Stefan Lichtenthaler

Prof. Dr. Stefan Lichtenthaler is a Full Professor of Neuroproteomics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) School of Medicine and Health, and serves as a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

His academic background includes:

• Chemistry studies at the Universities of Karlsruhe, Montpellier (France), and Heidelberg
• M.Sc. thesis at University of Heidelberg (1993-1994)
• PhD thesis with summa cum laude at University of Heidelberg (1994-1998)
• Postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at Harvard Medical School (1999-2002)

Prof. Lichtenthaler's research primarily investigates proteolytic processes in the brain, with special focus on proteases ADAM10 (alpha-secretase) and BACE1 (beta-secretase) and their roles in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. His lab studies how these "molecular scissors" function in healthy brains and contribute to neurodegeneration, with particular interest in how genetic risk factors expressed in microglia modulate proteolysis and inflammation in Alzheimer's disease. The group develops advanced proteomic methods including the hiSPECS technique for secretome analysis and cerebrospinal fluid proteomics using cutting-edge mass spectrometry platforms (Exploris 480 Orbitrap and timsTOF Pro).

Analysis of Prof. Lichtenthaler's recent publications reveals a strong focus on neuroproteomics and Alzheimer's disease mechanisms. His work spans fundamental biochemical investigations of protease functions to translational research developing biomarkers and therapeutic approaches. Key themes include proteolytic processing in neurodegeneration, microglial function in Alzheimer's disease, and the development of innovative proteomic methodologies for brain research.

His notable scientific awards include:

• Alzheimer Research Award of the Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation (2014)
• Emmy-Noether grant recipient from DFG (1999-2001)
• Dr. Sophie Bernthsen Prize recipient (1994)
• Invited guest professor at University Pavia, Italy (2015)

Prof. Lichtenthaler serves in numerous academic roles including as Speaker of the PhD program "Medical Life Science and Technology" (TUM-MLST) at TUM, editorial board member for Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Molecular Neurodegeneration, and FASEB Journal. He is actively involved in the academic community through memberships in the International Max Planck Research School for Life Science, the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Excellence Cluster SyNergy, and the DZNE tenure committee.

His laboratory at DZNE in Munich utilizes advanced proteomic approaches combined with molecular, cellular, and neurobiological techniques to study Alzheimer's disease mechanisms. The research group employs various experimental systems including mouse models, iPSC-derived human cells, primary murine cells, and cell lines to investigate protease functions and develop new diagnostic tools for evaluating patient responses to therapeutic interventions.