Dr. Katharina Rox

Katharina Rox studierte Pharmazie an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität in Münster, gefördert durch die Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Ihr praktisches Jahr verbrachte sie in einer öffentlichen Apotheke und bei Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals in Berlin in der pharmakologischen Forschung. 

Sie promovierte 2015 an der Universität des Saarlandes. Hierbei beschäftigte sie sich in den Gruppen von Prof. Dr. Gursharan Singh Chhatwal (Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung Braunschweig) und von Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller (Helmholtz Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland) sowie als Gast in der Gruppe von Prof. Dr. Mark J. Walker (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australien) mit der Identifizierung und Charakterisierung von Pathoblockern gegen Streptokokken-Infektionen. 

Danach wechselte sie in die HZI-Abteilung „Chemische Biologie“, wo sie seit 2015 die Pharmakokinetik/ Pharmakodynamik-Einheit innerhalb des Deutschen Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (DZIF) aufbaute und leitete. Im Jahr 2019 ging sie für einen zweimonatigen Forschungsaufenthalt ans RIKEN in Yokohama (Japan), wo sie sich in der Gruppe von Prof. Yuichi Sugiyama mit der Physiologie-basierten Pharmakokinetik / Pharmakodynamik-Modellierung und der Cross-Spezies-Extrapolation beschäftigte. 

Seit 2025 leitet sie die Forschungsgruppe Pharmakokinetik/ Pharmakodynamik am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI). Ihre Arbeiten konzentrieren sich auf die präklinische Entwicklung neuartiger Anti-Infektiva. Zudem verwendet sie mit ihrem Team innovative in vitro und in silico Modelle zum besseren Verständnis von pharmakokinetischen und pharmakodynamischen Korrelationen, wie das hollow-fiber Infektionsmodell oder pharmakokinetisches/ pharmakodynamisches Modelling. Zusätzlich entwickeln Rox und ihr Team neuartige bioanalytische Methoden, um neuartige Therapiekonzepte oder Biomarker in verschiedenen Matrizes effektiv zu bestimmen.

Publikationen
Boudrioua A., Joiner J.D., Grin I., Kronenberger T., Korotkov V.S., Steinchen W., Kohler A., Schminke S., Schulte J.C., Pietsch M., Naini A., Kalverkamp S., Hotop S.K., Coyle T., Piselli C., Coles M., Rox K., Marschal M., Bange G., Flieger A., Poso A., Brönstrup M., ... , Hartmann M.D., Wagner S. (2025)
Discovery of synthetic small molecules targeting the central regulator of Salmonella pathogenicity
Science advances, 11 (15)

Shekhar A., Di Lucrezia R., Jerye K., Korotkov V.S., Harmrolfs K., Rox K., Weich H.A., Ghai I., Delhommel F., Becher I., Degenhart C., Fansa E., Unger A., Habenberger P., Klebl B., Lukat P., Schmelz S., Henke S., Borgert S., Lang J.C., Sasse F., Diestel R., Richter C., Schneider-Daum N., Hinkelmann B., Niemz J., Lehr C.M., Jänsch L., Huehn J., Alm R., Savitski M., Welte T., Hesterkamp T., Sattler M., Winterhalter M., Blankenfeldt W., Medina E., Bilitewski U., ... , Dinkel K., Brönstrup M. (2025)
Highly potent quinoxalinediones inhibit a[alpha]-hemolysin and ameliorate Staphylococcus aureus lung infections
Cell Host and Microbe, 33 (4)

Sheldon J.A., Winkler M., Yuan Q., Frericks N., Phillip Brown R.J., Miskey C., Gödecke N., Behme S., Rox K., Mysegades G., Vondran F., ... , Wirth D., Pietschmann T. (2025)
Adapted hepatitis C virus clone infects innate immunity-deficient mouse hepatocytes with minimal human HCV entry factors
JHEP Reports, 7 (5)

Kiefer A.F., Schütz C., Englisch C.N., Kolling D., Speicher S., Kany A.M., Shafiei R., Wadood N.A., Aljohmani A., Wirschem N., Jumde R.P., Klein A., Sikandar A., Park Y.M., Krasteva-Christ G., Yildiz D., Abdelsamie A.S., Rox K., K+Âhnke J., M++ller R., Bischoff M., ... , Haupenthal J., Hirsch A.K.H. (2025)
Dipeptidic Phosphonates: Potent Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Elastase B Showing Efficacy in a Murine Keratitis Model
Advanced Science

