Magdalena Götz Awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit

The internationally renowned neurobiologist Prof. Magdalena Götz has made pioneering discoveries on the regeneration of brain cells and the reprogramming of glial cells into functional nerve cells. Glial cells, previously thought to be purely supportive cells, play an unexpected role as neural stem cells during brain development - a discovery made by Ms. Götz. They lose this ability in the adult brain. In the next groundbreaking step, however, Götz and her team succeeded in converting these cells into neurons after a brain injury. This works when regulatory proteins from the developing brain are introduced into the glial cells. Her research results open promising prospects for new therapeutic approaches and the treatment of brain injuries or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which are characterized by the progressive loss of nerve cells.