Jul 14, 2026
Prof. Mike O. Karl Appointed New Director of the CRTD
Prof. Mike O. Karl
Prof. Mike O. Karl is now serving as the new director of the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) at TU Dresden. He succeeds Prof. Marius Ader, who had led the institute since January 2024. Prof. Catherina G. Becker will continue to serve the institute as deputy director.
Prof. Karl has been a research group leader at the CRTD since 2010. His group, MOKALAB, conducts interdisciplinary research across both the CRTD and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), investigating the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the human retina and exploring its regenerative potential.
A central focus of the MOKALAB’s research is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide. Using human retinal organoids and cell-based model systems, the team studies the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and seeks to identify novel therapeutic approaches. The ultimate goal of this research is to prevent vision loss and promote the regeneration of retinal cells, structure, and function.
“I am delighted to take on the leadership of the CRTD,” says Prof. Karl. “The trust placed in me by Prof. Ader and the other research group leaders means a great deal to me. It motivates me to continue building on the scientific excellence and culture of open, interdisciplinary exchange at the CRTD and across the wider life sciences campus, working closely with all members of the institute.”
“I am also looking forward to collaborating with Prof. Catherina Becker as deputy director. Together, and in close collaboration with our partners at TU Dresden, we will advance the strategic development of the institute and the wider campus. Major transformations lie ahead of us,” adds Prof. Karl.
About Prof. Karl
Mike O. Karl studied human medicine at the University of Hamburg from 1996 to 2004, where he also earned his doctorate in 2006. For his postdoctoral research, he moved to the University of Washington in Seattle (USA) in 2005, working with Prof. Thomas A. Reh at the Department of Neurobiology & Biophysics. In 2010, he joined the CRTD at TU Dresden as an independent research group leader. In 2012, he became a research group leader at the DZNE in Dresden. Since 2020, he has held a professorship for Retinal Stem Cell Research and Neurogenesis at the CRTD and the Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus at TU Dresden. He also remains an associated group leader at the DZNE in Dresden.