Charoenpattarapreeda J., Tegge W., Xu C., Harmrolfs K., Hinkelmann B., Wullenkord H., Hotop S.K., Beutling U., ... , Rox K., Brönstrup M. (2024)
A Targeted Click-to-Release Activation of the Last-Resort Antibiotic Colistin Reduces its Renal Cell Toxicity
Angew.Chem.Int.Ed., 63 (47)

Akula R.K., El Kilani H., Metzen A., Röske J., Zhang K., Göhl M., Arisetti N., Marsh G.P., Maple H.J., Cooper M.S., Karadogan B., Jochmans D., Neyts J., Rox K., ... , Hilgenfeld R., Brönstrup M. (2025)
Structure-Based Optimization of Pyridone a(alpha)-Ketoamides as Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
J.Med.Chem.

Flury P., Krüger N., Sylvester K., Breidenbach J., Al Hamwi G., Qiao J., Chen Y., Rocha C., Serafim M.S.M., Barbosa da Silva E., Pöhlmann S., Poso A., Kronenberger T., Rox K., O'Donoghue A.J., Yang S., Sträter N., Gütschow M., Laufer S.A., ... , Müller C.E., Pillaiyar T. (2025)
Design, Synthesis, and Unprecedented Interactions of Covalent Dipeptide-Based Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Its Variants Displaying Potent Antiviral Activity
J.Med.Chem.

Mishra S., Rox K. (2024)
Effective, but Safe? Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK)-Modeling-Based Dosing Study of Molnupiravir for Risk Assessment in Pediatric Subpopulations
ACS Pharm.Transl.Sci., 7 (12)

Stappert M., Kohnhäuser D., Seedorf T., Coetzee J., Rox K., Fuchs H.L.S., Cirnski K., Leitner C., Herrmann J., Kirschning A., ... , M++ller R., Br+Ânstrup M. (2024)
Synthetic studies on the tetrasubstituted D-ring of cystobactamids lead to potent terephthalic acid antibiotics
Communications Chemistry, 7 (1)

Vogel C., Rox K., Wagenlehner F., Titz A. (2024)
Glycomimetics as Candidates for Treatment and Prevention of Catheter-associated Biofilms Formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Eur.Urol.Focus

Willocx D., Bizzarri L., Alhayek A., Kannan D., Bravo P., Illarionov B., Rox K., Lohse J., Fischer M., Kany A.M., Hahne H., Rottmann M., Witschel M., Odom John A., Hamed M.M., ... , Diamanti E., Hirsch A.K.H. (2024)
Targeting Plasmodium falciparum IspD in the Methyl-d-erythritol Phosphate Pathway: Urea-Based Compounds with Nanomolar Potency on Target and Low-Micromolar Whole-Cell Activity
J.Med.Chem., 67 (19)

Mielniczuk S., Hoff K., Baselious F., Li Y., Haupenthal J., Kany A.M., Riedner M., Rohde H., Rox K., Hirsch A.K.H., Krimm I., ... , Sippl W., Holl R. (2024)
Development of Fragment-Based Inhibitors of the Bacterial Deacetylase LpxC with Low Nanomolar Activity
J.Med.Chem., 67 (19)

Kohnhäuser D., Seedorf T., Cirnski K., Heimann D., Coetzee J., Sordello S., Richter J., Stappert M., Sabuco J.F., Corbett D., Bacque E., Rox K., Herrmann J., Vassort A., Müller R., ... , Kirschning A., Brönstrup M. (2024)
Optimization of the Central a[alpha]-Amino Acid in Cystobactamids to the Broad-Spectrum, Resistance-Breaking Antibiotic CN-CC-861
J.Med.Chem.

Rox K., Kühne A., Herrmann J., Jansen R., Hüttel S., Bernecker S., Hagos Y., Brönstrup M., Stadler M., ... , Hesterkamp T., Müller R. (2024)
Interaction of the Atypical Tetracyclines Chelocardin and Amidochelocardin with Renal Drug Transporters
ACS Pharm.Transl.Sci.

