Martin Dichgans

Prof. Martin Dichgans is Director and Chairman of the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) Munich and Klinikum der Universität München. A leading figure in stroke genetics and vascular neurology, he has pioneered research on cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative mechanisms in stroke.

Research Focus:

• Genetic and molecular mechanisms of SVD (e.g., HTRA1, COL4A1, FOXF2)
• Role of HDAC9 in atherogenesis and vascular inflammation
• Translational approaches combining human studies, genome editing, and mouse models
• Development of biomarkers for stroke risk and outcomes

Recent Publication Themes include genetic risk scores for stroke, neuroimaging standards for SVD, inflammatory pathways in atherosclerosis, and vascular contributions to dementia. His work spans genomics, proteomics, and clinical trials (e.g., TREAT-SVDs).

Awards & Leadership: President of the European Stroke Organisation (2020–present) and German Stroke Society (2016–2020), Coordinator of the Leducq Trans-Atlantic Network of Excellence, and key role in major international consortia (METASTROKE, MEGASTROKE).

Training & Collaboration: Mentors PhD/MD students and postdocs in projects spanning bioinformatics, lab mechanistic studies, and clinical research. Leads interdisciplinary teams in projects like SyNergy (DFG Cluster of Excellence) and ImmunoStroke (DFG Collaborative Research Centre).