
Overview
Background
Professor Jürgen Götz (PhD, Dr. habil, FAHMS, GAICD) is Foundation Chair of Dementia Research, Director of the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research at the Queensland Brain Institute (University of Queensland), NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Ultrasound Team Leader. In 2023 he became the Lesleigh Green - Bill and Nancy Green Endowed Chair in Dementia Research. Jürgen Götz performed undergraduate studies at the Biocenter of the University of Basel, before joining the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Georges Köhler to obtain his PhD degree in immunology. Subsequently, he took up postdoctoral positions at UCSF (San Francisco) and Sandoz Ltd (now Novartis, Basel), and worked as Research Group Leader (venia legendi, Dr. habil.) at the University of Zurich (Switzerland). Before taking up his current position, Jürgen Götz was a Professor and Chair of Molecular Biology at the University of Sydney.
Jürgen Götz is a highly cited researcher (Clarivate) and an expert in basic and translational research in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), focusing on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of how Tau and Aβ cause neurodegeneration, using transgenic and cellular models, and exploring low-intensity ultrasound as a novel treatment modality for AD and other brain diseases (>220 publications, including in leading journals such as Science, Cell, Lancet and Neuron; h-index = 86, 27,800+ citations, Google Scholar). Jürgen Götz and his team have built a clinical trial-ready therapeutic ultrasound device and started a first-in-human safety trial in 12 Alzheimer patients (April 2023).
Availability
- Professor Jurgen Götz is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg
Research interests
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Alzheimer's disease
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Transgenic modelling and pathomechanisms
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Therapeutic ultrasound as a drug delivery tool
Research impacts
Lesleigh Green - Bill and Nancy Green Endowed Chair in Dementia Research (2023-); Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) (2021); Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science (FAHMS) (2016); Foundation Chair of Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), University of Queensland (2012-).
I am an internationally renowned expert in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I generated the first tau transgenic mouse model with an early AD phenotype (EMBO J 1995). Together with Dr. Hutton, I published the first mouse model with NFT formation (JBC 2001a). I provided long-sought evidence for the amyloid cascade hypothesis by combining a transgenic and a transplantation approach (Science 2001). This highly cited work was accompanied by an Editorial in the same issue of Science, and selected as Milestone Paper by Alzforum (alzforum.org). I demonstrated a role for FGF5 in the hair growth cycle (Cell 1994), worked on prions (Cell 1998), and showed that the catalytic subunit of PP2A is essential for development (PNAS 1998) and that PP2A is a key enzyme in tau phosphorylation (JBC 2001b, AmJPathol 2003). I established the first in vitro model of Aβ-induced tau filament formation (JBC 2003). Using functional genomics, I provided evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction and a role for glyoxalase in AD (PNAS 2003, JBC 2005, Proteomics 2006, PNAS 2009). I identified a novel function of tau in targeting the kinase Fyn to the to mediate Aβ toxicity (Cell 2010), and a role for Fyn in causing de novo protein synthesis of tau (EMBO J 2017). I also developed a novel ultrasound-based treatment of amyloid- and tau-depositing mice that we are currently developing for clinical application in AD patients (Science Transl Med 2015, Brain 2017, MolPsych 2021). This discovery elicited an overwhelming response from media (numerous media appearances calculated by the UQ Advancement Office to be worth $1m in advertising space rates in the two weeks following the 2015 publication) and the general public (2,000 e-mail requests from patients within four months of publication.
- Highly cited researcher (Clarivate, 2021, 2022)
- 67 of my publications have been cited in 1,121 patent documents: 659 granted patents; 431 patent applications and 31 searches.Jurisdictions include: World Intellectual Property Organization; United States Patent and Trademark Office; and the European Patent Office (The Lens,April 2022).
