Mission:
Understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of human diseases as a prerequisite to develop novel therapeutic interventions.
Goals:
- Identification of new genes and mutations associated with human diseases,
- Characterisation of gene function in normal physiology,
- Analysis of the consequences of the respective mutations at the molecular level.
Short CV
07/2010 - present | Director, Institute of Medical Molecular Genetics, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
02/2009 – 06/2010 | Director, Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
05/2002 – 06/2010 | Head, Division of Medical Molecular Genetics and Gene Diagnostics, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland (appointed January 14th 2002) |
05/202 - present | Full Professor of Medical Molecular Genetics, Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
01/2001 – 04/2002 | C3 position (Associate Professor), Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Dept. Ropers, Berlin, Germany |
08/1995 – 12/2000 | Group leader position (Assistant Professor), Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Dept. Ropers, Berlin, Germany |
09/1990 – 07/1995 | Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands |
02/1987 – 08/1990 | Postdoctoral fellow, Institute for Medical Genetics, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany |
09/1983 – 01/1987 | Postgraduate student, Central Institute for Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences, Berlin-Buch, Germany |
- Genetic basis of photoreceptor degenerations and dysfunctions
- Ocular angiogenesis and neovascularization
- Mouse models of human retinal diseases to study pathophysiology and for development of treatments
- American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
- European Vision Institute (EVI)
- Foederatio Analyticorum Medicinalium Helveticorum (FAMH), Swiss Association of Directors in Laboratory Medicine
- Swiss Society of Medical Genetics (SSMG)
Further Activities
- Swiss Society of Medical Genetics, elected Board Member and Co-President
- Scientific Board Member of SAPALDIA (Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Diseases in Adults)
- FAMH (Foederatio Analyticorum Medicinalium Helveticorum, Swiss Association of Directors in Laboratory Medicine), member of the committee of experts
- Scientific and Medical Advisory Board Member, Retina Suisse
Wolfgang Berger |
Contact
University of Zurich
Institute of Medical Molecular Genetics
Schorenstrasse 16
CH-8603 Schwerzenbach
Switzerland
Phone: +41 44 655 70 31
Fax: +41 44 655 72 13
Email:
berger[at]medgen.uzh.ch
Website:
www.medmolgen.uzh.ch
Key Publications
- Berger W, Kloeckener-Gruissem B, Neidhardt J (2010)
The molecular basis of human retinal and vitreoretinal diseases.
Prog Retin Eye Res (Epub ahead of print) - Brunner S, Skosyrski S, Kirschner-Schwabe R, Knobeloch KP, Neidhardt J, Feil S, Luhmann UFO, Rüther K, Berger W (2010)
Cone versus rod disease in a mutant Rpgr mouse caused by different genetic backgrounds.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 51:1106-1115 - Schäfer NF, Luhmann UF, Feil S, Berger W (2009)
Differential gene expression in Ndph knockout mice in retinal development.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50:906-916 - Kloeckener-Gruissem B, Vandekerckhove K, Nurnberg G, Neidhardt J, Zeitz C, Nurnberg P, Schipper I, Berger W (2008)
Mutation of the solute carrier SLC16A12 associates with a syndrome combining autosomal dominant juvenile cataract with microcornea and glucosuria.
Am J Hum Genet 82:772-779 - Wycisk KA, Zeitz C, Feil S, Wittmer M, Forster U, Neidhardt J, Wissinger B, Zrenner E, Wilke R, Kohl S, Berger W (2006)
Mutation in the auxiliary calcium-channel subunit CACNA2D4 causes autosomal recessive cone dystrophy.
Am J Hum Genet 79:973-977 - Zeitz C, Kloeckener-Gruissem B, Forster U, Kohl S, Magyar I, Wissinger B, Matyas G, Borruat FX, Schorderet DF, Zrenner E, Munier FL, Berger W (2006)
Mutations in CABP4, the gene encoding the Ca2+-binding protein 4, cause autosomal recessive night blindness.
Am J Hum Genet 79:657-667 - Luhmann UF, Lin J, Acar N, Lammel S, Feil S, Grimm C, Seeliger MW, Hammes HP, Berger W (2005)
Role of the Norrie disease pseudoglioma gene in sprouting angiogenesis during development of the retinal vasculature.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 46:3372-3382 - Pusch CM, Zeitz C, Brandau O, Pesch K, Achatz H, Feil S, Scharfe C, Maurer J, Jacobi FK, Pinckers A, Andreasson S, Hardcastle A, Wissinger B, Berger W, Meindl A (2000)
The complete form of X-linked congenital stationary night blindness is caused by mutations in a gene encoding a leucine-rich repeat protein.
Nat Genet 26:324-327 - Schwahn U, Lenzner S, Dong J, Feil S, Hinzmann B, van Duijnhoven G, Kirschner R, Hemberger M, Bergen AA, Rosenberg T, Pinckers AJ, Fundele R, Rosenthal A, Cremers FP, Ropers HH, Berger W (1998)
Positional cloning of the gene for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa 2.
Nat Genet 19:327-332 - Berger W, Meindl A, van de Pol TJ, Cremers FP, Ropers HH, Doerner C, Monaco A, Bergen AA, Lebo R, Warburg M, Zergollern L, Lorenz B, Gal A, Bleeker-Wagemakers EM, Meitinger T (1992)
Isolation of a candidate gene for Norrie disease by positional cloning.
Nat Genet 1:199-203
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