In Boston, he worked on the neurochemical anatomy of the basal ganglia, glutamate receptors and the role of excitatory neurotransmission in Parkinson's disease (PD) using positron emission tomography (PET) and high-field MRI techniques in primate models of PD PMID: 1515582 and in vivo and in vitro models. Together with colleagues in chemistry, pharmacy and nuclear medicine, in particular Drs. Schmaljohann and Gündisch - he developed two PET tracers (PMID: 15959851, PMID: 16631078). He set up a research laboratory at the Dept of Neurology, University Clinic Bonn, in 1998 for the investigation of the molecular, cellular and pharmacological aspects of the pathogenesis of ataxias (SCA) and PD. In the Competence Network Parkinson e. V. the first German Parkinson gene bank was established in cooperation with the German Parkinson (patient) Association (dPV) PMID: 17941852. Various projects in national and international research collaborations followed (eg DFG research group "SCA3" (FOR 427), BMBF Human Genome Project, Bonn (01GS0115) Subproject 9, BMBF project "Competence Network Parkinson" (01GI0401), EU Project "EuroSCA "(LSHM-CT-2004-503304), BMBF project" Brain Imaging Center West "(01GO0515), BMBF project" EPI-PD "(01KU1403D), EU project" Aetionomy "(FP7 / IMI / 115568) and several studies of drugs in phases 2 or 3: ECSPD98, E2007-E044-20, 248,595 proud phase IV, SP 873, CENA713DDE15, CENA713B2315, SP 882, S187.3.004, P07-02, BF2.649, AX200--101).
He is currently head of the Department of Mov. Disorders and komm. Director of the Clinic for Neurodegeneration at the Department of Neurology and group leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE, Biomarker Parkinson). Recent projects focused on epigenetics PMID: 27120258 and the microbiome PMID: 28449715 in PD. In a translational clinical project, he leads a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons and radiologists using a system for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MR) -focused focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), a newly developed procedure for interventional neuromodulation for targeted and minimally invasive treatment of tremor PMID: 30406441.