- Expertscape.com ranking (Top 0.02% of 182,647 published authors worldwide in AD:
225 peer-reviewed articles (3 Cell, 1 Science, 1 Science Transl Med, 3 Neuron, 8 PNAS, 9 EMBO J, 7 J. Biol. Chem., 3 Mol Psych, 5 Acta Neuropathol, 1 Lancet, 4 Nature Rev Neurosci, 3 Nature Rev Neurol, 1 Nature Rev Drug Disc, 3 Nature Prot, 5 Theranostics), Web of Science highly cited papers in the fields of Neuroscience & Behavior (5), Biology & Biochemistry, Pharmacology & Toxicology, and Molecular Biology & Genetics. >27,800 times (Google Scholar). Total Impact factor: 2,000; h-index: 86 (78 papers >100 cit).
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=67UrhCQAAAAJ&hl=en
Works
Search Professor Jurgen Götz’s works on UQ eSpace
2016
Journal Article
Ultrasound treatment of neurological diseases — current and emerging applications
Leinenga, Gerhard, Langton, Christian, Nisbet, Rebecca and Gotz, Jurgen (2016). Ultrasound treatment of neurological diseases — current and emerging applications. Nature Reviews Neurology, 12 (3), 161-174. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2016.13
2016
Conference Publication
The many facets of dementia - basic science and translational strategies
Gotz, Jurgen (2016). The many facets of dementia - basic science and translational strategies. Unknown, Unknown, Unknown. HOBOKEN: WILEY-BLACKWELL.
2016
Conference Publication
Scanning Focused Ultrasound disruption of the blood-brain barrier as an Alzheimer’s disease therapy
Leinenga, Gerhard, Nisbet, Rebecca, Hatch, Robert, Van der Jeugd, Anneke, Evans, Harrison and Götz, Jürgen (2016). Scanning Focused Ultrasound disruption of the blood-brain barrier as an Alzheimer’s disease therapy. 5th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, Bethesda, MD United States, 28 August - 1 September 2016. London, United Kingdom: BioMed Central. doi: 10.1186/s40349-016-0076-5
2016
Journal Article
Extracellular vesicles containing P301L mutant tau accelerate pathological tau phosphorylation and oligomer formation but do not seed mature neurofibrillary tangles in ALZ17 mice
Baker, Sian, Polanco, Juan Carlos and Gotz, Juergen (2016). Extracellular vesicles containing P301L mutant tau accelerate pathological tau phosphorylation and oligomer formation but do not seed mature neurofibrillary tangles in ALZ17 mice. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 54 (3), 1207-1217. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160371
2016
Journal Article
Glutamate receptors in alzheimer's disease: mechanisms and therapies
Anggono, Victor, Tsai, Li-Huei and Goetz, Juergen (2016). Glutamate receptors in alzheimer's disease: mechanisms and therapies. Neural Plasticity, 2016 8256196, 8256196-2. doi: 10.1155/2016/8256196
2016
Conference Publication
SPECIFIC ALTERATIONS OF TAU PHOSPHORYLATION AND NEURONAL SIGNALING INDUCED BY THE AMYLOID-beta OLIGOMER A beta*56
Lesne, Sylvain, Amar, Fatou, Sherman, Mathew, Rush, Travis, Larson, Megan, Chang, Liu, Gotz, Jurgen, Schneider, Julie, Bennett, David, Ashe, Karen and Buisson, Alain (2016). SPECIFIC ALTERATIONS OF TAU PHOSPHORYLATION AND NEURONAL SIGNALING INDUCED BY THE AMYLOID-beta OLIGOMER A beta*56. 14th International Athens/Springfield Symposium on Advances In Alzheimer Therapy, Athens, Greece, Mar 09-12, 2016. NEW YORK: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.01.117
2016
Conference Publication
Scanning ultrasound as a treatment tool of proteinopathies including Alzheimer’s disease
Götz, Jürgen, Nisbet, Rebecca, Van der Jeugd, Ann, Evans, Harrison and Leinenga, Gerhard (2016). Scanning ultrasound as a treatment tool of proteinopathies including Alzheimer’s disease. 5th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, Bethesda, MD, USA, 28 August - 1 September 2016. London, United Kingdom: BioMed Central. doi: 10.1186/s40349-016-0076-5
2015
Journal Article
No full admission for tau to the exclusive prion club yet
Polanco, Juan Carlos and Götz, Jürgen (2015). No full admission for tau to the exclusive prion club yet. EMBO Journal, 34 (24), 2990-2992. doi: 10.15252/embj.201593311
2015
Journal Article
Sex hormone-related neurosteroids differentially rescue bioenergetic deficits induced by amyloid-β or hyperphosphorylated tau protein
Grimm, Amandine, Biliouris, Emily E., Lang, Undine E., Gotz, Jurgen, Mensah-Nyagan, Ayikoe Guy and Eckert, Anne (2015). Sex hormone-related neurosteroids differentially rescue bioenergetic deficits induced by amyloid-β or hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 73 (1), 201-215. doi: 10.1007/s00018-015-1988-x
2015
Journal Article
FTD and ALS—translating mouse studies into clinical trials
Ittner, Lars M., Halliday, Glenda M., Kril, Jillian J., Götz, Jürgen, Hodges, John R. and Kiernan, Matthew C. (2015). FTD and ALS—translating mouse studies into clinical trials. Nature Reviews Neurology, 11 (6), 360-366. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.65
