Frauke Ackermann

Dr. Frauke Ackermann serves as a Group Leader within the Career Development Fellow Programme at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Berlin, focusing on the synaptic protein Piccolo and its role in Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia type 3 (PCH3), a severe childhood neurodegenerative disorder.

Her primary research explores neurodegenerative mechanisms through synaptic biology and astrocyte-neuron interactions. Using Piccolo knockout rat models that replicate human PCH3 symptoms—including cerebellar/brainstem atrophy, motor defects, and seizures—her team investigates how synaptic protein dysfunction triggers neurodegeneration. Current work establishes human disease models via iPSCs and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to dissect pathological pathways.

Dr. Ackermann's laboratory employs primary cell cultures, advanced microscopy, and biochemical techniques to analyze the critical interplay between astrocytes, synapses, and Piccolo, aiming to identify therapeutic targets for PCH3 and related disorders.