Award for Neuroscientist from Cambridge

Michel Goedert

The endowed with 60,000 euros "Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Award" goes to neuroscientist Michel Goedert from Cambridge, UK, this year. Goedert is being honored for his groundbreaking research on the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The native Luxembourger is head of program at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. The award is jointly presented by the Piepenbrock Group and the DZNE. The ceremony will take place next February in Bonn.

"Michel Goedert researches the causes and mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. He has been a pioneer in this field for many years," says Professor Pierluigi Nicotera, Chairman of the DZNE. "His insights into protein aggregates, as they occur in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other brain diseases, are groundbreaking. Michel Goedert's work provides deep insights into the development of these diseases and is indispensable for finding approaches for new treatments."

"With the Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Award, we want to highlight outstanding research results on Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases and honor the scientists behind them," says Olaf Piepenbrock, Managing Partner of the eponymous group of companies. "But public discussion is also important to us. We want to talk about dementia. In society and together with patients and relatives. Because neurodegenerative diseases entail enormous physical and psychological burdens. Besides supporting top-level research, we see our task as ensuring a better understanding of the needs of people with Alzheimer's and their families."

Award for Cutting-Edge Research

Since 2011, the "Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Award" has been recognizing outstanding research on neurodegenerative diseases every two years. These diseases—including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)—are characterized by dysfunction and loss of nerve cells. Possible consequences include dementia, movement disorders, and other serious health impairments. To date, there are no cures. The award is endowed by the Piepenbrock Group and given in memory of its former managing partner. Hartwig Piepenbrock passed away due to the effects of dementia. He was committed to art, science, and society for many years. The selection of awardees is made by an international committee coordinated by the DZNE. On this occasion, the award will be presented for the sixth time.

Background Information about the Laureate

Michel Goedert was born in Luxembourg in 1954. He studied medicine in Basel and earned his doctorate in pharmacology at the University of Cambridge, UK. In 1984, he became a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Since 1988, he has been the head of program there. His research interests focus on the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, especially proteins that naturally occur in humans but accumulate in a pathological manner in the brains of patients. In this context, Goedert has studied the so-called Tau protein and the protein "Alpha-Synuclein."

Tau proteins normally stabilize transport pathways within nerve cells. However, in Alzheimer's and several other brain diseases, Tau proteins detach from the cell skeleton and clump together, forming insoluble aggregates. Goedert made significant contributions to understanding this phenomenon, demonstrating that Tau proteins are a key component of the filamentous deposits found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Additionally, he identified gene mutations that lead to faulty Tau protein and ultimately dementia. His studies also provided evidence that Tau aggregates can spread in the brain through a chain reaction, with new aggregates continually forming.

Furthermore, Goedert was able to demonstrate that the protein Alpha-Synuclein is the main component of microscopic deposits found in the brains of people with Parkinson's, Lewy body dementia, and multisystem atrophy. His research also yielded important insights into the molecular structure of Alpha-Synuclein aggregates and—similar to Tau proteins—evidence that these aggregates can gradually spread in the brain, advancing the disease process.

Michel Goedert has received numerous awards for his research.