On February 25, 2026, the Institute of Neurogenetics at the University of Lübeck hosted an intensive two-day scientific meeting, bringing together researchers from partner institutions across Europe. Colleagues who were unable to attend in person joined the discussions virtually, highlighting the international scope of the collaboration.
The meeting was held in preparation for the submission of a proposal to the German Research Foundation (DFG) for a Collaborative Research Center (CRC) on reduced penetrance in hereditary brain disorders. The proposal is scheduled to be defended in June 2026.
Reduced penetrance—the phenomenon in which individuals carry a disease-causing genetic variant without developing symptoms—remains one of the central open questions in neurogenetics. Understanding this phenomenon is highly relevant to hereditary movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and may provide important foundations for more personalized approaches to prevention, counseling, and treatment.
Over the course of the meeting, researchers from molecular biology, neuroimaging, computational modeling, biostatistics, and medical ethics exchanged ideas and aligned the next steps of the collaborative effort. The breadth of expertise represented reflects both the complexity of the research questions and the commitment to addressing them through close interdisciplinary cooperation.
The initiative is led by Prof. Christine Klein, Director of the Institute of Neurogenetics and Schilling Professor of Neurogenetics and Neurology at the University of Lübeck, together with colleagues from partner institutions across Europe.
ProtectMove is pleased to support and highlight this important collaborative effort and looks forward to sharing further updates on the CRC proposal and related research activities.