German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)

There are currently more than 1.4 Million people living with dementia in Germany; two thirds of them have Alzheimer’s Disease. Almost 300,000 new patients are diagnosed each year. Dementia is very difficult to research, because not all dementias look the same. The DZNE is the only research institute in Germany dedicated to dementia and all its facets. A member of the Helmholtz Association and the first of six German centers for health research (DZG), the DZNE was established by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to combat the most important widespread disease.

More than 600 employees in more than 70 research groups are investigating the similarities and differences of various brain diseases. The aim is to develop new preventive and therapeutic approaches. At DZNE fundamental research is closely related to clinical research, population studies and health care research. The goal is to identify new diagnostic markers and rapidly develop possible new therapies. To accomplish this, the DZNE brings together excellent scientific expertise all over Germany and follows an interdisciplinary research approach. At nine sites including: Berlin, Bonn, Dresden, Göttingen, Magdeburg, Munich, Rostock / Greifswald, Tübingen and Witten the DZNE works closely with universities, university hospitals and other partners.

The DZNE receives 90 percent of its funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent from the respective federal states containing DZNE sites.