500,000 US Dollars in Funding for Tau Research in Munich
Mikael Simons Awarded Grant from the “Tauopathy Challenge Workshop 2025” Funding Program
Munich (Germany), August 13, 2025. Prof. Dr. Mikael Simons, research group leader at DZNE's Munich site, receives US$500,000 for a project to investigate disease mechanisms involving so-called tau proteins beteiligt sind. The funding is part of the international program „Tauopathy Challenge Workshop 2025“, which supports research projects aimed at understanding and treating tau-associated diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Simons was selected as one of five researchers worldwide for this funding program. The Tauopathy Challenge Workshop was launched by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF), one of the largest independent institutions promoting research activities in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. The RCF funds the program together with various partner organizations such as the US Alzheimer's Association.
The $500,000 grant will be provided to Mikael Simons and his co-applicant, postdoctoral researcher Dr. Stefan Berghoff, over a period of two years and will fund personnel costs and consumables.
The research project led by Mikael Simons and his team aims to better understand the role of non-neuronal cells, particularly glial cells like oligodendrocytes, in the aggregation and spread of tau proteins. A particular focus is on myelin damage and disruptions in the transport of lipids, including the role of Apolipoprotein E. Myelin is a type of insulating membrane sheath that surrounds the long extensions of most neurons.
Using state-of-the-art high-resolution imaging, biochemical assays, and studies in mice and human brain tissue, the Munich-based scientists aim to uncover whether and how disruptions in myelin and lipid transport systems play a critical role in the development of tau pathologies. The project aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying tau-associated diseases such as Alzheimer's and identify new therapeutic targets.