About us

Dementia generally refers to the loss of mental (cognitive) abilities. Various higher cognitive functions such as memory, thinking, orientation and language are affected, accompanied or followed by changes in emotional and social behavior of patients. Here, deficits can here be so pronounced that they impair the activities of daily living. In advanced stages, difficulties coping with everyday problems lead to a loss of independence and the need for care.

Dementia-type illnesses are among the most frequent diseases in advanced age. According to the German Alzheimer’s Society, currently almost one million people (65 years and older) suffer from dementia in Germany. There are several forms of dementia. The most frequent and best known is Alzheimer’s dementia. The causes of dementia diseases are complex and not yet fully understood. Depending on the type of dementia, neurodegenerative (here meaning progressive nerve cell loss) changes in the brain are the main problem, but the importance of environmental influences is also attracting increasing attention. At present there are not yet any recognized “disease-preventing” therapies. So far, treatment is oriented toward delaying cognitive decline and maintaining an independent lifestyle for as long as possible.

Ischaemic stroke is the result of a sudden circulatory disorder in the brain. The nerve cells in the brain do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, causing them to die off. These circulatory disorders can be due to various causes (e.g. narrowed blood vessels, blood clots etc.). Typical symptoms are the sudden occurrence of impaired vision, paralyses, speech impairments or dizziness. With approx. 200,000 new cases a year in Germany, stroke is a serious, widespread disease which often leaves disabilities in its wake. The risk of stroke increases substantially with age. Nevertheless, every second stroke patient is still of working age and even younger people can be affected. It is estimated that around 5% of all stroke patients are younger than 40. In order to be able to help patients as effectively as possible, studies need to be carried out on acute treatment, rehabilitation and prevention.

Many control genes are involved in the development of the brain and these must be switched on and off at the right time so that the nerve cells find the right connections (synapses) with each other. A dysfunction of such genes can lead to epilepsies, autism or mental disability. In addition to this, other genes are important for the maturation (myelination) of the central and peripheral pathways. If genes that play an important role in this are disrupted, the patients often suffer from muscle weakness, muscle atrophy or impairments in balancing and walking (ataxia). All of the diseases named above are rare and occur in the population with a frequency below of one in every two-thousand people. With the techniques for reading genetic information (sequencing) there has been increasing success in the tracing of the genetic causes of such diseases and the understanding of the mechanisms by which the diseases arise. This understanding provides the vital pre-condition for developing cause-based treatments. Furthermore, the discovery of a genetic defect makes it possible to give genetic counseling to families with effected children and to offer pre-natal testing if there is a continued wish to have children.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nerve system. Its course and symptoms can vary greatly from patient to patient. It is often called encephalomyelitis disseminata by doctors, which means in translation: an inflammation occurring with scattered distribution in the brain and spinal marrow. The brain acts as a kind of control room, in which signals are sent to the body via the spinal cord or received from there. These signals are sent along various nerve fibers, which - like electrical cabling - are surrounded by a protective layer. If a focus of inflammation arises in the area of this protective layer, the signals can no longer be transferred so effectively. Because these focuses of inflammation can occur anywhere in the nervous system, MS can cause many different neurological symptoms. MS-sufferers can for example feel tingling sensations or numbness, or have paralyses or disturbances of equilibrium, stumble more frequently or develop difficulties with their vision. MS can take very different courses. Mostly, almost all symptoms fade away again, either completely or largely. The disease can also take courses, however, in which increasing and permanent impairments occur. MS is not yet curable, but its course and symptoms can be favorably influenced by various treatments and measures.

The WG for Cerebrovascular Diseases under the direction of Prof. Dr. Andreas Meisel focuses upon researching stroke-induced immune depression. This is above all a matter of investigating immunological mechanisms that lead to infections after a stroke and their significance for the nervous system. On the basis of fundamental research projects, new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to stroke treatment are developed in clinical studies. The improvement of the care of stroke patients through new care-provision structures and care-provision research is the main aim of the Berlin Stroke Alliance, a network of Berlin stroke-care providers. 

