Christian Haass

Christian Haass is a Professor and Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich, serving as Site Speaker. His research revolutionizes understanding of Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and therapeutic development.

His primary research focuses on:

• Alzheimer's Disease pathogenesis
• Amyloid β-peptide metabolism
• Secretase enzyme biology (beta/gamma/alpha-secretase)
• Microglial function in neurodegeneration
• Neuroinflammation pathways
• Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers

Haass pioneered the discovery that amyloid β-peptide is generated under physiological conditions, identifying secretases as therapeutic targets. His recent breakthroughs include linking microglial phagocytosis impairment to late-stage neurodegeneration and establishing TREM2 as a critical biomarker detectable years before symptom onset in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's.

He leads a major research group at DZNE investigating molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, with work providing foundational insights for current therapeutic approaches targeting amyloid production and neuroinflammation.