Our Team
Profound expertise in biotechnology, particularly genome editing, virology, cell biology, drug development and commercialization.
PROVIREX is a spin-off of the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) and is based in Hamburg, Germany.
OUR TEAM
Management
Dr. Jan Claas-von Jachmann
Partner, CEODr. Jan Claas-von Jachmann has more than 25 years of experience in Biotech & Pharma industry covering a broad spectrum from Pre-clinical Research to Head of International Marketing and General Management. He was responsible for the commercial development and successful launch of innovations on a national & international level and for the leadership of complex organizations with proven success. His international experience is based on 10 years in European Managing Director roles and the collaboration with global players over many years. In addition, he supported Start-up businesses in mentoring and coaching roles in recent years. Dr. Jan Claas-von Jachmann joined PROVIREX on March 1st 2025 as Chief Executive Officer and Partner.
Dr. Jan Claas-von Jachmann
Partner, CEO
Oliver Ahnfeld
Co-Founder, CFOOliver Ahnfeld is a co-founder of PROVIREX. He has been one of the CEOs of the company since its inception in 2019, and has focused on its entrepreneurial transformation into a biotech company. He has been part of the team for more than 8 years and is responsible for the financial/contractual aspects and the strategic direction of PROVIREX. He studied industrial engineering in Hamburg and has several years of experience in preparing business and financial plans as well as accompanying private placements.
Oliver Ahnfeld
Co-Founder, CFO
PD Dr. Jan Chemnitz MBA
Co-Founder, CSODr. Jan Chemnitz is a co-founder of PROVIREX. He has been one of the company’s managing directors since its founding and has driven its transition from a startup to a biotech company backed by Series A funding. As the company’s CSO, he is currently responsible for establishing clinical development and for the strategic direction of research and development.
He studied biochemistry and molecular biology in Jena. After earning his Ph.D. at the Leibniz Institute for Virology in Hamburg, he joined the Hauber Group as a postdoctoral researcher and was involved in the development of recombinase technology from the very beginning; he has now been working in the field of strategies for curing HIV for 20 years.
PD Dr. Jan Chemnitz MBA
Co-Founder, CSO
Dr. Maike Voges
Co-Founder, Head of Quality ControlDr. Maike Voges is a co-founder of PROVIREX. She has been part of the team since 2013 and was closely involved in planning, construction oversight, and qualification of PROVIREX’s cleanrooms and laboratories. She is responsible for leading and developing the Quality Control at PROVIREX.
She studied biology with a focus on immunology and virology and has spent her entire professional career working with viruses and bacteria. She brings extensive expertise in HIV research, as well as in stem cell work and the associated methodologies, which she now applies in PROVIREX’s Quality Control department.
Dr. Maike Voges
Co-Founder, Head of Quality Control
Dr. Niklas Beschorner
Co-Founder, CTODr. Niklas Beschorner is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-founder of PROVIREX. He is responsible for ATMP manufacturing and R&D, driving the development of enabling technologies, translational processes, and novel delivery approaches for recombinase-based therapies. He brings deep scientific and operational expertise in HIV cure research and the advancement of innovative antiviral treatment strategies.
Dr. Niklas Beschorner
Co-Founder, CTOOUR TEAM
People
Dr. Patrick Bartholomäus
Key Account Manager
Alev Basaran
Quality Manager
Dr. Ann-Kathrin Bernert
Head of ManufacturingDr. Ann-Kathrin Bernert is Head of Production. She is responsible for ATMP production, driving GMP process development, and the advancement of innovative cell and gene therapies. She brings more than eight years of experience in the development of CAR T and CAR NK cell therapies and holds a PhD focused on the GMP compliant manufacturing of CAR NK cell therapies.
Dr. Ann-Kathrin Bernert
Head of Manufacturing
Dr. Maryna Chaika
Scientist
Dr. Johanna Dürrwald
Scientist
Dr. Volker Fehring
Scientist, Formulation DevelopmentPhD Chemist and formulation leader with 20+ years in pharma R&D, specializing in LNP delivery systems to translate mRNA, siRNA, and DNA candidates into preclinical pipelines.