Flury P., Breidenbach J., Krüger N., Voget R., Schäkel L., Si Y., Krasniqi V., Calistri S., Olfert M., Sylvester K., Rocha C., Ditzinger R., Rasch A., Pöhlmann S., Kronenberger T., Poso A., Rox K., Laufer S.A., Müller C.E., ... , Gütschow M., Pillaiyar T. (2024)
Erratum: Cathepsin-Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity
ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, 7 (4)

Rox K., Medina E. (2024)
Aerosolized delivery of ESKAPE pathogens for murine pneumonia models
Scientific Reports, 14 (1)

Sake S.M., Zhang X., Rajak M.K., Urbanek-Quaing M., Carpentier A., Gunesch A.P., Grethe C., Matthaei A., R++ckert J., Galloux M., Larcher T., Le Goffic R., Hontonnou F., Chatterjee A.K., Johnson K., Morwood K., Rox K., Elgaher W.A.M., Huang J., Wetzke M., Hansen G., Fischer N., El+®ou+½t J.F., Rameix-Welti M.A., Hirsch A.K.H., Herold E., Empting M., Lauber C., Schulz T.F., Krey T., ... , Haid S., Pietschmann T. (2024)
Drug repurposing screen identifies lonafarnib as respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein inhibitor
Nature Communications, 15 (1)

Flury P., Breidenbach J., Krüger N., Voget R., Schäkel L., Si Y., Krasniqi V., Calistri S., Olfert M., Sylvester K., Rocha C., Ditzinger R., Rasch A., Pöhlmann S., Kronenberger T., Poso A., Rox K., Laufer S.A., Müller C.E., ... , Gütschow M., Pillaiyar T. (2023)
Cathepsin-Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity
ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science

Rox K., Jansen R., Lukezic T., Greweling-Pils M., Herrmann J., Miethke M., Hüttel S., Hennessen F., Abou Fayad A., Holzhausen C., Lundberg C.V., Teague J., Sudarman E., Bülter L., Hesterkamp T., Stadler M., ... , Brönstrup M., Müller R. (2024)
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation of the atypical tetracyclines chelocardin and amidochelocardin in murine infection models
Microbiol.Spectr., 12 (1)

Konstantinovic J., Kany A.M., Alhayek A., Abdelsamie A.S., Sikandar A., Voos K., Yao Y., Andreas A., Shafiei R., Loretz B., Schönauer E., Bals R., Brandstetter H., Hartmann R.W., Ducho C., Lehr C.M., Beisswenger C., Müller R., Rox K., ... , Haupenthal J., Hirsch A.K. (2023)
Inhibitors of the Elastase LasB for the Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infections
ACS Cent.Sci., 9 (12)

Simonis A., Kreer C., Albus A., Rox K., Yuan B., Holzmann D., Wilms J.A., Zuber S., Kottege L., Winter S., Meyer M., Schmitt K., Gruell H., Theobald S.J., Hellmann A.M., Meyer C., Ercanoglu M.S., Cramer N., Munder A., Hallek M., F+ñtkenheuer G., Koch M., Seifert H., Rietschel E., Marlovits T.C., van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel S., ... , Klein F., Rybniker J. (2023)
Discovery of highly neutralizing human antibodies targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Cell, 186 (23)

Graspeuntner S., Koethke K., Scholz C., Semmler L., Lupatsii M., Kirchhoff L., Herrmann J., Rox K., Wittstein K., Käding N., Hanker L.C., Stadler M., Bönstrup M., Müller R., ... , Shima K., Rupp J. (2023)
Sorangicin A Is Active against Chlamydia in Cell Culture, Explanted Fallopian Tubes, and Topical In Vivo Treatment
Antibiotics.(Basel), 12 (5)

Khalid K., Rox K. (2023)
All Roads Lead to Rome: Enhancing the Probability of Target Attainment with Different Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modelling Approaches
Antibiotics.(Basel), 12 (4)

Peukert C., Rox K., Karge B., Hotop S.K., Brönstrup M. (2023)
Synthesis and Characterization of DOTAM-Based Sideromycins for Bacterial Imaging and Antimicrobial Therapy
ACS Infect.Dis., 9 (2)

Hamed M.M., Abdelsamie A.S., Rox K., Schütz C., Kany A.M., Röhrig T., Schmelz S., Blankenfeldt W., Arce-Rodriguez A., Borrero-de Acuna J.M., Jahn D., Rademacher J., Ringshausen F.C., Cramer N., Tümmler B., Hirsch A.K.H., ... , Hartmann R.W., Empting M. (2023)
Towards Translation of PqsR Inverse Agonists: From In Vitro Efficacy Optimization to In Vivo Proof-of-Principle
Adv.Sci.

