„BrightFocus Foundation“ Funds Two DZNE Projects on Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Alzheimer’s
Innovative research into disease mechanisms and early detection: Two scientists in Bonn and Magdeburg receive international funding.
Bonn/Magdeburg (Germany), July 1st, 2026. The US-based „BrightFocus Foundation“ is supporting two research projects at DZNE: Petra Larsen, MD PhD from DZNE’s Bonn site will receive funding of 450,000 US dollars, while Dr. Vladislava Segen from the Magdeburg site will be awarded approximately 200,000 US dollars. Both projects aim to improve understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and to lay the groundwork for new approaches in diagnostics and therapy.
Multimodal analysis of age-related macular degeneration
Petra Larsen has been awarded the New Investigator Grant of the "Bright Focus Foundation"( with a funding of 450,000 US dollars ) to support establishing her own research group. Since September of last year, she has been leading the ophthalmological epidemiology division within the group of Prof. Monique Breteler, while also working as a clinician at the Department of Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB). This combination of research and clinical practice shapes her daily work.
Her project “Mapping the Molecular-Imaging Interface in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Multimodal Approach.” investigates the mechanisms underlying age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its different manifestations. AMD is one of the most common eye disease in older adults. This disease damages the retina at the point of sharpest vision and, if left untreated, can lead to complete loss of sight.
At the core of the project is the integration of multiple data levels: retinal imaging techniques such as fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are integrated with genetic analyses and molecular data. Statistical methods are used to identify relationships and improve the prediction of disease progression. The aim is to develop disease-specific risk profiles, more accurately characterize the different phenotypes of AMD, and enhance prognostic accuracy. In the long term, the project seeks to lay groundwork for more precise risk stratification and new biologically informed therapeutic approaches.
The three-year project will start in July. The project brings together internal partners at DZNE and at UKB as well as international collaborators, including the University of Bordeaux and the University of Mainz.
Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease through spatial navigation
The ability to navigate through space is a fundamental human skill. This is precisely where the project “PREDICT-PI: Mechanistic Pathways and Predictive Validity of Path Integration in Alzheimer’s Disease” led by Dr. Vladislava Segen, a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Thomas Wolbers, comes in: she will investigate whether spatial disorientation may serve as an early indicator of Alzheimer' s disease — before memory problems arise.
The project will begin in July and run for two years. The funding of approximately 200,000 US dollars will primarily support Segen’s position. The research project focusses on so-called path integration, the ability to mentally track distances traveled. The study builds on existing data and follows participants over an extended period to examine how this ability changes over time and whether it can predict later cognitive decline.
In this study, Vladislava Segen combines behavioral testing—including immersive virtual reality navigation tasks—with memory assessments, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, and analyses of biological markers from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In addition, underlying processes such as changes in synaptic function and early neuroinflammatory mechanisms will be investigated. The goal is to establish a sensitive and reliable marker for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and to better understand the underlying brain changes. In the long term, the project aims to improve diagnostics and disease monitoring and to support the development of new therapeutic approaches.
The project is carried out in close collaboration with the DZNE Memory Clinic Magdeburg as well as additional partners in Bonn, Magdeburg, and the United States.
Further information on the "BrightFocus Foundation" website.