Forschung

Peter Riederer hat sich durch viele wichtige Beiträge auf dem Gebiet der klinischen Neurochemie von neuropsychiatrischen Erkrankungen ausgezeichnet, von denen ein großer Teil an der Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik  und Psychotherapie an der Universität Würzburg ausgeführt wurde. Er hat die Laboratorien der Klinischen Neurochemie am Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institut für Neurochemie/Neurobiologie der Neurologischen Abteilung des Pflegeheimes der Stadt Wien–Lainz (1971 – 1986) sowie an der Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik  und Psychotherapie an der Universität in Würzburg (1986  bis heute) zu internationaler Bedeutung geführt. Dies spiegelt sich in der Meistzitierrate 2004 eines Chemikers in medizinischer Forschung wider. Er leistete wichtige wissenschaftliche Beiträge auf dem Gebiet der Ätiopathogeneseforschung neurodegenerativer Erkrankungen, von denen jene zu oxidativem Stress, Eisenakkumulation, Atmungskettendefizit, Aufklärung des Wirkmechanismus von Aminoadamantanen, Wirkung und Toxizität von Neuromelanin, Einführung des Prinzipes der Monoaminoxidase-B-Hemmung bei Parkinson-Krankheit sowie die Erforschung der Insulin/Insulinrezeptorkaskadenstörung bei Alzheimer Krankheit zukunftsweisend sind. Diese in unterschiedlichen Kooperationen ermittelten Forschungsergebnisse mündeten in der Hypothese der „Neuroprotektion“, die er 1983 – 1985 mitentwickelt hat und die er auch heute unter klinischen Bedingungen als möglich hält. Die erfolgreiche Übertragung der mannigfaltig erfolgreichen Studien zu präklinischer Neuroprotektion in den klinischen Alltag als mittelfristige Therapieoption ist sein wesentlicher gegenwärtiger Forschungsansatz.

Peter Riederer is distinguished for many important contributions in the field of clinical neurochemistry of neuropsychiatric disorders. The majority of these were made at the Clinic and Policlinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Wuerzburg. He has brought both the Laboratory of Neurochemistry at the Neurological Department, Vienna, Lainz, Austria (1971 – 1986) and the Clinical Neurochemistry at the Dept. Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Wuerzburg, Germany (1986 until now) into world renowned institutions. This is reflected by numerous awards but especially by the fact that he was in 2004 the most quoted chemist in the field of medicine. He made major contributions in the field of research devoted to the etiopathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Those aimed at elucidating mechanisms of oxidative stress, iron accumulation, respiratory chain activity deficiency, physiology and toxicity of neuromelanin, identification of the mechanism of action of aminoadamantanes, introduction of the clinical strategy of the monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor selegiline in Parkinson’s disease as well as the more recent research on insulin/insulin receptor cascade as pathogenetic principle of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease are regarded as future oriented. These in many successful cooperations generated results had been the basis for establishing the hypothesis of neuroprotection, which has been co-developed with others between 1983 and 1985. Clinical neuroprotection, he is convinced about this, is possible and a major issue to follow. The translation of preclinical neuroprotection proven in so many different experimental designs into clinical everyday therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease is, he thinks, the only therapeutic option that can be realized in the near future.

Career

• since 2008 Senior Professor at the University of Würzburg, Medical School, Germany
• 1986-2008 University Professor, University Würzburg, Germany; Head, Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the University of Würzburg, Medical School, Germany
• 1983 titl. a. o. University Professor, Technical University (TU) Vienna, Austria
• 1979 Associate Professor, University Dozent, TU Vienna, Austria
• 1971-1986 Head, Clinical Neurochemistry, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI) for Neurochemistry (1971-1975) and LBI Clinical Neurobiology (1976 - 1986), Lainz-Hospital, Vienna, Austria
• 1970 Doctor technical Degree
• 1969-1971 Assistant Professor
• 1968-1970 Scientific studies at the Nuclear Research Center, Seibersdorf, Austria
• 1968 Diplom Ing.
• 1960-1968 Studies on Technical Chemistry at the TU Vienna, Austria

Projects

• 2004-2011 DAAD-Stability Pact Project : establishing the role of diabetes type II as risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (with S. Hoyer, M. Salkovic, E. Sofic, E. Grünblatt)
• 2002-2012 Brain Net Europe II: standardization of human post-mortem brain studies at an European level (Europen FW 7 project)
• 2002-2008 BMBF Kompetenznetz HIV / AIDS
• 2002-2008 DFG-project "Benzodiazepins"
• 2000-2012 VITA - Project (Vienna Transdanube Aging Study): a prospective longitudinal aging study to elaborate risk factors for AD
• since 1999 Head: The National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence Research Laboratories, Miami, Florida, USA. at the Clinic and Policlinic of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy of the University of Würzburg, Germany
• 1999-2012 Head of the Brain Bank Center (BBC) Würzburg of the National Brain-Net, Germany
• 1997-2001 Chairman BIOMED II EU-framework on schizophrenia
• 1995-2001 BMBF-Projekt "Neurobiology of alcoholism"
• 1991-1998 BMBF Schwerpunkt "Parkinson"

Functions

• since 2010 Board Member of the Edda-Neele Association
• since 2007 Chairman of the research grant evaluation board of the Hirnliga e.V.
• since 2006 Member of the American Society Exp. Neurotherapeutics (ASENT)
• since 2005 President of the Association for the Performance of Neuroscientific Symposia
• since 2005 President of the German Society of Clinical and Experimental Neurotherapeutics (GESENT)
• 2005 President International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders (APRD), Berlin, Germany
• since 2004 WFSBP Chairman: Task Force on Biol Markers
• 2001-2004 President of the German Parkinson Society (DPG)
• since 1999 Head of the Brain Bank Center (BBC) Würzburg of the national Brain-Net, Germany
• since 1997 Board member of the Austrian Parkinson's Disease Society (ÖPG) (Founding member; Vice President until 1997)
• 1997-2005 Vice President of the Austrian Alzheimer Society
• since 1995 Member of the Board of Hirnliga e.V.; Vice President (1998 - 2007); now chairman of the research grant evaluation board
• since 1995 International Basal Ganglia Society, IBAGS
• 1995-1996 President of the European Society for Clinical Neuropharmacology
• since 1994 Deputy Member of the Danube Symposia for Neurological Sciences
• 1994-1998 President of the German Society of Biological Psychiatry (DGBP)
• 1988-2012 Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum, C.I.N.P and Member of the Nominating Committee (2008 - 2010)
• since 1975 Member of the British Pharmacol Society
• since 1975 Board Member of the Research Committee on Parkinsonism and Related Disorders of the World Federation of Neurology
• since 1975 Association for Neuropsychopharmacology and Pharmacopsychiatry (AGNP)

Honours and Memberships

• 2011 WFN - Association of Parkinson Disease Related Disorder-Award
• 2008 Honorary Dr. degree International University Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
• 2007 Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• 2007 Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2007 Honorary President of the German Society for Parkinson's Disease
• 2006 Honorary Membership of the German Society of Biological Psychiatry
• 2005 Honorary Membership of the Austrian Alzheimer Society
• 2004 Most cited chemist in the field of medicine
• 2000 Honorary Membership of the Hungarian Society of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology
• 1986 Senator Dr. Franz Burda-Award
• 1984 Parkinson-Frosst-Award of the German Society of Neurology