Rox K., Becker T., Schiefer A., Grosse M., Ehrens A., Jansen R., Aden T., Kehraus S., König G.M., Krome A.K., Hübner M.P., Wagner K.G., Stadler M., ... , Pfarr K., Hoerauf A. (2022)
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of Corallopyronin A against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Pharmaceutics, 15 (1)

Zahorska E., Rosato F., Stober K., Kuhaudomlarp S., Meiers J., Hauck D., Reith D., Gillon E., Rox K., Imberty A., ... , Römer W., Titz A. (2022)
Neutralizing the Impact of the Virulence Factor LecA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Human Cells with New Glycomimetic Inhibitors
Angew.Chem.Int.Ed Engl.

Rox K. (2022)
Influence of tramadol on bacterial burden in the standard neutropenic thigh infection model
Sci.Rep., 12 (1)

Meiers J., Rox K., Titz A. (2022)
Lectin-Targeted Prodrugs Activated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa for Self-Destructive Antibiotic Release
J.Med.Chem., 65 (20)

Mala P., Siebs E., Meiers J., Rox K., Varrot A., ... , Imberty A., Titz A. (2022)
Discovery of N-ß-l-Fucosyl Amides as High-Affinity Ligands for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lectin LecB
J.Med.Chem.

Cooper M.S., Zhang L., Ibrahim M., Zhang K., Sun X., Röske J., Göhl M., Brönstrup M., Cowell J.K., Sauerhering L., Becker S., Vangeel L., Jochmans D., Neyts J., Rox K., Marsh G.P., ... , Maple H.J., Hilgenfeld R. (2022)
Diastereomeric Resolution Yields Highly Potent Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease
J.Med.Chem., 65 (19)

Suerbaum S., Coombs N., Patel L., Pscheniza D., Rox K., Falk C., Gruber A.D., Kershaw O., Chhatwal P., Brönstrup M., ... , Bilitewski U., Josenhans C. (2022)
Correction for Suerbaum et al., "Identification of Antimotilins, Novel Inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori Flagellar Motility That Inhibit Stomach Colonization in a Mouse Model"
MBio.

Suerbaum S., Coombs N., Patel L., Pscheniza D., Rox K., Falk C., Gruber A.D., Kershaw O., Chhatwal P., Brönstrup M., ... , Bilitewski U., Josenhans C. (2022)
Identification of Antimotilins, Novel Inhibitors of Helicobacter pylori Flagellar Motility That Inhibit Stomach Colonization in a Mouse Model
MBio., 13 (2)

Rox K., Heyner M., Krull J., Harmrolfs K., Rinne V., Hokkanen J., Perez Vilaro G., Díez J., Müller R., Kröger A., ... , Sugiyama Y., Brönstrup M. (2021)
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model for the Treatment of Dengue Infections Applied to the Broad Spectrum Antiviral Soraphen A
ACS Pharm.Transl.Sci., 4 (5)

Rath S., Rox K., Kleine Bardenhorst S., Schminke U., Dörr M., Mayerle J., Frost F., Lerch M.M., Karch A., Brönstrup M., ... , Pieper D.H., Vital M. (2021)
Higher Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Plasma Levels with Increasing Age Are Mediated by Diet and Trimethylamine-Forming Bacteria
mSystems.

Rox K., Rath S., Pieper D.H., Vital M., Brönstrup M. (2021)
A simplified LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of the cardiovascular disease biomarker trimethylamine-N-oxide and its precursors
J.Pharmaceut.Analy.

Schütz C., Ho D.K., Hamed M.M., Abdelsamie A.S., Röhrig T., Herr C., Kany A.M., Rox K., Schmelz S., Siebenbürger L., Wirth M., Börger C., Yahiaoui S., Bals R., Scrima A., Blankenfeldt W., Horstmann J.C., Christmann R., Murgia X., Koch M., Berwanger A., Loretz B., Hirsch A.K.H., Hartmann R.W., ... , Lehr C.M., Empting M. (2021)
A New PqsR Inverse Agonist Potentiates Tobramycin Efficacy to Eradicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms
Adv.Sci.

