Scientists
Education and Appointments
Education
1983 Ph.D. (Dr.rer.nat.) Peptide Chemistry, University of Aachen, Germany
1981 Dipl. Chem., Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Aachen, Germany
1978 IAESTE Industrial Traineeship, AB Volvo, R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
1975 IAESTE Industrial Traineeship, Hellenic Aspropyrgos Refinery, Quality Control. Athens, Greece
Professional Employment
Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2023-Present Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2023-Present Director, Proteomics Platform, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
2002-2022 Head, Proteomics and Biomarkers
2003-Present Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich
2004-2023 Faculty, International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Life Sciences
2009-Present Faculty, Graduate Program of Systemic Neurosciences, University of Munich
2015-2022 Faculty, International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry
2019-Present Adjunct Faculty, CAS-MPG Partner Institute of Computational Biology, Shanghai
University of California, San Francisco, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA
1986-2002 Director, Protein Structure Laboratory
1986-1988 Instructor of Medicine
1988-1994 Assistant Professor of Medicine
1993-2002 Associate Investigator, Cardiovascular Research Institute
1994-2000 Associate Professor of Medicine
2000-2002 Professor of Medicine
Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, NJ, USA
1983-1986 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Biology
University of Aachen, Germany
1981-1982 Research Associate, Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Aachen, Germany
1982-1983 Research Associate, German Wool Research Institute, University of Aachen, Germany
Professional Activities
2004-2008 BMBF National Genome Research Network, Project Committee
2005-2011 Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities, Proteomics Research Group
2007-2010 Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities, Executive Board
2007-Present fNIH Biomarkers Consortium, Neuroscience Steering Committee
2008-Present Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities, Metabolomics Research Group
2010-2015 EU Innovative Medicines Initiative, NEWMEDS, Scientific Advisory Board
2011-2012 American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Pharmaceuticals Interest Group
2011-Present International Expert Panel, National Medical Research Council, Singapore
2016-2017 Visiting Scholar, University of California, San Diego, Skaggs School of Pharmacy
2017-2020 Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Editorial Board
2017-2023 External Advisory Board, Hamartoma P01, Harvard University
2018 Academic Advisor, Global Distinguished Scientist Center of Nanjing University
2018-Present Ludwig Maximilians University Munich-China Academic Network, Advisory Board
2019-2023 Visiting Scientist, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinses Academy of Sciences
2020-2021 Cohen Veterans Bioscience, Metabolomics Working Group
2021 Review Panel, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Major Science Initiatives Fund
2021 Consultant, atai Life Sciences AG
Research Areas
Research efforts are pursued with Prof. Xintian Hu‘s Research Group and center on the identification of biosignatures for neurodevelopmental and neurogenerative disorders. In collaboration with Prof. Yaoyang Zhang and Prof. Zhengjiang Zhu at Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences we are using proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics technologies to delineate molecular pathways affected in disease. Our goal is to complement imprecise clinical parameters with molecular biosignatures to improve patient diagnosis, stratification and treatment.
Previous research on rodent models at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry has provided some insights into molecular pathways affected in brain disorders. In an extension of these efforts, we are now using non-human primate models of disease established at the Kunming Institute of Zoology. The neuroanatomy, behavior and prolonged cognitive development arguably make this species a better model for the investigation of higher brain function and complex neurodevelopmental and neurogenerative disorders observed in humans.
Equally important are the development and implementation of new technologies and biomarker sources to study molecular mechanisms involved in brain physiology and disease. In this regard, we are studying extracellular vehicles from peripheral body specimens in collaboration with Prof. Yiyao Huang, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University. There are several advantages when it comes to using extracellular vehicles for diagnostic applications. They can be isolated non-invasively, their membranous structure stabilizes interior contents, and they represent a proxy of the cells they are derived from, which is particularly relevant for brain disorder biomarker identification efforts.
Biosignatures resulting from our studies will aid in early diagnosis, an improved understanding of the pathobiology and the delineation of novel drug targets for brain disorders. Our long-term goal is to translate validated biosignatures into the clinic, applicable for routine diagnostics for the benefit of the patient.
