Thomas Korn

Prof. Thomas Korn is a leading neuroimmunologist at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), serving as Professor of Neuroimmunology and Director of the Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology. He holds a Heisenberg Professorship and has appointments in the TUM School of Medicine and Health. His research focuses on understanding immune cell behavior in the central nervous system, particularly CD4+ T helper cells in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO).

• Affiliations: Institute for Experimental Neuroimmunology, Neurological Clinic at Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM School of Medicine and Health
• Education: Medicine studies at Universities of Würzburg and London; specialist training in neurology at Würzburg and Saarland University
• Awards: Sobek Prize (2023), ERC Consolidator Grant (2015), Heinrich Pette Prize (2010)

Research interests include molecular mechanisms of T cell differentiation, B cell regulation of autoimmunity, and neuroinflammation. Key projects include investigating B cell-mediated tolerance in NMO, Th17 cell plasticity, and the role of IL-24 in inflammation. His work bridges basic science and clinical translation, with recent grants including an ERC Advanced Grant for B cell research and leadership in the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 355 on regulatory T cells.

Prof. Korn’s lab collaborates widely, contributing to initiatives like the Hertie Network of Excellence for Clinical Neuroscience and the Excellence Cluster Systems Neurology (SyNergy). He has pioneered optical imaging techniques for disease monitoring and explores retinal biomarkers in MS progression.