Professor Christian Haass is a world-renowned authority in the field of neurodegenerative diseases and molecular mechanisms of brain disorders. He currently holds the position of Professor of Metabolic Biochemistry at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and serves as Speaker of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Munich, leading one of Europe's premier research initiatives in this critical field. Born in Mannheim on December 19, 1960, Haass established his independent research career after returning to Germany, initially serving as C3-Professor for Molecular Biology at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim from 1995 to 1999. In 1999, he was appointed to the Chair of Metabolic Biochemistry at LMU Munich, succeeding Martin Klingenberg at the Adolf-Butenandt Institute of the Medical Faculty, where he has since built an internationally recognized research program.
Professor Haass has made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, fundamentally transforming how scientists approach these devastating conditions. Together with his interdisciplinary team, he has elucidated critical molecular pathways involved in Alzheimer's pathogenesis and identified key therapeutic targets that have informed the development of realistic treatment strategies. His laboratory employs innovative approaches including zebrafish models with specialized aquaria facilities and transgenic mouse models to investigate the molecular mechanisms of both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases at unprecedented resolution. This foundational work has provided essential insights that have directly shaped the current landscape of neurodegenerative disease research and therapeutic development worldwide.
As Speaker of the Munich Excellence Cluster System Neurology, Haass plays a pivotal role in shaping the research agenda for neurodegenerative disease studies across Germany and beyond. He is an elected member of several prestigious scientific organizations including the Leopoldina, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), and the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, reflecting his standing as a leader in biomedical research. Among his numerous accolades are the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation, the Brain Prize, and the Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. Since 2018, Haass has been recognized as one of the world's most highly cited researchers, demonstrating the profound and lasting impact of his work on the scientific community's understanding and approach to combating neurodegenerative disorders.
