Dragomir Milovanovic

Dr. Dragomir Milovanovic is a Researcher and Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Berlin, with laboratory space at Charitéplatz 1/Virchowweg 6. His research focuses on understanding the spatial organization of organelles and macromolecules within the crowded environment of neuronal cytosol, particularly at nerve terminals.

Dr. Milovanovic's research interests center on intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) and biomolecular condensates in neuronal function and disease. His lab investigates how proteins with IDRs balance solubility with spatial patterning in nerve terminals, with particular focus on synapsin 1's role in forming liquid phases that sequester synaptic vesicles. This work has direct implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, and Frontotemporal Dementia, where proteins with IDRs form pathological aggregates.

His recent publications reveal groundbreaking discoveries about condensate biology, including electric potential at condensate interfaces, single-molecule dynamics of synapsin-1, and novel paradigms for condensate-membrane interactions. These findings establish phase separation as a fundamental mechanism in synaptic function and neurodegenerative disease pathology.

Dr. Milovanovic founded the MemPhaseClinic (MPC) think-tank to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across biochemistry, physics, engineering, and medicine for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative diseases. The MPC organizes regular seminars featuring leading researchers from institutions worldwide including Harvard Medical School, Duke University, and the University of Tokyo.