Testolin G., Cirnski K., Rox K., Prochnow H., Fetz V., Grandclaudon C., Mollner T., Baiyoumy A., Ritter A., Leitner C., Krull J., van den Heuvel J., Vassort A., Sordello S., Hamed M.M., Elgaher W.A.M., Herrmann J., Hartmann R.W., ... , Müller R., Brönstrup M. (2020)
Synthetic studies of cystobactamids as antibiotics and bacterial imaging carriers lead to compounds with high: In vivo efficacy
Chem.Sci., 11 (5)

Mamareli P., Kruse F., Lu C.W., Guderian M., Floess S., Rox K., Allan D.S.J., Carlyle J.R., Brönstrup M., Müller R., Berod L., ... , Sparwasser T., Lochner M. (2020)
Targeting cellular fatty acid synthesis limits T helper and innate lymphoid cell function during intestinal inflammation and infection
Mucosal Immunol., 14 (1)

Zhang L., Lin D., Sun X., Curth U., Drosten C., Sauerhering L., Becker S., ... , Rox K., Hilgenfeld R. (2020)
Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease provides a basis for design of improved a-ketoamide inhibitors
Science, 368 (6489)

Blockus S., Sake S.M., Wetzke M., Grethe C., Graalmann T., Pils M., Le Goffic R., Galloux M., Prochnow H., Rox K., Huttel S., Rupcic Z., Wiegmann B., Dijkman R., Rameix-Welti M.A., Eleouet J.F., Duprex W.P., Thiel V., Hansen G., Brönstrup M., ... , Haid S., Pietschmann T. (2020)
Labyrinthopeptins as virolytic inhibitors of respiratory syncytial virus cell entry
Antiviral Res., 177 (May)

Le P., Kunold E., Macsics R., Rox K., Jennings M.C., Ugur I., Reinecke M., Chaves-Moreno D., Hackl M.W., Fetzer C., Mandl F.A.M., Lehmann J., Korotkov V.S., Hacker S.M., Kuster B., Antes I., Pieper D.H., Rohde M., Wuest W.M., ... , Medina E., Sieber S.A. (2020)
Repurposing human kinase inhibitors to create an antibiotic active against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, persisters and biofilms
Nat.Chem., 12 (2)

Prochnow H., Rox K., Birudukota N.V.S., Weichert L., Hotop S.K., Klahn P., Mohr K., Franz S., Banda D.H., Blockus S., Schreiber J., Haid S., Oeyen M., Martinez J.P., Süssmuth R.D., Wink J., Meyerhans A., Goffinet C., Messerle M., Schulz T.F., Kröger A., Schols D., ... , Pietschmann T., Brönstrup M. (2020)
Labyrinthopeptins exert broad-spectrum antiviral activity through lipid-binding-mediated virolysis
J.Virol., 94 (2)

Sommer R., Rox K., Wagner S., Hauck D., Henrikus S.S., Newsad S., Arnold T., Ryckmans T., Brönstrup M., Imberty A., Varrot A., ... , Hartmann R.W., Titz A. (2019)
Anti-biofilm Agents against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Structure-Activity Relationship Study of C-Glycosidic LecB Inhibitors
J.Med.Chem., 62 (20)

Klahn P., Fetz V., Ritter A., Collisi W., Hinkelmann B., Arnold T., Tegge W., Rox K., Hüttel S., Mohr K.I., Wink J., Stadler M., Wissing J., ... , Jänsch L., Brönstrup M. (2019)
The nuclear export inhibitor aminoratjadone is a potent effector in extracellular-targeted drug conjugates
Chem.Sci., 10 (20)

Heck J.G., Rox K., Lünsdorf H., Lückerath T., Klaassen N., Medina E., ... , Goldmann O., Feldmann C. (2018)
Zirconyl Clindamycinphosphate Antibiotic Nanocarriers for Targeting Intracellular Persisting Staphylococcus aureus
ACS Omega, 3 (8)

Sommer R., Wagner S., Rox K., Varrot A., Hauck D., Wamhoff E.C., Schreiber J., Ryckmans T., Brunner T., Rademacher C., Hartmann R.W., Brönstrup M., ... , Imberty A., Titz A. (2018)
Glycomimetic, Orally Bioavailable LecB Inhibitors Block Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
J.Am.Chem.Soc., 140 (7)

Rox K., Jansen R., Loof T.G., Gillen C.M., Bernecker S., Walker M.J., ... , Chhatwal G.S., Müller R. (2017)
Linoleic and palmitoleic acid block streptokinase-mediated plasminogen activation and reduce severity of invasive group A streptococcal infection
Sci.Rep., 7 (1)

Rox K., Rohde M., Chhatwal G.S., Müller R. (2017)
Disorazoles Block Group A Streptococcal Invasion into Epithelial Cells Via Interference with the Host Factor Ezrin
Cell Chem.Biol., 24 (2)