Prion diseases are transmissible and invariably fatal diseases of the central nervous system. Prions, the rogue proteins of prion diseases are thought to propagate in a self-templating manner, but the molecular mode of prion propagation has remained elusive. In his work, Dr Kloehn aims to gain new insight into the molecular mode of protein self-aggregation in prion diseases and other types of dementia. To enhance understanding of this phenomenon, his team engineers biomolecular tools, identifies cellular pathways influencing self-aggregation and scrutinizes gene targets associated with the respective diseases. His team also aims to explore the colonization of the central nervous system by prions in mice by whole-brain imaging using light-sheet microscopy, conducted after deep tissue clearance. His team is dedicated to advancing machine-learning-based workflows for the analysis of images and features.