Franziska Hopfner, MD

Franziska Hopfner is a senior physician and research group leader at the Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. She is a neurologist with training in neurogenetics and molecular neurobiology whose work focuses on molecular drivers of heterogeneity in synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy. Her research bridges deep clinical phenotyping with human genetics, multi-omics profiling, and cellular models to dissect alpha-synuclein aggregation, seeding, and propagation.

Hopfner has led influential genetic and epidemiological studies identifying lysosomal and other molecular risk factors contributing to disease variability. Her laboratory integrates large, well-characterized collections of post-mortem human brain tissue and matched biofluids with functional assays to study alpha-synuclein structure, post-translational modifications, and interacting co-factors. Embedded within the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, she actively contributes to interdisciplinary and multicenter collaborations. In alignment with ASAP principles, she is strongly committed to open, FAIR data sharing, transparent methodologies, and collaborative team science.