Jochen Herms

Prof. Dr. Jochen Herms serves as Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich, Germany, focusing on synaptic dysfunction mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease. His research investigates how synaptic failure initiates irreversible nerve cell loss and progressive dementia.

Herms' laboratory employs transgenic mouse models and knockout strains (targeting APP, Presenilins, BACE, Tau, and alpha-synuclein) to dissect pathological mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic side effects. The team specializes in chronic in vivo two-photon microscopy, enabling longitudinal tracking of individual synapses over weeks while monitoring microglia activation, extracellular matrix dynamics, vascularization, mitochondrial function, and neuronal activity within physiological environments.

Collaborating with leading medical device companies, Herms develops non-invasive optical approaches for early identification of neurodegenerative disease risk. His methodological expertise bridges molecular biology, histochemistry, electrophysiology, and advanced imaging to address synaptic pathology across multiple neurodegenerative conditions.