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Alzheimer's disease is a global challenge. The risk of dementia increases with age and currently a case of dementia is diagnosed every three seconds. Christian Haass, a respected biochemist and Alzheimer's researcher, predicts over 8 million cases of Alzheimer's in 2050 and is investigating the factors that promote the disease. Haass is a professor of metabolic biochemistry at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and spokesperson for the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Munich. His research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. He has made significant discoveries that have revolutionized research. "What is going wrong in the brain? Why do nerve cells die? That's what I wanted to find out. And what interested me enormously from the start: why is the risk of developing Alzheimer's so high for all of us? There must be a molecular basis for this," explains Haass in an interview. Matteo Rovere, a doctoral student in his research group, is researching a genetically caused variant of Alzheimer's disease. Rovere's doctoral project is funded by the Hector Fellow Academy. Christian Haass emphasizes the importance of creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration in science. He works internationally with researchers and pharmaceutical companies and aims to use his research to help bring a drug to market in Europe to slow the disease.