Andrea Musacchio

Andrea Musacchio is a Director at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Dortmund and holds an honorary professorship at the University of Duisburg-Essen. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cell division, utilizing structural biology, biochemistry, and cellular methods.

• Education: University of Rome Tor Vergata (Biology, 1990), Heidelberg University (Doctoral Degree in Biochemistry and Structural Biology)
• Postdoctoral Training: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Harvard Medical School (X-ray Crystallography, Electron Microscopy)

His work spans structural characterization of proteins involved in intracellular membrane trafficking (e.g., clathrin, PI3 kinase) and molecular cell biology of mitosis. Musacchio has authored ~160 research articles and secured significant grants, including three ERC fellowships.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Fellow of EMBO (2009)
• European Research Council Fellowships (2009, 2015, 2021)
• DFG Leibniz Prize (2020)
• Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2023)

Musacchio leads the Department of Mechanical Cell Biology at the Max Planck Institute, advancing interdisciplinary approaches to understand cellular processes at the molecular level.