Supported Projects
1983 Wilhelm Borchers Medal, University of Aachen
1983-1986 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology
1987-1988 Research Grant, Scleroderma Society
1987-1988 Individual Investigator Research Grant, Academic Senate, UC San Francisco
1988-1989 Research Evaluation and Allocation Committee, UC San Francisco
1988-1990 United Scleroderma Foundation
1993-1996 American Heart Association Research Grant
1996-2001 American Heart Association, California Affiliate Research Grant
1998-2001 National Science Foundation, Research Award
2002-2004 Australian Research Council, Research Grant, Partner Investigator
2004-2005 Bavaria California Technology Grant
2004-2008 BMBF National Genome Research Network, Neuronet
2004-2008 BMBF National Genome Research Network, Exploratory Project Grant
2006-2011 BMBF QuantPro-Quantitative Analysis of Dynamic Processes in Living Systems
2008-2013 BMBF National Genome Research Network Plus, MooDS
2009-2012 BMBF Molecular Diagnostics
2013-2018 NIH Common Fund, Collaborative Activities to Promote Metabolomics Research
2014-2018 ERANET-NEURON Mental Disorders
2015-2018 BMFTR KMU-innovativ
2019-2022 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Presidents International Fellowship Initiative
2023-2026 Yunnan High End Foreign Experts Program
2023-Present Chinese Academy of Sciences, International Talent Program
Publications
1. Long-term effects of forty-hertz auditory stimulation as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Insights from an aged monkey model study. (2026) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 123:e2529565123. [Pubmed]
2. Gao J, Liu Y, Si C, Guo R, Hou S, Liu X, Long H, Liu D, Xu D, Zhang ZR, Liu C, Shan B, Turck CW, He K, Zhang Y. (2025) Aspirin inhibits proteasomal degradation and promotes α-synuclein aggregate clearance through K63 ubiquitination. Nat Commun 16:1438. [Pubmed]
3. Filipović D, Turck CW. (2025) Proteomic signatures of hippocampal nonsynaptic and synaptosome-enriched mitochondria in rats resilient to chronic social isolation. Biomolecules 15:1358. [Pubmed]
4. Liu X, Novak B, Namendorf C, Steigenberger B, Zhang Y, Turck CW. (2024) Long-lived proteins and DNA as candidate predictive biomarkers for tissue associated diseases. iScience 27:109642. [Pubmed]
5. Giusti SA, Pino NS, Pannunzio C, Ogando MB, Armando NG, Garrett L, Zimprich A, Becker L, Gimeno ML, Lukin J, Merino FL, Pardi MB, Pedroncini O, Di Mauro GC, Durner VG, Fuchs H, de Angelis MH, Patop IL, Turck CW, Deussing JM, Vogt Weisenhorn DM, Jahn O, Kadener S, Hölter SM, Brose N, Giesert F, Wurst W, Marin-Burgin A, Refojo D. (2024) A brain-enriched circular RNA controls excitatory neurotransmission and restricts sensitivity to aversive stimuli. Sci Adv 10:eadj8769. [Pubmed]
6. Xu J, Li H, Hu Y, Wu S, Wu L, Lei X, Lv L, Lu Y, Wu J, Li J, Shi B, Li J, Turck CW, Wang W, Hu X. iScience. (2024) Lumbar puncture increases Alzheimer's disease biomarker levels in cerebrospinal fluid of rhesus monkeys. iScience 27:109436. [Pubmed]
7. Mohanty I, Mannochio-Russo H, Schweer JV, El Abiead Y, Bittremieux W, Xing S, Schmid R, Zuffa S, Vasquez F, Muti VB, Zemlin J, Tovar-Herrera OE, Moraïs S, Desai D, Amin S, Koo I, Turck CW, Mizrahi I, Kris-Etherton PM, Petersen KS, Fleming JA, Huan T, Patterson AD, Siegel D, Hagey LR, Wang M, Aron AT, Dorrestein PC. (2024) The underappreciated diversity of bile acid modifications. Cell 187:1801. [Pubmed]
8. Yan Y, Park DI, Horn A, Golub M, Turck CW. (2023) Delineation of biomarkers and molecular pathways of residual effects of fluoxetine treatment in juvenile rhesus monkeys by proteomic profiling. Zool Res 44:30. [Pubmed]
9. Lopez JP, Lücken MD, Brivio E, Karamihalev S, Kos A, De Donno C, Benjamin A, Yang H, Dick ALW, Stoffel R, Flachskamm C, Ressle A, Roeh S, Huettl RE, Parl A, Eggert C, Novak B, Yan Y, Yeoh K, Holzapfel M, Hauger B, Harbich D, Schmid B, Di Giaimo R, Turck CW, Schmidt MV, Deussing JM, Eder M, Dine J, Theis FJ, Chen A. (2022) Ketamine exerts its sustained antidepressant effects via cell-type-specific regulation of Kcnq2. Neuron 110:2283. [Pubmed]
10. Li H, Su L-Y, Yang L, Li M, Liu Q, Li Z, Hu Y, Li H, Wu S, Wang W, Hu Y, Wang Z, Rizak JD, Huang B, Xu M, Wu J, Lv L-B, Turck CW, Yin Y, Yao Y-G, Su B, Hu X. (2021) A cynomolgus monkey with naturally occurring Parkinson’s disease. Natl Sci Rev 8:nwaa292. [Pubmed]