2015
Journal Article
Pseudophosphorylation of Tau at distinct epitopes or the presence of the P301L mutation targets the microtubule-associated protein Tau to dendritic spines
Xia, Di, Li, Chuanzhou and Gotz, Jurgen (2015). Pseudophosphorylation of Tau at distinct epitopes or the presence of the P301L mutation targets the microtubule-associated protein Tau to dendritic spines. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Basis of Disease, 1852 (5), 913-924. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.12.017
2015
Journal Article
Dementia and neurodegeneration - role of mitochondria and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease
Cummins, Nadia and Götz, Jurgen (2015). Dementia and neurodegeneration - role of mitochondria and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease. Australian Biochemist, 46 (1), 4-7.
2015
Journal Article
Scanning ultrasound removes amyloid-beta and restores memory in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model
Leinenga, Gerhard and Götz, Jürgen (2015). Scanning ultrasound removes amyloid-beta and restores memory in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Science Translational Medicine, 7 (278) 278ra33, 278ra33.1-278ra33.12. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaa2512
2015
Journal Article
Neuronal protein with tau-like repeats (PTL-1) regulates intestinal SKN-1 nuclear accumulation in response to oxidative stress
Chew, Yee Lian, Gotz, Jurgen and Nicholas, Hannah R. (2015). Neuronal protein with tau-like repeats (PTL-1) regulates intestinal SKN-1 nuclear accumulation in response to oxidative stress. Aging Cell, 14 (1), 148-151. doi: 10.1111/acel.12285
2015
Journal Article
What we can learn from animal models about cerebral multi-morbidity
Baker, Sian and Gotz, Jurgen (2015). What we can learn from animal models about cerebral multi-morbidity. Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, 7 (11) 11, 11. doi: 10.1186/s13195-015-0097-2
2015
Conference Publication
Striatal deficits underlie conflicted patterns of action selection in ageing
Matamales, M., Skrbis, Z., Balleine, B., Goetz, J. and Bertran-Gonzalez, J. (2015). Striatal deficits underlie conflicted patterns of action selection in ageing. 25th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry Jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry in Conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society, Cairns, QLD Australia, 23-27 August 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13188
2015
Conference Publication
Scanning ultrasound opens blood-brain barrier and improves pathologic abnormalities and behaviour in a mouse model of Alzheimer's
Van der Jeugd, A., Leinenga, G., Nisbet, R. and Goetz, J. (2015). Scanning ultrasound opens blood-brain barrier and improves pathologic abnormalities and behaviour in a mouse model of Alzheimer's. 25th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry Jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific-Society-for-Neurochemistry in Conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australasian-Neuroscience-Society, Cairns, QLD, Australia, 23 - 27 August 2015. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
2015
Conference Publication
Effects of scanning focused ultrasound in an Alzheimer's mouse model
Leinenga, G. and Goetz, J. (2015). Effects of scanning focused ultrasound in an Alzheimer's mouse model. 25th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian‐Pacific Society for Neurochemistry in conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society, Cairns, QLD, Australia, 23 - 27 August 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
2015
Conference Publication
Neurotrophin regulation of Alzheimer's disease pathology
Turnbull, M., Goetz, J. and Coulson, E. (2015). Neurotrophin regulation of Alzheimer's disease pathology. 25th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry Jointly with the 13th Meeting of the Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry in Conjunction with the 35th Meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society, Cairns, QLD Australia, 23-27 August 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13188
2015
Journal Article
Connecting the dots between tau dysfunction and neurodegeneration
Frost, Bess, Gotz, Jurgen and Feany, Mel B. (2015). Connecting the dots between tau dysfunction and neurodegeneration. Trends in Cell Biology, 25 (1), 46-53. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.07.005
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Jurgen Götz is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of autophagy induction in neurons following application of focused ultrasound.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Esteban Cruz Gonzalez
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Doctor Philosophy
