Ulrike SchimpfResearcher
About me
Ulrike studied food chemistry at the Technical University in Berlin (Germany). She earned her Doctor of Natural Sciences degree in biology with specialization in biochemistry from the Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany) in 2014. Ulrike was working as team and research project leader in Germany at a private research institute from 2008 to 2016 in the fields of biotechnology and biomedicine, receiving the Biogas Innovation Award in 2012. After moving to Sweden, she became postdoc fellow (2017) and researcher (2018-2023) at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) where her work focused on biopolymers for medical applications. In 2019, she became shareholder of Cirqle Biomedical and founded USCB Consulting in 2021. Since 2023, Ulrike continues her research at the Stockholm University. Read more here.
She has experience as lab manager, and safety representative and trainer, and is educated in fire safety. Ulrike is MMKs lab safety manager since 2022. Examples of the support she provides:
- Develops, implements and organizes lab safety training of new students and employees.
- Writes and evaluates incidents and accidents, and helps to find response measures that improve the lab safety or work environment.
- Provides information to researchers of the legal regulations relevant to working with biological and chemical risks.
- Helps to establish and evaluate CMR investigations and risk assessments.
- Assists in the establishment of chemical safety reports.
- Provides support for the systematic work environment management by, e.g., being the Chair of the RALV group.
- Is managing the fire safety group as fire protection responsible, evaluates the fire safety status and coordinates the maintenance of the respective protection.
- Provides education and support for the right handling of flammable goods in accordance to law as Director of flammable goods.
- Is member of the Lab Safety Network (LSN) to improve lab safety.
- Assists in lab renovations, reparations and cleanings, in collaboration with the Real Estate Department and Akademiska hus.
- Archives documents as the assurance and quiz documents of the lab safety policy, and the document of the access to the liquid nitrogen filling station.
- Working (team) leader of MMK employees with roles within lab safety and the work environment.
Member of the Swedish Association of Professional Scientists, Swedish Chemical Society, and the Laboratory Safety Network of the Stockholm University.
Board member of the Department.
Teaching
Publications
A selection from Stockholm University publication database
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Topical reinforcement of the cervical mucus barrier to sperm
2022. Ulrike Schimpf (et al.). Science Translational Medicine 14 (673)
ArticleRead more about Topical reinforcement of the cervical mucus barrier to spermClose to half of the world’s pregnancies are still unplanned, reflecting a clear unmet need in contraception. Ideally, a contraceptive would provide the high efficacy of hormonal treatments, without systemic side effects. Here, we studied topical reinforcement of the cervical mucus by chitosan mucoadhesive polymers as a form of female contraceptive. Chitosans larger than 7 kDa effectively cross-linked human ovulatory cervical mucus to prevent sperm penetration in vitro. We then demonstrated in vivo using the ewe as a model that vaginal gels containing chitosan could stop ram sperm at the entrance of the cervical canal and prevent them from reaching the uterus, whereas the same gels without chitosan did not substantially limit sperm migration. Chitosan did not affect sperm motility in vitro or in vivo, suggesting reinforcement of the mucus physical barrier as the primary mechanism of action. The chitosan formulations did not damage or irritate the ewe vaginal epithelium, in contrast to nonoxynol-9 spermicide. The demonstration that cervical mucus can be reinforced topically to create an effective barrier to sperm may therefore form the technological basis for muco-cervical barrier contraceptives with the potential to become an alternative to hormonal contraceptives.
Show all publications by Ulrike Schimpf at Stockholm University