Nils Brose

Professor Nils Brose, Dr. rer. nat., is an internationally recognised neuroscientist and molecular biologist whose research has significantly advanced understanding of how nerve cells form connections and transmit information in the vertebrate central nervous system. After completing his doctoral studies in biochemistry and molecular biology at Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, he conducted postdoctoral training with leading scientists in the United States before returning to Germany, where he established a distinguished research programme.
Since 2001, Professor Brose has served as Director of the Department of Molecular Neurobiology at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, one of the leading basic research centres in Europe. His laboratory investigates the molecular machinery that governs synapse formation, maintenance, and function, with a particular focus on the regulatory proteins that control neuronal connectivity and neurotransmitter release.
Professor Brose’s work integrates biochemical, genetic, physiological, and behavioral methods to elucidate fundamental processes underlying neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity. His group has made seminal contributions in identifying how synaptic cell-adhesion proteins and presynaptic active-zone components modulate synaptic strength and organization—insights that are foundational for understanding learning, memory, and neural circuit dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders.
His publications span high-impact journals in neuroscience and molecular biology, and his research continues to influence both basic science and translational investigations into the mechanisms of brain development and disease.