Leader: Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Meisel
Andreas Meisel is the Professor for Neurology at NeuroCure Clinical Research Center (NCRC) and at the Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CBS) at the Charité. He studied medicine in Berlin and was an EMBO fellow at the Biozentrum in Basel (Switzerland). Andreas Meisel has been employed at the Charité since 1995 and has been a specialist for neurology since 2003. He is senior physician of the neurological intensive care unit with stroke unit of the Clinic for Neurology at the Campus Mitte and Director of the Myasthenia Outpatient Clinic. The focuses of his research are systemic changes in immunity after strokes and protective mechanisms of the nervous system produced naturally in the body (endogenous). Since 2008 he has been directing the Working Group for Cerebrovascular Diseases at the NeuroCure Clinical Research Center. Andreas Meisel translates his fundamental research findings into clinical studies on infections after strokes, on immune modulation and the protection of nerve cells. 

Contact
Tel: +49 (0)30 450 660 026
Fax: +49 (0)30 450 539 913
E-Mail: andreas.meisel@charite.de

in cooperation with:

• Clinic for Neurology (Director Prof. Dr. M. Endres)
• Center for Stroke Research Berlin CSB 
• Berliner Stroke Alliance BSA 

The WG for Clinical Neuroimmunology under the direction of Prof. Dr. Friedemann Paul researches primarily into inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, such as e.g. multiple sclerosis (MS). In this task, it carries out numerous studies on the improvement, diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis. The focuses as regards content here lie upon the development of so-called neuroprotective (protecting nerve cells) treatment approaches and the establishing of modern examination processes, such as MRT (magnetic resonance tomography), duplex sonography (ultrasound examination) and OCT (optical coherence tomography).

Leader: Prof. Dr. med. Friedemann Paul
Since 2008, Friedemann Paul has been Head of the Working Group for Clinical Neuroimmunology at the NeuroCure Clinical Research Center at the Charité. He studied medicine in Berlin and has been a specialist for neurology since 2003. Friedemann Paul has been working at the Charité as senior physician since 2004. Since 2010, he has been directing the College Outpatient Clinic for Neuroimmunology at the Berlin Buch site. As the Director of the Working Group for Clinical Neuroimmunology, he works closely together with fundamental researchers , neurologists and neuro-imaging researchers in the conducting of clinical studies. This is on the one hand a matter of improving the diagnosis of neuroimmunological diseases and on the other hand of investigating new therapeutic strategies for diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

in cooperation with:

• Clinic for Neurology (Director Prof. Dr. M. Endres)
• Outpatient Teaching Clinic for Neuroimmunology of the Experimental and Clinical Research Center Berlin (ECRC)
• WG Experimental Neuroimmunology at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center Berlin

The Working Group for Cognition, Aging and Neurorehabilitation under the direction of Prof. Dr. Agnes Flöel focuses on the topics of healthy aging, cognitive impairments in aging, neurorehabilitation following stroke, and vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia. To this end, learning processes in healthy aging or stroke-damaged brain are being investigated (for example, through behavior measurements or MR-based imaging). Building on this, interventional techniques for learning improvement are being developed, especially in the area of language and motor skill recovery following stroke, and in neurodegenerative diseases. This includes learning support through medication, electrical brain stimulation and lifestyle interventions such as physical activity or dietary approaches. In this context, the interaction between response to interventional techniques and genetic disposition is also being investigated.

