Member Labs
Meet the researchers and labs driving progress in Parkinson’s disease.
This page features members of our PD Club, including their affiliations, areas of focus, and links to their lab websites. Together, we foster collaboration, share knowledge, and support innovation in Parkinson’s research.
PD Research Community
Hallacli Lab
Max Perutz Labs
Parkinson’s disease involves toxic aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein in neurons. Recent findings identify cytosolic RNA granules known as Processing bodies as a novel pathway in this toxicity. The work will examine how P-bodies function in healthy and diseased neurons, how they interact with lipid membranes through alpha-synuclein, and how alpha-synuclein alters other RNA metabolism pathways.
Steinkellner Lab
MedUni Wien
The lab investigates cellular determinants of selective neuronal vulnerability and resistance in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, with the aim of identifying therapeutic targets. It examines how psychostimulants modulate synaptic transmission and reconfigure neural circuits underlying addiction, and develops genetic tools to visualise neuronal perturbations during degeneration or following drug exposure.
Milenkovic Lab
MedUni Wien
The research focuses on the biochemical mechanisms underlying neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonian syndromes, and ataxias, with an emphasis on understanding why protein misfolding occurs in the human brain and how this process contributes to disease development.
Gelpi Lab
MedUni Wien
The research addresses the neuropathological substrate of neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on identifying early tissue alterations at the cellular level, tracing the propagation of pathology, and uncovering the molecular basis of neurodegeneration, while contributing to biomarker development. It also serves as the Austrian Reference Center for the detection and documentation of human prion diseases on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection.
Zimprich Lab
MedUni Wien
Research focuses on identifying genetic susceptibility factors for neurological diseases, with particular emphasis on Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Although both disorders have a significant genetic component and numerous susceptibility factors have been identified over the past 15 years, these loci do not fully account for the observed heritability. Current work involves next-generation exome sequencing in familial cases of Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis to identify highly penetrant genes.
Knoblich Lab
IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
The Knoblich lab investigates the formation of the human brain during embryonic development, combining studies in the simple brain of Drosophila with three-dimensional human cerebral organoids. This approach enables the translation of basic developmental principles from model organisms to human systems and allows the recreation of neurodevelopment in vitro. Using the organoid system, the lab examines the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders such as microcephaly and severe neuropsychiatric conditions including epilepsy and autism.
Martens Group
MedUni Wien
The lab focuses on the cellular process of autophagy, in which damaged or harmful material is enclosed within autophagosomes and degraded after fusion with lysosomes. The work investigates how autophagosomes form de novo around their cargo, a key but not yet fully understood step in the pathway. Autophagy targets protein aggregates, organelles, and invading pathogens, and defects in this process are linked to diseases including neurodegeneration, cancer, and persistent infections.
Tan Lab
BOKU Wien
The focus is on alternative methods for treating human diseases and disabilities through three main projects: developing personalised artificial cells for membrane studies and therapeutic applications, creating personalised cytoplasts to rescue or enhance cell function under pathological conditions, and designing artificial decoy cells for targeted drug delivery and interference with pathogens.