Reinhard Fässler

Reinhard Fässler serves as Director and Professor at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (Martinsried, Germany), heading the Department of Molecular Medicine. His research focuses on integrins—transmembrane proteins critical for cell adhesion, migration, and signaling—and their roles in development, disease, and therapeutic applications.

Fässler's work explores integrin functions in cell biology and molecular mechanisms underlying processes like blood clotting, cancer metastasis, and wound healing. Using genetic mouse models, his team has identified key integrin-related pathways in organogenesis and diseases such as Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (LAD) type III, where defective integrin activation causes immune dysfunction and bleeding.

Leading the Department of Molecular Medicine, Fässler directs a research group that investigates integrin signaling mechanisms to inform future treatments for adhesion-related disorders. The team combines advanced genetic, biochemical, and imaging approaches to dissect integrin dynamics in health and disease.