Research Projects

Changes in sleep patterns are common among people with dementia, however why short (≤6hrs) or long sleep (≥9hrs) duration is less favorable for dementia, remains unknown. Given that approximately 46% & 44% of variability in sleep duration is explained by genetics, it is pertinent to consider genetic influences when understanding the mechanisms...

The objective of the application is the development and characterization of small molecule stabilizers of protein-protein interactions (“Molecular Glues”) as a novel class of biological tool compounds and potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, respectively. As biological targets we...

The role of social health in onset, disease course and prognosis of dementia remains underexplored. Social health has been conceptualized as the influence of social resources in finding a balance between capacities and limitations. Moreover, social health affects and is affected by biological processes that underlie the dementia syndrome. This...

As Europe’s population is ageing, long-term care for elderly citizens will become an increasing cost for society. To manage this transition healthcare policies in the EU and individual Member States are heavily focussed on extending the independent life of the elderly, with the dual aim of increasing their quality of life and reducing the costs of...

Disrupted neuronal connectivity and synapse dysfunction can manifest clinically as a range of emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms that are common to, and often overlapping in, mental disorders (MDs) such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) such as Alzheimers disease and...

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) of aging are a growing burden on societies. Although studies on the degeneration of neurons have been a main focus of research, increasing evidence points to synapses as the site where Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD) begin. There is growing evidence that synapses are...

The goal of the TASPPI European Training Network (ETN) is the establishment of a highly interdisciplinary research and educational training platform for early stage scientists in the Chemical Life Sciences to overcome the inherent boundaries between academia and industry and to increase their employability in both areas. To this end we have teamed...

Similar to prion diseases, more common fatal neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are linked to the aggregation of different proteins (including Tau, Abeta and alpha- synuclein in the brain of affected patients. Furthermore most of the resulting brain lesions initially appear in specific brain areas and the...

The overall research objective of this project is to develop novel photoswitchable kinase inhibitors (PKIs), targeting on REarrange during Transfection (RET) for use in living cells and in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Controlling the action of kinases in a reversible way will have an exceptional potential for investigating signal transduction in...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major public health problem with substantial economical and social impacts worldwide. Despite intense research, the pathological mechanisms of AD are still unclear. Under homeostasis, a delicate balance is struck between disposal of pathogenic proteins by the brain’s immune cells, microglia, and the inflammation...

The aim of this Project is to create an International and Intersectoral network to facilitate the exchange of staff to progress developments in reminding technologies for persons with dementia which can be deployed in smart environments. The focus will be on developing staff and partner skills in the areas of user centered design and behavioral...

A majority of our most common neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, age-related dementia and multiple sclerosis, are manifested by memory loss and a reduced potential for learning. Additionally, a substantial portion of our population suffers from various forms of learning difficulties. Despite all the efforts to...