Translational Stroke and Dementia Research – PI: Martin Dichgans

We are interested in the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms of stroke and cerebrovascular disease. We use genetic approaches to identify novel risk genes and explore their functional role in vitro and in vivo using genome-editing, proteomics, and imaging technology. We are particularly interested in cerebral small vessel disease and large artery atherosclerotic stroke.

A major starting point of our work are patients with stroke that are examined through prospective clinical studies along with healthy individuals. We apply genetic (GWAS and sequencing) and other omics techniques to identify novel targets and pathways relevant to specific mechanistically defined stroke subtypes. We use this information to explore relationships with informative intermediate (e.g. vascular, metabolic) and related phenotypes (e.g. coronary artery disease).

We have established genetic mouse models for cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) derived from the genetic discoveries (e.g. Notch3, HtrA1, Foxf2) and use these models to identify and characterize key molecular pathways (e.g. TGF-ß signaling) and cellular targets (e.g. brain pericytes) relevant to the pathogenesis of SVD.

Another area increasingly moving into the focus of our research is atherosclerosis. We in collaboration with others recently identified several risk loci for large artery stroke and are currently exploring the role of relevant genes (e.g. HDAC9, TSPAN2) in atherogenesis and vascular injury.

Contact: Martin Dichgans, MD,
Tel: +49-89-4400-46019
isd@med.uni-muenchen.de

See all publications by Martin Dichgans

Melanie Schneider / technical assistant

I finished my education as a medical technical assistant in 2005 and immediately started working with Professor Martin Dichgans. I take care of organizational issues to all groups, place orders and do many histology works for my group members (e. g. preparing and cutting tissue, do staining’s, microscopy and sometimes evaluations). I am currently involved in projects aimed at identifying the mechanism underlying proatherogenic role of HDAC9 and exploring the therapeutic potential of HDAC9 inhibition for atheroprotection.

Dr. med. Steffen Tiedt / clinician scientist

I joined the group of Martin Dichgans at the ISD in 2013 after finishing my medical studies at the LMU in Munich and at Harvard. Beforehand, I received an MD for studying the regeneration of neurons after stroke (with Magdalena Götz, Institute of Physiology, LMU). Since being part of the ISD, my main research goal is to identify circulating biomarkers for diagnostic questions posed in the context of stroke and translate them into daily clinical application. For this purpose we established the CIRCULAting biomarkers after Stroke (CIRCULAS) study in 2014, which recruits patients with suspected stroke in the emergency department and has a strong focus on biosampling of these patients in the acute and subacute phase. We apply omics technologies (eg, RNA sequencing) and single-molecule assays to study different molecular classes such as microRNAs, proteins, and metabolites to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke and for their value as biomarkers.

Pubmed | Google Scholar | Research Gate

Martin Dichgans | CV

Personal Data

Martin Dichgans, MD

Date of birth: May 4th 1966

Place of birth: Basel (CH)

Professor, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich

Director, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research

Chair, Stroke and Dementia Research

Scientific vita

since 2010 Founding Director, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München

Chair, Stroke and Dementia Research

Head, Interdisciplinary Stroke Center Munich, Klinikum der Universität München

since 2006 Professor of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich

since 2001 Board Certificate in Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich

until 1993 Study of Medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), and Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA)

Coordinating Functions

since 2016 President, German Stroke Society (DSG) and Board of Directors (since 2014)

since 2015 Executive Committee, European Stroke Organization (ESO)

since 2014 Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, ERANET-NEURON, FP7 European Union

since 2012 Scientific Board and Research Coordinator, Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy)

since 2011 Coordinator, Clinical Research DZNE, Munich

Editor Roles and Editorial Boards

since 2017 Annals of Neurology, Editorial Board

since 2016 European Stroke Journal (ESO), Editorial Board

since 2015 Stroke (AHA), Section Editor

since 2013 Int J Stroke (WSO), Section Editor

since 2010 Frontiers in Stroke, Associate Editor

2011 – 2016 J Neurochemistry, Handling Editor

2010 – 2015 Stroke (AHA), Assistant Editor

2006 – 2010 Stroke (AHA), Section Editor

Fields of Interest

Stroke with a special focus on Genetics

Small Vessel Disease

Atherosclerosis

For information on Currently Funded Projects see ISD Research Support