Dr. Volker Fehring
Scientist, Formulation Development
Daniel Foth
Laboratory Technician
Dr. Nils Hamann
Head of Quality Assurance & Qualified PersonDr. Nils Hamann is an experienced biotechnology and GMP professional with extensive expertise in quality management, serving as a Qualified Person (QP), aseptic manufacturing of vaccines and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), and biopharmaceutical process development.
As Head of Quality Assurance at PROVIREX Genome Editing Therapies GmbH, he leads the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS), ensuring GMP compliance, regulatory readiness, and the highest standards of product quality and patient safety. His areas of expertise include quality strategy, quality risk management, validation, supplier qualification and oversight, operational quality, and inspection readiness. Through these activities, he supports the successful translation of innovative autologous ATMPs from development into clinical application.
Dr. Nils Hamann
Head of Quality Assurance & Qualified Person
Dr. Ulrike Martin
Project ManagerDr Ulrike Martin, together with external experts, is responsible for the preparations for PROVIREX’s first-in-human trial.
This includes setting up GCP processes and the Trial Master File, preparing the documentation for the Clinical Trial Application, and the operational aspects of conducting the trial at the clinical centres. She has more than 17 years’ experience as a Senior R&D Scientist and team leader in the development and regulatory approval of diagnostic tests.
Dr. Ulrike Martin
Project Manager
Karin Odor (extern)
Team AssistantWith many years of experience as a flexible management assistant, Karin Odor supports the PROVIREX team with reliable and professional administrative and organisational assistance. She enjoys helping the team stay focused on its important work.
Karin Odor (extern)
Team Assistant
Göksu Tokaç
Cleanroom Officer
Britta Weseloh
QC Operator
Dr. Melanie Wittner
Scientist
Dr. Oliver Zimmer
Scientist, Formulation DevelopmentDr. Oliver Zimmer joined PROVIREX in February 2026 as a Scientist in Formulation Development. In this role, he combines experimental and computational pharmaceutical research to contribute to the development of a novel delivery platform for recombinase-based therapies.
He studied pharmacy at the University of Hamburg and received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Regensburg in 2024. During his doctoral research, he focused on the interactions of nanoparticles with biological membrane structures, combining pharmaceutical formulation science with the investigation of complex biological interfaces.
Dr. Oliver Zimmer
Scientist, Formulation DevelopmentOUR TEAM
External Experts
Dr. med. Monika Boos LL.M.
Pharmakovigilanz | Clinical Safety
Dr. Saskia Borregaard
Consultant Clinical Research
Dr. rer. nat. Karin Köhler-Hansner
Geschäftsführerin AHCTS GmbH, Auditor, Quality Manager & Consultant in Clinical Research, TrainerDr. rer. nat. Karin Köhler-Hansner
Geschäftsführerin AHCTS GmbH, Auditor, Quality Manager & Consultant in Clinical Research, Trainer
Dr. Michael Hammerschmid
CEO Transform Science GmbHOUR TEAM
Consultants
Prof. Dr. Joachim Hauber
Co-FounderJoachim Hauber PhD is a full professor (em.) of Virology and has held various positions in the pharmaceutical industry (Hoffmann-La Roche, Novartis) as well as in academia (University of Erlangen, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf). He is a co-founder of PROVIREX and serves on the company’s supervisory board. Major components of the recombinase-based virus excision technology were developed in the Hauber laboratory at the Leibniz Institute of Virology in Hamburg.
Prof. Dr. Joachim Hauber
Co-Founder
Dr. Ilona Hauber
Co-FounderDr. Ilona Hauber is a co-founder of PROVIREX and has been involved in research and development of HIV-specific designer recombinases for clinical application from the beginning. Ilona held various positions in biotech/pharma R&D (Boehringer Mannheim, Immuno AG) as well as in academic research (University of Erlangen, Leibniz Institute of Virology). In particular, she established and organized the National Reference Center for Retroviruses (NRZ) at the Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology at the University of Erlangen.
Dr. Ilona Hauber
Co-Founder
Prof. Dr. Frank Buchholz
Co-FounderProf. Frank Buchholz is a co-founder of PROVIREX and professor for medical systems biology and Dean of Research at the medical faculty of the TU Dresden. He is a pioneer in engineering site-specific recombinases for medical applications and serves on the PROVIREX scientific advisory board. Frank is a serial entrepreneur and has recently obtained the Unipreneurs award for his exceptional commitment to university spin-offs.