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Justus Daechsel, PhD

Assistant Professor
Mayo Clinic

Jacksonville, Florida

Justus C. Daechsel is a native of southern Germany, who obtained his PhD from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, in 2005. He then accepted a postdoctoral position in the Department of Neuroscience at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida, to work under the mentorship of Professor Matthew J. Farrer. Dr. Farrer’s laboratory is focused on elucidating the genetic and functional mechanisms leading to Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.

Dr. Daechsel’s work has helped to identify LRRK2 binding partners and has shown that two LRRK2 molecules form a dimeric complex. Most recently, he was part of the team that discovered mutations in DCTN1 encoding p150glued as the cause underlying Perry syndrome, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by early onset parkinsonism, depression, weight loss and hypoventilation. 

Dr. Daechsel's primary research interests are the functional mechanisms leading to neurodegeneration with a special focus on parkinsonian disorders and the functional biology of LRRK2.