The Dutch molecular biologist Peter Heutink (52) is the new Site Speaker for the DZNE in Tübingen. He specializes in the genetic causes of neurodegenerative diseases. Prof. Heutink is succeeding Prof. Thomas Gasser in this capacity.

In Parkinson’s disease, the protein “alpha-synuclein” aggregates and accumulates within neurons. The mechanism underlying this pathological progression is poorly understood. Scientists at the DZNE in Bonn have developed a novel experimental model that reproduces for the first time this pattern of alpha-synuclein brain spreading and provides important clues on the mechanisms underlying this pathological process.