• 03/2024: Appointment to Furtwangen University as Professor of Anatomy and Pathology (Physiotherapy programme)
• 03/2021: Awarded the title of Adjunct Professor (University of Freiburg)
• 10/2013: Habilitation and venia legendi for anatomy and cell biology, University of Freiburg, “Analysis of axonal Schwann cell colonization”
• 10/2003: Doctoral thesis (Dr. med.), Georg August University of Göttingen, “Organisation of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb of Xenopus laevis”
• 10/2004: Licensed to practice medicine
• 1996 - 2003: Studied human medicine, Georg August University of Göttingen

• Development and testing of anatomical teaching content (VR AR) for study and continuing education (under development/cooperation project)
• Implementation and analysis of interprofessional teaching (under development/cooperation project)

Applied research and teaching research

• Everad F, Albrecht T, Kromeier J, Heermann S, von Schnakenburg P, Hildenbrand T, Speck I, Knopf A, Offergeld C.
  A Virtual Reality Anatomy Model of the Temporal Bone in ORL Residency Training-Gain or Gadget? 
  J Med Educ Curric Dev. 2024 Oct 9;11:23821205241281506. doi: 10.1177/23821205241281506. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
   
• Offergeld C, Kuhn S, Kromeier J, Heermann S, Widder A, Flayyih O, Everad F, Knopf A, Albrecht T, Burkhardt V, Hildenbrand T, Ramackers W.
  [Is the use of virtual reality in otorhinolaryngology teaching automatically positively rated by students? : A questionnaire-based evaluation among students]. 
  HNO. 2024 May;72(5):367-374. doi: 10.1007/s00106-024-01453-8. Epub 2024 Apr 5.
   
• von Schnakenburg P, Heermann S, Kromeier J, Offergeld C.
  Use of virtual reality in ENT teaching: an alternative to the conventional anatomic model. HNO. 2023 Feb;71(2):106-113. doi: 10.1007/s00106-022-01252-z. Epub 2022 Dec 7.
   
• González Blum C, Richter R, Fuchs R, Sandeck F, Kunz K, Heermann S.
  Interprofessional education in medical and physiotherapy studies for future collaboration. Ann Anat. 2022 Feb; 240:151850. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151850. Epub 2021 Nov 9.
   
• González Blum C, Richter R, Fuchs R, Sandeck F and Heermann S
  An interprofessional teaching approach for medical and physical therapy students to learn functional anatomy and clinical examination of the lower spine and hip
  May 23;231:151534. doi: 10.1016/j.aanat.2020.151534.
   
• Daubenfeld T, Kromeier J, Heermann S, Hildenbrand T, Giesler M, Offergeld C.
  Traditional vs. modern: possibilities and limitations of the new lecture concept in ENT teaching curricula
  HNO. 2020 Apr;68(4):263-271. doi: 10.1007/s00106-020-00834-z. German.

Overviews with teaching relevance

• Offergeld C, von Schnakenburg P, Knopf A, Pfirrmann P, Kromeier J, Heermann S.
  Innovation meets tradition: Virtual reality in ORL-education. Laryngorhinootologie.
  2021 Dec 16. doi: 10.1055/a-1511-2241.
   
• Heermann S.
  Neuroanatomy of the Visual Pathway.
  Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2017 Nov;234(11):1327-1333. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-118101. Epub 2017 Nov 7. German.
   
• Heermann S.
  Neuroanatomy of the Oculomotor System.
  Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2017 Nov;234(11):1334-1343. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-117741. Epub 2017 Sep 12. German.

Basic research

Development of the eye and forebrain

• Kyrychenko V, Rensinghoff P, Bulk J, Frey C, Heermann S.
  Holoprosencephaly and cyclopia in bmp7b and bmpr1ba Crispant zebrafish.
  Anim Cells Syst (Seoul). 2025 Jul 1;29(1):16-27. doi: 10.1080/19768354.2025.2519018. eCollection 2025.
   
• Bulk J, Kyrychenko V, Rensinghoff PM, Ghaderi Ardekani Z, Heermann S.
  Holoprosencephaly with a Special Form of Anophthalmia Result from Experimental Induction of bmp4, Oversaturating BMP Antagonists in Zebrafish.
  Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 29;24(9):8052. doi: 10.3390/ijms24098052.
   
• Knickmeyer, M.D.; Mateo, J.L.; Heermann, S.
  BMP Signaling Interferes with Optic Chiasm Formation and Retinal Ganglion Cell Pathfinding in Zebrafish.
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 4560. doi.org 10.3390/ijms22094560
   
• Eckert P, Knickmeyer MD and Heermann S
  In vivo analysis of optic fissure fusion in zebrafish: pioneer cells, basal lamina, hyaloid vessels and how fissure fusion is affected by BMP
  Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(8), 2760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21082760
   
• Eckert P, Knickmeyer MD, Schütz L, Wittbrodt J and Heermann S
  Morphogenesis and axis specification occur in parallel during optic cup and optic fissure formation, differentially modulated by BMP and Wnt
  Open Biol. 2019 Feb 28;9(2):180179. doi: 10.1098/rsob.180179.
   
• Knickmeyer MD, Mateo JL, Eckert P, Roussa E, Rahhal B, Zuniga A, Krieglstein K, Wittbrodt J, Heermann S.
  TGFβ-facilitated optic fissure fusion and the role of bone morphogenetic protein antagonism.
  Open Biol. 2018 Mar;8(3). pii: 170134. doi: 10.1098/rsob.170134.
   
• Heermann S, Schütz L, Lemke S, Krieglstein K, Wittbrodt J.
  Eye morphogenesis driven by epithelial flow into the optic cup facilitated by modulation of bone morphogenetic protein.
  eLife. 2015 Feb 24;4. doi: 10.7554/eLife.05216.
   
• Sinn R, Peravali R, Heermann S*, Wittbrodt J*. (*shared correspondence)
  Differential responsiveness of distinct retinal domains to Atoh7.
  Mech Dev. 2014 Aug 21. pii: S0925-4773(14)00038-0. doi: 10.1016/j.mod.2014.08.002. 

Development of the sympathetic nervous system and Schwann cell colonization of nerves

• Heermann S, Schmücker J, Hinz U, Rickmann M, Unterbarnscheidt T, Schwab MH, Krieglstein K.
  Neuregulin 1 Type III/ErbB Signaling Is Crucial for Schwann Cell Colonization of Sympathetic Axons.
  PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e28692. Epub 2011 Dec 16.
   
• Heermann S, Spittau B, Zajzon K, Schwab MH, Krieglstein K.
  Schwann cells migrate along axons in the absence of GDNF signaling.
  BMC Neurosci. 2012 Aug 3;13(1):92.
   
• Heermann S, Krieglstein K.
  Analyzing murine schwann cell development along growing axons.
  J Vis Exp. 2012 Nov 21;(69). doi:pii: 50016. 10.3791/50016.
   
• Zajzon K, Pröls F, Heermann S.
  Concerted interaction of TGF-β and GDNF mediates neuronal differentiation.
  Neuroreport. 2013 Sep 11;24(13):704-11. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0b013e328363f75c.
   
• Heermann S, Mätlik K, Hinz U, Fey J, Arumae U, Krieglstein K.
  Glia cell line-derived neurotrophic factor mediates survival of murine sympathetic precursors.
  J Neurosci Res. 2013 Feb 21. doi: 10.1002/jnr.23188.