Jiri Safar

Dr. Jiri Safar is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Department of Neurology at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. He holds dual appointments in both departments and is a member of the Cleveland Center for Membrane & Structural Biology. His research focuses on protein misfolding and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and prion diseases. Dr. Safar discovered novel prion forms, pioneered the Conformation-Dependent Immunoassay (CDI) and Conformational Stability Assay (CSA), and synthesized the first artificial human prion. He has 27 US and European patents, including methods for detecting misfolded proteins and devices for prion removal from fluids.

Education: MD from Charles University, Prague. Completed residency, chief residency, and PhD in Biochemistry. Served as a Research Fellow at NIH under D.C. Gajdusek and later as Senior Scientist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases under Stanley Prusiner.

Research Interests: Protein misfolding, prion replication, Alzheimer’s mechanisms, transgenic models, and structural studies of neuronal proteins. His lab investigates age-related neurodegeneration and develops advanced detection methods for prions and misfolded proteins.

Awards: NIH Merit Award (2005), recognized for groundbreaking work on prion conformation and folding intermediates. External roles include advisory boards for prion diseases globally, including WHO and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Lab Activities: The Safar Lab focuses on structural biology of neurodegenerative diseases, advanced detection techniques, and therapeutic strategies. Collaborations span departments like Neurology, Neuroscience, and Physiology & Biophysics. Offers a PhD program in neurodegenerative disease research, emphasizing translational medicine and molecular mechanisms.

Key Contributions: Over 130 peer-reviewed publications, including a highly cited Nature Medicine paper on prion strains. Current projects address prion-like strains in Alzheimer’s, tau protein interactions, and phenotypic diversity in neurodegenerative diseases.