Lena Burbulla

Prof. Dr. Lena Burbulla is a group leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich, focusing on molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and rare neurodegenerative disorders like NBIA. Her work leverages human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model pathogenic cascades involving dopamine metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, and lysosomal impairment.

• Current affiliation: DZNE Munich
• Research focus: Dopamine neurotoxicity in PD/BPAN
• Methodology: iPSC-based human neuronal models

Her research has revealed critical species-specific differences in dopamine metabolism between human and mouse models, highlighting the importance of human-based systems for therapeutic discovery. She investigates both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms, particularly neuron-glia interactions in disease progression.

Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on dopamine metabolite toxicity, lysosomal enzyme regulation, and iron homeostasis. Translational studies have explored small molecule modulators and drug repurposing strategies to mitigate alpha-synuclein accumulation and oxidative damage.