Donato Di Monte

Prof. Dr. Donato Di Monte serves as a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany, conducting research at the Venusberg Campus facility. His work centers on elucidating the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and alpha-synuclein toxicity in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Di Monte's research investigates mitochondrial dysfunction, protein degradation impairment, microglial activation, and neuron-to-neuron protein transfer in PD pathogenesis. He examines how aging, genetic variants, and environmental factors influence disease progression while evaluating RNA silencing, immunotherapy, and regenerative cell therapy as potential interventions. His group extends this work to cross-disease mechanisms to address selective neuronal vulnerability and pathological comorbidity across neurodegenerative disorders.

The laboratory employs advanced histological and molecular techniques, including viral vector-mediated alpha-synuclein overexpression models targeting brain regions like the dorsal motor vagal nucleus and locus coeruleus. Key contributions involve mapping caudo-rostral alpha-synuclein spread, microglial activation in aging brains, and RNA interference approaches to mitigate protein toxicity in vulnerable neuronal populations such as the substantia nigra.