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Anna Magdalena Koester headshot

Anna Magdalena Koester, Ph.D.

Scientist II

Bio:

Anna joined the Allen Institute for Cell Science as a Scientist II in August 2024. She specializes in quantitative cell biology with a particular focus on single-cell genomics. At the Institute, Anna is dedicated to advancing our understanding of cellular transitions by leading single-cell RNA sequencing experiments and optimizing spatial transcriptomics workflows.

Anna earned her Ph.D. in 2021 from the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK), where she worked in Gwyn Gould’s lab on a multi-disciplinary project investigating glucose transport dynamics in the plasma membrane. Her experience in microscopy ignited a passion for advanced imaging techniques, prompting her to pursue a postdoctoral position at Oregon Health and Science University (Portland, US) in Xiaolin Nan’s lab. There, she explored the nanoscale spatial systems biology of Ras small GTPases using single-molecule localization microscopy. Prior to joining the Allen Institute, Anna served as a Staff Scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, where she gained expertise in single-cell RNA sequencing workflows.

Research Focus:

Anna’s diverse background spans Neuroscience, Cardiovascular Science, and Cancer Science, providing a broad foundation for her work in Cell Biology. Her training in Biophysics and Genomics fuels her enthusiasm for utilizing cutting-edge technologies to investigate cellular growth and development. Anna is committed to pioneering innovative approaches that enhance our scientific understanding across various domains beyond fundamental Cell Science.

Science Programs at Allen Institute