effect of dietary nitrogen and/or calcium reduction on intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption and renal water handling in young goats”
(Grade: summa cum laude) - April 2013: Veterinary licensure
- October 2007 – March 2013:
Studies in Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Research Focus:
The role of the enteric nervous system (ENS) under (patho-)physiological conditions.
Projects include, among others, the following topics:
- Effects of fecal supernatants from human IBS and IBD patients on the enteric nervous system (ENS)
- Effects of fecal supernatants from dogs with idiopathic epilepsy on enteric neuronal activity
- Age-related changes in the enteric nervous system of guinea pigs
- Properties of myenteric neurons in the human colon
- Influence of micro- and nanoparticles on gastrointestinal functions, including neuronal activity
- Acute and chronic effects of cocaine on enteric neuronal activity
- Impact of artificial sweeteners on intestinal epithelial and enteric neuronal functions
- Influence of shift work/chronodisruption on properties of enteric neurons
International Activities & Memberships:
• Since 2025: Member of the Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) Hannover
• 2024: Co-founder of the young ESNM group (yESNM)
• Since 2024: Trainee Editor of the journal Neurogastroenterology and Motility for the area of Basic Science
• Co-organizer of the young investigator meetings nEUROgastro TANDEM (2023: Bucharest; 2025: London; 2027: Leuven; https://www.esnm.eu/meetings/neurogastro-tandem.html)
• Since 2021: Ad-hoc member of the Steering Committee of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ESNM; https://www.esnm.eu/steering-committee.html)
• 04/2021–05/2021: Participation in the international summer school “MINDinGUT” (hosted by Università degli Studi di Padova)
Awards:
- 2025: Prize for Neurogastroenterology from the Foundation for Neurogastroenterology (for outstanding work on the “Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Enteric Nervous System – focusing on the influence of aging on enteric neuronal activity and intestinal functions as well as on functional and inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.” https://www.neurogastro.de/de/news-reader/dgvs-preis-neurogastroenterologie-dr-kristin-elfers.html)
- 2016: Gerhard-Domagk Award for Life Sciences (for the PhD thesis “Effect of dietary nitrogen and/or calcium reduction on intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption and renal water handling in young goats”)
Current publications:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3492-2666
