Biocentrum, Zülpicher Str. 47b, 50674 Cologne, Germany

Our group studies the mechanisms underlying axonal degeneration, a process that occurs in several common neurodegenerative diseases. We focus on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a model disease to study axonal degeneration. HSP is an adult-onset disorder, characterized by progressive weakness and spasticity of the lower limbs and due to the retrograde degeneration of the corticospinal axons and the fasciculus gracilis.

We have a long-standing interest in neurodegenerative mechanisms mediated by defective function of the m-AAA protease.

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Dissecting the function of the AE12 mutation in ethanol tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster 

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