Dieter Willbold, PhD
Primary tabs
JAD profile
Affiliation(s):
Heinrich Heine University; Forschungszentrum Jülich
Lab URL:
Biography & Research:
Dieter Willbold studied biochemistry in Tübingen (Germany), Bayreuth (Germany) and Boulder (Colorado, USA). He completed his PhD in 1994 at the University of Bayreuth. After some more years in Bayreuth and a couple of research visits, e.g. at the Sackler School of Medicine of the Tel-Aviv University, he headed a junior research group at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology in Jena. In 2001 Willbold became an associate Professor at the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf. Since 2004, he is full professor at the Institute of Physical Biology in Düsseldorf and director of the Institute of Complex Systems in the Research Centre Jülich.
Research: The function of each cell and each organism decisively depends on the dynamic interactions between biological macromolecules and on their correct three-dimensional structure. Faulty interaction and incorrectly folded structures eventually lead to diseases and ageing. Our aim is to understand these interactions and to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein complexes involved in decisive cellular processes - if possible, in atomic resolution. Beyond that, we develop novel methods for the early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, with a strong focus on Alzheimer's dementia.
