Michael Sierks

Michael Sierks is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Arizona State University's School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy. His research focuses on antibody-based therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. He leads a team studying ligand/receptor interactions, catalytic antibodies, and enzyme mechanisms, with expertise in protein engineering and enzymology.

Education:

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University (1988)
• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Colorado State (1982)
• B.S. Chemical Engineering, Stanford University (1978)

Research Interests: His work addresses neurodegenerative disease mechanisms through antibody engineering, targeting protein aggregates like amyloid-beta and tau. Recent studies explore traumatic brain injury (TBI) biomarkers and sleep deprivation’s role in neurodegeneration. His lab develops nanobodies and DARPins for disease discrimination and therapeutic delivery.

Grants & Collaboration: Over 40 grants from NIH, DOD, and foundations (e.g., MJFF, BrightFocus). Key projects include Alzheimer's Consortium funding, TBI biomarker detection, and antibody-based imaging for synuclein aggregation.

Labs/Teams: The Sierks Group collaborates across disciplines (neuroscience, bioengineering) to advance diagnostics and therapies for protein misfolding diseases.