Anne Maass

Dr. Anne Maass is a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Magdeburg, where she directs research focused on understanding the molecular underpinnings of normal and pathological cognitive aging using multimodal neuroimaging techniques. Her work integrates functional and structural MRI at 3T and 7T field strengths with PET imaging to study tau and amyloid-beta pathology in the aging brain.

Dr. Maass's research interests center on how age-related pathologies accumulate in specific brain networks and affect cognitive function before significant neurodegeneration occurs. She investigates why some individuals develop pathology but remain cognitively healthy (resilience) and why others age successfully despite risk factors (resistance). Her work spans several key areas including tau and amyloid-beta pathology spread, cognitive reserve mechanisms, hippocampal vascularization patterns, and neuroinflammatory processes in Alzheimer's disease progression.

Her extensive publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory from basic mechanisms of protein accumulation to clinical applications. Recent work has increasingly focused on multimodal approaches that combine molecular imaging with functional and structural assessments to identify early biomarkers and protective factors against cognitive decline. Her research shows particular strength in translating findings from animal models to human applications through sophisticated imaging methodologies.

Dr. Maass leads significant research initiatives including Project Z03 within the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center CRC1436 "Neural Resources of Cognition" (2021-2024), which studies molecularly characterized aging cohorts including "SuperAgers," and Project B04 investigating hippocampal vascularization patterns. She serves as Principal Investigator in the DELCODE study and collaborates with the Prevent AD Cohort in Montreal.

Her laboratory collaborates extensively with researchers across Germany and internationally, including Prof. Boecker's group at DZNE Bonn, Prof. Schott's group at DZNE Göttingen, Prof. Michael Heneka's group, and Prof. Sylvia Villeneuve's team in Montreal. The lab employs advanced methodologies including Vessel Distance Mapping (VDM) to assess vascularization as a continuous metric beyond binary classification, and develops innovative approaches to studying cognitive resilience through real-world navigation training using the "Explore"-app.