Dominik Paquet

Dominik Paquet is a Professor of Neurobiology at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, where he leads the Paquet Lab as part of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy). He is a full member of the Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience and maintains active research collaborations across multiple institutions including DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases) and DENALI Inc.

His educational journey includes a BSc and MSc from Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, followed by a PhD summa cum laude from LMU Munich under Christian Haass, where he developed the first transgenic zebrafish model of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. He completed postdoctoral training at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases with Thomas Misgeld and Christian Haass, and at The Rockefeller University with Marc Tessier-Lavigne as a New York Stem Cell Foundation Druckenmiller Fellow, where he pioneered CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in induced pluripotent stem cells for brain disease modeling.

Paquet's research focuses on building advanced human tissue models to study neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and stroke. His lab combines CRISPR/Cas genome editing, induced pluripotent stem cell technology, brain cell differentiation, and tissue engineering to create physiologically relevant models that bridge the gap between traditional animal models and human pathophysiology. His work has significantly advanced the field of stem cell-based disease modeling and CRISPR editing techniques.

The most recent publications reveal a strong focus on complex 3D brain tissue models, neurovascular interactions, lysosomal dysfunction in neurodegeneration, and the development of standardized protocols for stem cell differentiation and CRISPR editing validation. His research increasingly incorporates multi-omics approaches and single-cell technologies to uncover disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.

• Helga-Steinlein Award, Alzheimer-Forschungs-Initiative 2025
• Sanofi iAward 2020
• NCL Foundation Neurodegeneration Award 2018
• Best poster award, The New York Stem Cell Foundation Innovators Retreat 2016
• Best talk award, The New York Stem Cell Foundation Innovators Retreat 2015

Paquet has successfully mentored numerous graduate students through the Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience, with current advisees including Merle Bublitz, Carolina Cardoso Goncalves, and Ishita Ajith. His lab has secured significant funding from the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), the Alzheimer's Association E2A program, Foundation Leducq, and the Brightfocus Foundation. Current projects include developing human iPSC-based brain tissue models for Alzheimer's disease, investigating molecular mechanisms in frontotemporal dementia with progranulin mutations, and studying the role of vasculature in brain diseases.

The Paquet Lab, located at the Center for Stroke and Dementia Research on the high-tech Grosshadern/Martinsried campus, comprises a multidisciplinary team of postdocs, graduate students, and technical staff. The lab maintains strong collaborations with Christian Haass at DZNE, Martin Dichgans at ISD, and international partners, creating a vibrant research environment focused on translating basic discoveries into therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative and neurovascular disorders.