Research Projects

Increasing evidence suggests that the genetic information in our bodies can vary from cell to cell. Such variation has also been found in the brain, although its consequences for brain function or disease remain largely unknown. In this project, we will study the role of genomic instability in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. The...

The goal of the 3D MiniBrain project is to establish and standardize the use of miniaturized human brain-like structures as a relevant three-dimensional (3D) testbed to decipher the roles of the main genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, according to original hypotheses obtained from our genetic studies. Minibrains...

Age represents by far the largest risk factor for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. However, not every person will develop dementia during aging, indicating that age-related processes may not inescapably lead to dementia. The elucidation of the fundamental processes occurring in aging will likely offer new options to prevent or...

The majority of the risk to develop Alzheimer's disease is influenced by genetic factors. We previously found that carrying a genetic mutation in the SORL1 gene can lead to a greatly increased chance of developing Alzheimer's Disease. SORL1 is involved in the production and processing of Alzheimer proteins that accumulate in the brain. e have...

The mammalian central nervous system is an intricate and fragile structure which on one hand is open to change in order to store information, but at the same time is vulnerable to damage from injury, pathogen invasion or neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Microglia, representing the brain`s innate immune system, execute a number of physiological...

Neurodegenerative dementias are characterised by a continuous loss of neurons that are not replaced. Why neurons die in disease-affected brain regions is still a matter of discussion. This project explores a key common pathological mechanism across the three major neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia: Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal...

The anticipated pandemic increase in the number of Alzheimer disease (AD) and dementia cases carries serious implications for society. The goal of the MIND-AD project is to identify effective prevention strategies for AD/dementia tailored to different at-risk groups. The project is based on experiences and data from five ongoing European...

Many older adults living in residential care homes suffer from dementia and depression. MIDDEL aims to determine if music interventions can help. Specifically, this trial will provide robust and generalisable results concerning the comparative effects of group music therapy (GMT), recreational choir singing (RCS), their combination, or standard...

Neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementias and prion diseases affect ~50 million people worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form, affects ~6% of the population over 65 years of age and is one of the leading causes of death in the elderly. All these diseases have...

The role of inflammation and innate immune system in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been recently emphasized as GWAS and WES studies as well as functional studies have identified several AD-associated genes, including TREM2, ABI3, and PLCG2 that are expressed selectively or preferentially in microglia in the brain. These genetic and functional...

Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy-body dementias (including Parkinson’s disease) and other neurodegenerative dementias are major causes of disease, reduced patient- and caregiver quality of life, and increasing societal health costs. All have lengthy (decades) pre-dementia- and pre-clinical stages, but patients will have suffered irreversible brain damage...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by brain nerve cell death and dementia, but before dementia, leading up to these final and irreversible end-points we first see loss of synapses, which are the contacts between nerve cells allowing us to think, learn and function as independent beings. Coincident with early synaptic loss we also see...