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Our research focuses on the analysis of gene expression and epigenetic modifications in health and disease.
Particular interest is geared towards a better understanding of:
- the interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental influences in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases
- epigenetic modifications in ageing
- the potential of epigenetic signatures in diagnosing rare diseases and syndromes
News
Announcement: Kick-off Meeting of SPP2561 “Sex and Glia”
Sex-dependent mechanisms of neuroglial cell function in the context of health and disease
We are pleased to announce the kick-off meeting of the Priority Programme (SPP) “Sex and Glia”.
SPP2561 focuses on the question of how sex-dependent mechanisms influence the function of neuroglial cells and what significance these differences have for health and disease. The aim is to investigate sex-specific molecular and cellular mechanisms in neuroglia, bring together new scientific perspectives, and thereby contribute to a better understanding of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
The kick-off meeting will provide participating researchers with the opportunity to present their projects, discuss shared research questions, and lay the foundation for close interdisciplinary collaboration within the SPP.
The keynote lecture and the Mercator Fellow talks are open to the public and can also be followed online via MS Teams using this link.
Kick-off Meeting
SPP2561 “Sex and Glia” – Sex-dependent mechanisms of neuroglial cell function in the context of health and disease
When? September 29, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Where? Saarbrücken Campus, Building B2.1, Lecture Hall 0.02
New Priority Program: “SEXandGLIA: Sex-dependent mechanisms of neuroglial cell function in the context of health and disease”
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing eight new Priority Programs (SPP), which are due to start in 2026. The eight new collaborations, which were selected from 53 submitted initiatives, will initially receive a total of around 55 million euros for three years. In addition, there will be a program allowance of 22 percent for indirect project expenses.
Prof. Schulze-Hentrich's research group will lead one of the new SPP consortia, which will investigate gender-dependent mechanisms of cell functions in the nervous system over a period of 6 years.
Further information can be found on the UdS news page and the SPP2561 web site.
Center for Gender-specific Biology and Medicine (CGBM)
Project: Integrative analysis of gender-specific epigenetic alterations in Parkinson´s disease
It becomes more and more evident that biological sex influences Parkinson's symptoms. While the risk of developing Parkinson's disease is twice as high in men as in women, women have a higher mortality rate and a faster progression of the disease. As the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are still largely unclear, a better understanding is needed to potentially open up new avenues for pharmacological intervention. Here, the epigenome is of particular interest, as sexually dimorphic changes are in part a consequence of underlying differences in gene regulation and epigenetic control. To better understand this regulation, our group became part of the Center for Gender-specific Biology and Medicine (CGBM) and will perfom an integrated analysis of disease-related sex differences in epigenome and transcriptome data from the brain and blood of Parkinson's patients compared to healthy controls. The focus is on changes in only one sex (sex-specific) as well as on changes in both sexes in the opposite direction (sex-dimorphic changes). Further integrated pathway and network analyses will be used to identify coordinated sex-dependent changes. Please find further information here.