Mrs Nicole Cillien completed her studies in biology at the University of Göttingen. Previously she finished the education as a medical-technical laboratory assistant in Bückeburg and as a medical-technical radiology assistant at the University Hospital  in Tübingen. In 1988 she began her professional career as a medical-technical assistant in the tumour immunology cell laboratory at the Women’s University Hospital in Göttingen with Dr Thomas Neßelhut. Together they worked on autologous tumour vaccines for active specific immunotherapy.

In 1993, she joined Dr Thomas Neßelhut in his practice in Duderstadt to set up the GMP-laboratory for cellular therapies (Institute for Tumour Therapy, later the Joint Practice for cell therapy) and to obtain a manufacturing authorisation in accordance with §13(2b) of the  German Medicines Act. She supported the establishment of further laboratories for cell therapy laboratories in Aschaffenburg (Dendrimun GmbH), Cologne (IOZK) and Jakarta.

To date, she has worked in various pharmaceutical law functions in the GMP laboratory. As a control manager (according to §15AMG) in Duderstadt as well as at the company Dendrimun GmbH in Aschaffenburg and as Head of Quality Assurance at the joint practice for Cell Therapy Duderstadt.