University of Luebeck

Prof. Dr. Christine Klein heads the University of Luebeck’s Institute of Neurogenetics and is also the Principal Investigator of the Translational Neurogenetics section there.

She is head of the Neurogenetics Committee of the German Neurological Society, has served as Councilor to the Neurogenetics Section of the American Academy of Neurology, and Chair of the Congress Scientific Planning Committee of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

As work package leader of WP1 she will coordinate and carry out both the clinical-cohort aspects of the project (through its University hospital) as well as the generation of iPSC lines, followed by mitochondrial assays in differentiated neurons at the Institute of Neurogenetics in close collaboration with UCL.

Alexander Balck is a medical doctor (MD) and part of the Systems Neuroscience team at the Institute of Neurogenetics.

He specialises in mitochondrial causes and novel therapeutic treatment methods of PD. His work in the project will contribute to the generation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1.

Max Borsche is a medical doctor (MD) and a clinician scientist at the Institute of Neurogenetics. He specialises in the genetics of movement disorders with a focus on Parkison's disease. His work in the project will contribute to the generation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1.

Dr. Meike Kasten is the section leader of Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology at the Institute of Neurogenetics and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy.

She specialises in the epidemiology and phenomenology of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson disease and dystonia.

Her work in the project will contribute to the generation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1. Within WP1 she will focus on recruitment and phenotyping of PD patients.

Dr. Aleksandar Rakovic is a junior group leader at the Institute of Neurogenetics.

He specialises in the characterization of molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) using human cellular models (human dermal fibroblasts, neuroblastoma cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons). He investigates the interaction between the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) and the ubiquitin E3 ligase Parkin and their role in mitochondrial function, morphology and mitochondrial quality control by mitophagy.

Susen Schaake, is the laboratory manager and senior research technologist in the Genetics of Rare Diseases section at the Institute of Neurogenetics.

She specialises in handling with biomaterial and genetic methods. Her work in the project will contribute to the generation and validation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1.

MSc Karen Grütz is part of the Functional Genetics of Movement Disorders team at the Institute of Neurogenetics.

She specialises in generation and maintenance of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and differentiation of iPSC-derived neurons.

Her work in the project will contribute to the generation of iPSC lines of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts in WP1.

Dr. Sinem Tunc is a clinical research fellow and part of the Systems Neuroscience team at the Institute of Neurogenetics.

She specializes in rare movement disorders with a focus on genetically determined diseases and has experience in cohort studies, e.g. Epidemiology and characterization of possible early symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (EPIPARK). In this project she will contribute to the generation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1.

Dr. Eva-Juliane Vollstedt is a medical doctor at the Institute of Neurogenetics’ Neuropsychiatric Epidemiology section.

She is a movement disorders and psychiatry fellow and will contribute to the generation of genetically and phenotypically stratified PD cohorts and biomaterials in WP1. She will also facilitate the transfer of clinical data from Lübeck.