Alberto Catanese

Dr. Alberto Catanese serves as Researcher and group leader at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, directing cutting-edge research on neurodegenerative disease mechanisms using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models.

His primary research investigates pathomechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) motoneurons through integrated 2D neuronal cultures, cerebral/spinal organoids, and multi-omics approaches. Key focus areas include synaptic aberrations and catabolic dysfunctions across ALS, Alzheimer's disease, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to identify novel therapeutic targets and common pathogenic signatures.

Dr. Catanese actively mentors PhD and MD students while securing major research funding through:

• Universität Ulm (Bausteinprogramm)
• Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung
• Deutsche Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE)
• Frick foundation
• DFG (SFB-1149 and SFB-1506)
• DGM

The research group operates within Ulm University's Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology with dedicated technical staff (Maria Manz, Sabine Seltenheim) and maintains strategic collaboration with the DZNE Ulm site for advanced neurodegenerative disease modeling.