Research profile
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Biometry and Population Genetics group at the Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding II, Justus Liebig University Giessen.
My research focuses on the development of machine learning and deep learning models for genomic selection. I am particularly interested in feature engineering approaches that integrate genomic, environmental, and other data sources to improve prediction and decision-making in plant breeding.
A further focus of my work is the development of statistical tools and software for simulating plant breeding trials and selection processes.
Academic career
During my doctoral and postdoctoral work, I have contributed to Bachelor’s and Master’s teaching in population genetics, applied statistics, and biostatistics. This included lectures and tutorials in German and English on R programming, statistical modelling, experimental design, genome-wide association studies, and multivariate data analysis.
Department of Biometry and Population Genetics
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Department of Biometry and Population Genetics
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Master’s thesis conducted at the Department of Biometry and Population Genetics
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Bachelor’s thesis conducted at the Chair of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning
Award
Recipient of the 21st Kurt von Rümker Prize, awarded by the German Society for Plant Breeding (Gesellschaft für Pflanzenzüchtung e.V., GPZ). The prize recognizes the best PhD presentation by an early-career scientist in the field of plant breeding. (Link)
Publications
Heilmann PG, Grosch E, Frisch M, Herrmann M, Beuch S, Kurra V, Mascher M, Avni R, Oldach K, Röhrs I, Hanemann A, Mehta RR, Reinbrecht C, Serfling A, Stahl A, Stucke M, Abbadi A, Kox T, Zenke-Philippi C (2025). Haplotype-based autoencoders can reduce the dataset dimension and estimate haplotype block effects in different crop species. BMC Bioinformatics 26:289.
Heilmann PG, Difabachew YF, Frisch M, Moritz AL, Stahl A, Wittkop B, Snowdon RJ, Koch M, Kirchhoff M, Cselényi L, Wolf M, Förster J, Zenke-Philippi C (2024). Machine learning for prediction of resistance scores in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Breeding 144:192–205.
Heilmann PG, Frisch M, Abbadi A, Kox T, Herzog E (2023). Stacked ensembles on basis of parentage information can predict hybrid performance with an accuracy comparable to marker-based GBLUP. Frontiers in Plant Science 14:1178902.
Conference contributions
Selected conference talks and posters. O = oral presentation, P = poster.
4th International Wheat Congress, Bologna, Italy P
3rd Summer Meeting of the German Federation for Plant Innovation, Osnabrück, Germany O
proWeizen Conference 2026, Quedlinburg, Germany O
21st Kurt von Rümker Prize / 8th Quedlinburg Plant Breeding Days, Quedlinburg, Germany O
Intelligence Artificielle, Biotechnologies & Agriculture, Paris, France, invited presentation O
17th Australasian Plant Breeding Conference, Perth, Australia O
11th International Congress “Life Sciences Today for Tomorrow”, Iași, Romania O
German Plant Breeding Conference 2024, Geisenheim, Germany P
Want to get in touch?
Interested in my work, have a question, or want to discuss potential collaborations? Feel free to contact me by email or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding II
Biometry and Population Genetics
Justus Liebig University Giessen