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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
Lecture at the SFB 1665 “Sexdiversity” at the University of Lübeck
As part of the Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) of the Collaborative Research Center 1665 “Sex Diversity,” Prof. Dr. Julia Schulze-Hentrich gave a lecture on May 7, 2026, titled “Sex Differences in Astrocytes and Oligodendrocytes in the Context of Parkinson’s Disease.”
She discussed in detail how genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors can contribute to the onset and progression of diseases in sex-specific ways. Based on research conducted in collaboration with the DIGPD study group, she presented findings demonstrating a stronger association between DNA methylation in the blood and Parkinson’s disease in women than in men. She also presented her work on sex-specific changes in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, which she investigated using transgenic animal models and human post mortem tissues at various stages of the disease. In doing so, she provided valuable insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that may underlie sex-specific differences in neurodegeneration.
Prof. Schulze-Hentrich expressed her gratitude for the excellent organization and the wonderful opportunity to present at the Distinguished Lecture Series.
Further information and a link to the lecture can be found here.
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.