Pathomechanistic and therapeutic studies in Alzheimer disease with a focus on the role of the blood-brain barrier
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Esteban Cruz Gonzalez
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Doctor Philosophy
Feasibility study of using low-intensity focused ultrasound as a novel modality for the delivery of genetic material such as expression vectors and gene editing reagents to the mouse brain
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Esteban Cruz Gonzalez
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the cellular and molecular bioeffects of ultrasound and microbubble treatment using advanced imaging approaches
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gerhard Leinenga, Dr Pranesh Padmanabhan
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Doctor Philosophy
Dynamics of immune cells at the interface of neuro-immune crosstalk
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Marc Ruitenberg, Dr Seung Jae Kim, Professor Jana Vukovic
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular and cellular studies of neurodegenerative disease and neuronal protein synthesis
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Juan Polanco, Dr Pranesh Padmanabhan
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
The role of the phosphatase STEP and kinase Fyn in neurophysiology and pathology
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening as a potential non-invasive therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the de novo proteome in neurodegenerative disease- a click chemistry approach
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Liviu Bodea
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Synaptic Apoptosis in Alzheimer's Disease: The Role of PTEN in Neurodegeneration
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Liviu Bodea
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
The Role of Tau in Mitochondrial Dynamics and Quality Control
Principal Advisor
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating in vivo the principles governing the spread of tau phosphorylation and amyloid-beta excitotoxicity
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Massimo Hilliard
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
The molecular mechanism of the Tau-Fyn interaction and dendritic targeting in neurons
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Frederic Meunier
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Investigations of the effects of scanning focused ultrasound in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor David Fairlie
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Role of Microglia in Neurotrauma
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Marc Ruitenberg, Dr Emily Willis, Professor Jana Vukovic
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the roles of microglia during development and in neurodegenerative disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Liviu Bodea
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Activity-dependent trafficking of NMDA receptors in mammalian central neurons
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Victor Anggono
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular mechanisms of inflammasome-driven Alzheimer's disease
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sabrina Sofia Burgener, Professor Kate Schroder
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating synaptic compensation following oligomeric Aß induced-dendritic spine loss.
Associate Advisor
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Tau-specific immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of tauopathies
Associate Advisor
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Development of novel small molecule PP2A inhibitors and their potential application in Alzheimer's Disease
Associate Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Role of microglia in traumatic brain injury
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jana Vukovic
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamic Reorganization of Presynaptic Proteins During Neurotransmission and Neuronal Degeneration
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Brett Collins, Professor Frederic Meunier
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Metabolic study of Alzheimer's disease using mutant C. elegans
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Paul Ebert
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Neurotrophin Regulation of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Elizabeth Coulson
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Jurgen Götz directly for media enquiries about:
- Alzheimer
- dementia
- therapeutic ultrasound
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