Research

Principal investigators of the Cologne Graduate School of Ageing Research (CGA) are internationally recognized scientists known for their cutting edge research into diverse topics including genetic determinants of longevity, protein quality control, DNA damage and repair, mitochondria regulation, immunosenescence and inflammation, stem cell and tissue maintenance, organellar and cellular architecture, endocrine control of metabolism, as well as their research into age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes, obesity, kidney dysfunction. Close links between the research groups foster interdisciplinary collaboration and promote the development of novel research approaches.

The laboratories use diverse model systems - from bacteria, yeast, worms, and flies, to fish, mice, cultured cells, and human clinical samples - to delve into basic mechanistic questions. Core facilities provide on-campus platforms for performing genomics, proteomics, lipidomics, imaging, cell sorting, metabolic profiling and phenotyping.

A list of available laboratories for the current call can be found here.

* Most principal investigators own multiple affiliations, only the main affiliations of the CGA partner institutes being mentioned here. Further affiliations can be found e.g. here.

Principal Investigators and their Research Areas *

Prof. Dr. Adam Antebi

Director MPI for Biology of Ageing
Molecular Genetics of Ageing
Antebi Lab

Prof. Dr. Thomas Benzing

CECAD Principal Investigator
Kidney Research
Nephrolab

Prof. Dr. Matteo Bergami

CECAD Principal Investigator
Mechanisms of Neuronal De- and Regeneration
Bergami Lab

Prof. Dr. Andreas Beyer

CECAD Principal Investigator
Cellular Networks and Systems Biology
Beyer Lab

Prof. Dr. Jens Brüning

Director of MPI for Metabolism Research
Neuronal Control of Metabolism and Ageing
Brüning Lab

PROF. DR. Filipe Cabreiro

CECAD Principal Investigator
Microbiome and Ageing
Cabreiro Lab

Prof. Dr. Oliver Cornely

CECAD Principal Investigator and Leader Translational Platform
Translation of clinical research findings into practical applications
Cornely Lab

Dr. Mauro Corrado

CECAD Principal Investigator
Study of cardiolipin synthesis and remodelling in immunity and inflammation
Corrado Lab

Dr. Joris Deelen

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Genetics and Biomarkers of Human Ageing
Deelen Lab

Dr. Constantinos Demetriades

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Cell Growth control in Health and age-related Disease
Demetriades Lab

Dr. Martin Denzel

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Metabolic and Genetic Regulation of Ageing
Denzel Lab

Prof. Dr. Irina Dudanova

CECAD Principal Investigator
Molecular Neurodegeneration
Dudanova Lab

Dr. Mafalda Escobar-Henriques

CECAD Principal Investigator
Mitochondrial Dynamics in Health and Disease
Escobar Lab

Dr. Henning Fenselau

MPI for Metabolism Research Principal Investigator
Synaptic Transmission in Energy Homeostasis
Fenselau Lab

Dr. Zak Frentz

MPI for Biology of Ageing
Systems Biology of Ageing
Frentz lab

Prof. Dr. Christian Frezza

CECAD Principal Investigator
Cancer Metabolism
Frezza lab

Prof. Dr. Ana J. Garcia-Saéz

CECAD Principal Investigator
Membrane Biophysics
Garcia-Saéz Lab

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Hoppe

CECAD Principal Investigator
Proteostasis in Development and Ageing
Hoppe Lab

Dr. Ina Huppertz

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
RNA-Binding Proteins in Metabolism and Ageing
Huppertz Lab

Dr. Ron Jachimowicz

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Mechanisms of DNA Repair
Jachimowicz Lab

Dr. Christina Ising

CECAD Principal Investigator
Inflammation and cell death in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies
Ising Lab

Prof. Dr. Peter Kloppenburg

CECAD Principal Investigator
Analysis of Biophysical Parameters and Cellular Mechanisms Controlling Energy Homeostasis
Kloppenburg Lab

Prof. Dr. Tatiana Korotkova

CECAD Principal Investigator
Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour
Korotkova Lab

Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer

Director MPI for Biology of Ageing
Mitochondrial Proteostasis
Langer Lab

Dr. Ivan Matic

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Proteomics of posttranslational Modifications
Matic Lab

Prof. Dr. Roman-Ulrich Müller

CECAD Principal Investigator
RNA-Biology in renal Damage and Cancer
Müller Lab

Prof. Dr. Carien Niessen

CECAD Scientific Coordinator and Principal Investigator
Cell Architecture in Tissue Homeostasis, Ageing and Disease
Niessen Lab

Dr. Stephanie Panier

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Genome Instability and Ageing
Panier Lab

Prof. Manolis Pasparakis

CECAD Principal Investigator
Cell Death and Inflammation in Tissue Homeostasis and Disease
Pasparakis Lab

Dr. Lena Pernas

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Metabolism of Infection
Pernas Lab

Dr. Jane Reznick

CECAD Principal Investigator
Metabolic adaptation in health and disease
Reznick Lab

Prof. Dr. Elena Rugarli

CECAD Principal Investigator
Pathogenic Mechanisms of Axonal Degeneration
Rugarli Lab

Prof. Dr. Björn Schumacher

CECAD Principal Investigator
DNA Damage and Ageing
Schumacher Lab

Prof. Dr. Anne Schaefer

Director MPI for Biology of Ageing
Neurobiology of Ageing
Schaefer lab

Dr. Hannah Scheiblich

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Neuroimmunology of Ageing
Scheiblich Lab

Dr. Hans-Georg Sprenger

MPI for Biology of Ageing Principal Investigator
Molecular Metabolism & Energy Homeostasis
Sprenger Lab

Dr. Alessandra Stangherlin

CECAD Principal Investigator
Circadian Rhythms and Ion Homeostasis
Stangherlin Lab

Dr. Sophie Steculorum

MPI for Metabolism Research Principal Investigator
Neuronal Control of Brain Metabolism
Steculorum Lab

Dr. Lukas Steuernagel

MPI for Metabolism Research Principal Investigator
Neurogenomics
Steuernagel Lab

Dr. Gilles Storelli

CECAD Principal Investigator
Stress Signalism and Metabolism
Storelli Lab 

Prof. Dr. Marc Tittgemeyer

MPI for Metabolism Research Principal Investigator
Neuronal Control of Metabolism, Human Neuroimaging, Translational & Computational Neuroscience
Tittgemeyer Lab

Prof. Dr. Achim Tresch

CECAD Principal Investigator
RNA metabolism, Epigenomics
Tresch Lab

Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Trifunovic

CECAD Principal Investigator
Understanding the Role of mitochondrial (Dys)Function in the Determination of Longevity
Trifunovic Lab

Prof. Dr. Mirka Uhlirova

CECAD Principal Investigator
Stress Signalling Development and Disease
Uhlirova Lab

Prof. Dr. David Vilchez

CECAD Principal Investigator
Proteostasis of Ageing and Stem Cells
Vilchez Lab

Prof. Dr. Silvia von Karstedt

CECAD Principal Investigator
Cell Death and Cancer Evolution
von Karstedt Lab

Prof. Dr. Henning Walczak

CECAD Principal Investigator
Cell Death and Inflammation
Walczak Lab

PD Dr. Thomas Wunderlich

MPI for Metabolism Research Principal Investigator
Mouse Genetics and Obesity-associated Cancer
Wunderlich Lab

Dr. Gabriele Zaffagnini

CECAD Principal Investigator
Protein Homeostasis during Female Reproduction and Reproductive Ageing