Leader: Prof. Dr. med. Agnes Flöel
Agnes Flöel is a Professor for Neurology at the Charité. She studied medicine at the University of Hannover. Following clinical work at the university hospital of Münster, she spent two years doing research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland (USA), after which she returned to Münster. In 2009, Agnes Flöel accepted a professorship in “Pathophysiology of Cerebrovascular Diseases” at the Charité. Here, she also works as a senior physician in the Department of Neurology on the Charité Campus Mitte. In addition, since 2009 she has been a member of the Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure and Center for Stroke Research Berlin.  Her research focuses on diseases associated with aging, such as dementia and stroke, as well as the functional and structural imaging of higher cognitive functions such as language and memory in healthy volunteers and patients.

Since 2009 she has headed the Working Group for Cognition, Aging and Neurorehabilitation at the Department of Neurology. As of 2013 her group is also part of the NeuroCure Clinical Research Center.

Contact

in cooperation with:

• Department of Neurology (Director Prof. Dr. M. Endres)
• Center for Stroke Research Berlin CSB
• Berlin School of Mind & Brain 

The Working Group for Developmental Disorders of the Nervous System under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Markus Schülke-Gerstenfeld-Gerstenfeld  is occupied with the researching of genetic causes of congenital developmental disorders of the nervous system. These include various forms of epilepsy and also diseases of the mitochondria (power stations of the cells), the nerves (neuropathies) and the muscles (myopathies). Our aim is to uncover new pathomechanisms and to use this knowledge to develop treatment methods. To achieve this, we aim for close links, cooperation and efficient channels of communication between patient care, clinical research and laboratory work.

Leader: Prof. Dr. med. Markus Schülke-Gerstenfeld
Markus Schülke-Gerstenfeld is the Professor for Experimental Neuropediatrics at the Charité. He undertook his medical studies at Homburg (Saar), Berlin, Dublin and Hong Kong. After clinical activities at the University Children's Clinic Cologne, in Allahabad (India) and a visiting research fellowship at the Nijmegen Center for Mitochondrial Disorders (Netherlands), Markus Schülke-Gerstenfeld started his work at the Charité in 1995. Since 1999 he has been a specialist for pediatrics (additional designation "neuropediatrics" since 2007) and as senior physician at the Clinic for Pediatrics with special focus neurology at the Charité Campus Virchow. In his work, Professor Schülke-Gerstenfeld combines medical expertise with biochemical and molecular genetic research. The focus of his research interest is mainly upon genetically caused childhood diseases, especially developmental disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system and neuromuscular diseases.

Contact:
Tel: +49 (0)30 450 566 468
Fax: +49 (0)30 450 539 935
E-Mail: markus.schuelke@charite.de

in cooperation with:

• Clinic for Pediatrics Specializing in Neurology (Director Prof. Dr. C. Hübner)
• Collaborative Research Center 665 "Developmental Disturbance in the Nervous System“ of the DFG
• Clinic Research Group 192 "Muscle Diseases“ of the DFG
• mitoNet, Network for Rare Diseases of the BMBF for the Researching of Mitochondrial Diseases
• satNET, Network for Research into the Regenerative Potential of Muscle Stem Cells
• MyoGrad, French-German Graduate Program for Myology

The NCRC office is responsible for the central administration of the clinical research center and for the coordination of studies. 

Contact
Dipl. Psych. Stephanie Ohlraun (administrative management)
Tel: + 49 (0)30 450 639 721
Fax: + 49 (0)30 450 539 921
E-Mail: stephanie.ohlraun@charite.de

Dr. Claudia Blum (quality management | assistant administrative management)
Tel: + 49 (0)30 450 639 728
Fax: + 49 (0)30 450 539 921
E-Mail: claudia.blum@charite.de

Heidi Schimke (assistant quality management)
Tel: + 49 (0)30 450 539 728
Fax: + 49 (0)30 450 539 921
E-Mail: heidi.schimke@charite.de

Marret Heinold (office manager)
Tel: + 49 (0)30 450 539 720
Fax: + 49 (0)30 450 539 921
E-Mail: marret.heinold@charite.de

General Inquiries Concerning Studies:
Tel: + 49 (0)30 450 639 057
E-Mail: ncrc@charite.de