Prof. Dr. Christian Haass

Primary research focus: Biomedical Neuroscience

Second research focus: Cellular & Systems Neuroscience

Keywords: Alzheimer’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Amyloid, Microglia

Brief research description: Research in my lab is devoted to the discovery of cellular and molecular mechanisms of dementia. We are specifically interested in Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Neuroinflammation. We currently focus on multiple aspects of AD research including (i) Regulation of BACE expression, (ii) Alternative APP processing pathways, (iii) Clearance of Aβ, (iv) Microglial activation and function in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, (v) CSF markers (in close collaboration with DIAN).

Current and graduated GSN students: Ida Pesämaa (Fast track PhD student), Sophie Robinson (Fast track PhD student), Maria Mühlhofer, Matteo Rovere, Dr. Marvin Reich, Dr. Joanna McCarter, Dr. Sabine Liebscher, Dr. Xianyuan Xiang

Selected publications:

Parhizkar S, Arzberger T, Brendel M, Kleinberger G, Deussing M, Focke C, Nuscher B, Xiong M, Ghasemigharagoz A, Katzmarski N, Krasemann S, Lichtenthaler SF, Müller SA, Colombo A, Monasor LS, Tahirovic S, Herms J, Willem M, Pettkus N, Butovsky O, Bartenstein P, Edbauer D, Rominger A, Ertürk A, Grathwohl SA, Neher JJ, Holtzman DM, Meyer-Luehmann M, Haass C (2019) Loss of TREM2 function increases amyloid seeding but reduces plaque-associated ApoE. Nature Neuroscience 22(2): 191-204. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0296-9.

Suárez-Calvet M, Caballero MA, Kleinberger G, Bateman RJ, Fagan AM, Morris JC, Levin J, Danek A, Ewers M, Haass C for the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (2016) Early changes of CSF sTREM2 in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease follow markers of Amyloid Deposition and Neuronal Injury. Science Translational Medicine 8(369): 369ra178. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aag1767.

Willem M, Tahirovic S, Busche MA, Ovsepian SV, Chafai M, Kootar S, Hornburg D, Evans LD, Moore S, Daria A, Hampel H, Muller V, Giudici C, Nuscher B, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Kremmer E, Heneka MT, Thal DR, Giedraitis V, Lannfelt L, Muller U, Livesey FJ, Meissner F, Herms J, Konnerth A, Marie H, Haass C (2015) eta-Secretase processing of APP inhibits neuronal activity in the hippocampus. Nature: 526(7573): 443-7. doi: 10.1038/nature14864.

Kleinberger G, Yamanishi Y, Suarez-Calvet M, Czirr E, Lohmann E, Cuyvers E, Struyfs H, Pettkus N, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Mazaheri F, Tahirovic S, Lleo A, Alcolea D, Fortea J, Willem M, Lammich S, Molinuevo JL, Sanchez-Valle R, Antonell A, Ramirez A, Heneka MT, Sleegers K, van der Zee J, Martin JJ, Engelborghs S, Demirtas-Tatlidede A, Zetterberg H, Van Broeckhoven C, Gurvit H, Wyss-Coray T, Hardy J, Colonna M, Haass C (2014) TREM2 mutations implicated in neurodegeneration impair cell surface transport and phagocytosis. Science translational medicine 6(243): 243ra286. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3009093.

Haass C, Schlossmacher MG, Hung AY, Vigo-Pelfrey C, Mellon A, Ostaszewski BL, Lieberburg I, Koo EH, Schenk D, Teplow DB, et al. (1992) Amyloid beta-peptide is produced by cultured cells during normal metabolism. Nature 359(6393): 322-325. doi: 10.1038/359322a0.