Thomas Becker

Thomas Becker is currently a Professor at the Technical University Dresden, a position he has held since 2022. Prior to this, he served as Reader (Associate Professor) at the University of Edinburgh (2020–2022), Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) (2015–2020), and Lecturer (Assistant Professor) (2011–2015). His research focuses on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms enabling central nervous system repair in non-mammalian vertebrates.

His educational background includes:

• Habilitation in Neuroscience, University of Hamburg (2006)
• PhD in Neuroscience, University of Bremen (1993)
• Diplombiologe (MSc equivalent) in Genetics, University of Bremen (1989)

Becker's research centers on regenerative neurogenesis and spinal cord regeneration, investigating how salamanders and fishes achieve full functional recovery after neural injury. He employs advanced techniques including single-cell transcriptomics and cell-type-specific inactivation to uncover evolutionary principles of self-repair, with translational goals for mammalian neural repair. Key areas include axonal pathfinding, immune signaling in regeneration, and reactivation of developmental pathways post-injury.

Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent focus on zebrafish models to dissect spinal cord regeneration mechanisms, with increasing emphasis on macrophage subpopulations, cytokine dynamics, and ependymal cell contributions. His work bridges developmental biology and regenerative medicine, demonstrating how evolutionary insights can inform therapeutic strategies for human spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases.

As CO-PI of the Becker Lab at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Thomas Becker collaborates within a multidisciplinary team to advance neural repair research using zebrafish and other vertebrate models, maintaining strong connections with European and German funding bodies supporting regenerative medicine.