International Graduate School of Neuroscience

Research Interests

Since 03/2014 I am Director of the Medizinische Proteom-Center (MPC), Ruhr-University Bochum. From 12/2007- 02/2014 I was Head of the Department of “Functional Proteomics”, Ruhr-University Bochum. My expertise is in the field of proteomics with a special focus on neurodegeneration.

Together with several collaboration partners we are especially focusing on the elucidation of the molecular pathomechanisms of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer‘s, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis as well as spinal cord and traumatic brain injury, . A new research focus at the MPC is concerned with the molecular causes and effects of (prenatal) stress and its influence on disease-causing processes.

By the application of state-of-the-art proteomics methods and the development of new high-performance technologies new candidate proteins (biomarkers) that allow for an early as well as differential diagnosis of those disorders are investigated. For that purpose a comprehensive, statistically validated analysis strategy was developed including sophisticated sample preparation (for e.g. animal and human tissues, body fluids such as CSF, plasma, urine, saliva, tears as well as various cell populations like immune, brain, muscle, bone cells etc.), protein separation, detection of modified (especially phosphorylated, ubiquitinated and oxidized) proteins, protein identification by mass spectrometry and verification of identified protein candidates by antibody-based technologies.

Using a powerful combination of laser microdissction and mass spectrometry we are now able to detect and analyse very specifically cells and subcellular structure such as different cell populations (e.g. from human and/or rodent brain), nuclei or neuromelanin granules.