Prof. Michael Heneka
Prof. Michael Heneka
Education:
1996 Medical degree (with excellence), University of Tübingen
1998 Dr.med. (summa cum laude), University of Tübingen, Germany
2002 Board examination for Clinical Neurology, University of Bonn, Germany
2003 Habilitation, University of Bonn, Germany
Research and Professional Experience:
2003 –2004 Senior Clinical Fellow, Dept. of Neurology, University of Bonn
2004 –2008 Prof. of Molecular Neurology (C3), Dept. of Neurology, University of Münster
since 2008 Prof. of Clinical Neurology (W3), Dept. of Neurology, University of Bonn
since 2010 Member of the German Center for Neurodegeneration (DZNE)
since 2010 Head of the Neurodegeneration Outpatient Unit (KBFZ)
since 2013 Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Massachusetts
since 2016 Chair, Dept. of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Bonn,
Awards and Honors:
1992 –1996 Fellow of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
1999 Attempto Award, University of Tübingen
2011 Christa-Lorenz Award for ALS Research
2013 Hans und Ilse Breuer Alzheimer Research Award
Research Focus
I have been always interested in immunology and neuroscience. At the very beginning of my career I combined my experimental knowledge in immunology with questions arising from the field of neuroscience and in particular neurodegenerative disease. In a second line of my research, I showed that the degeneration of the locus coeruleus and subsequent changes of norepinephrine levels in it’s hippocampal and cortical projection areas, facilitate and promote innate immune reactions upon deposition of fibrillar beta-amyloid in murine AD models. Recently, we demonstrated that inhibition of NLRP3-mediated immune activation protects APP/PS1 mice from the development of amyloid pathology, spine loss and decline of learning and memory. Furthermore, we found that ASC specks released by microglia bind rapidly to amyloid-β and increase the formation of amyloid-β oligomers and aggregates, acting as an inflammation-driven cross-seed for amyloid-β pathology.
Education:
1996 Medical degree (with excellence), University of Tübingen
1998 Dr.med. (summa cum laude), University of Tübingen, Germany
2002 Board examination for Clinical Neurology, University of Bonn, Germany
2003 Habilitation, University of Bonn, Germany
Research and Professional Experience:
2003 –2004 Senior Clinical Fellow, Dept. of Neurology, University of Bonn
2004 –2008 Prof. of Molecular Neurology (C3), Dept. of Neurology, University of Münster
since 2008 Prof. of Clinical Neurology (W3), Dept. of Neurology, University of Bonn
since 2010 Member of the German Center for Neurodegeneration (DZNE)
since 2010 Head of the Neurodegeneration Outpatient Unit (KBFZ)
since 2013 Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Massachusetts
since 2016 Chair, Dept. of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Bonn,
Awards and Honors:
1992 –1996 Fellow of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
1999 Attempto Award, University of Tübingen
2011 Christa-Lorenz Award for ALS Research
2013 Hans und Ilse Breuer Alzheimer Research Award
Research Focus
I have been always interested in immunology and neuroscience. At the very beginning of my career I combined my experimental knowledge in immunology with questions arising from the field of neuroscience and in particular neurodegenerative disease. In a second line of my research, I showed that the degeneration of the locus coeruleus and subsequent changes of norepinephrine levels in it’s hippocampal and cortical projection areas, facilitate and promote innate immune reactions upon deposition of fibrillar beta-amyloid in murine AD models. Recently, we demonstrated that inhibition of NLRP3-mediated immune activation protects APP/PS1 mice from the development of amyloid pathology, spine loss and decline of learning and memory. Furthermore, we found that ASC specks released by microglia bind rapidly to amyloid-β and increase the formation of amyloid-β oligomers and aggregates, acting as an inflammation-driven cross-seed for amyloid-β pathology.
