Prof. Andreas Grabrucker (Associate Professor in Department of Biological Sciences).  PhD in Molecular Medicine, 18 years experience in translational research including biomimetics for disorders, biomaterials and metals, and drug delivery. 97 peer reviewed publications in total with over 4500 citations (h-index 35) and 3 authored books. Secured > €3 million in research funding as PI or co-PI from national agencies such as the Irish Research Council, Enterprise Ireland, the European Commission, patient organisations, and industry partners. Prof. Grabrucker is currently Lead of the Bio Materials Research Cluster of the Bernal Institute of the University of Limerick, a cluster with 25 PIs and their teams. He is leading projects with industry, evaluating health products in terms of safety, toxicity and biological effect using various cell and animal models systems for diseases, and is collaborating with charities and international academics, for example in the framework of an EU joint progamme for rare diseases. He is an invited guest speaker in meetings worldwide (20 invited talks since 2010 including 4 keynote lectures) and member of two EU COST networks. He acts as Associate Editor and Section Editor for 3 international peer reviewed scientific journals.

Matuleviciene A, Siauryte K, Kuiper E, Grabrucker AM. Consensus recommendations on chewing, swallowing and gastrointestinal problems in Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Eur J Med Genet 2023; 66 (6): 104763. DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104763

Malijauskaite, S., Sauer, A.K., Hickey, S.E., Franzoni, M., Grabrucker, A.M., McGourty, K. Identification of the common neurobiological process disturbed in genetic and non-genetic models for autism spectrum disorders (2022) Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 79 (12), art. no. 589, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-022-04617-3

Sauer, A.K., Malijauskaite, S., Meleady, P., Boeckers, T.M., McGourty, K., Grabrucker, A.M. Zinc is a key regulator of gastrointestinal development, microbiota composition and inflammation with relevance for autism spectrum disorders (2022) Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 79 (1), art. no. 46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-021-04052-w

Publications

Tosi G, Vilella A, Schmeisser MJ, Boeckers TM, Ruozi B, Vandelli MA, Forni F, Zoli M, Grabrucker AM: Insight on the fate of CNS-targeted nanoparticles. Part II: Intercellular neuronal cell-to-cell transport. Journal of Controlled Release 2014; 177C: 96-107.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.01.004
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365914000212?via%3Dihub

Grabrucker S, Jannetti L, Eckert M, Gaub S, Chhabra R, Pfaender S, Mangus K, Reddy PP, Rankovic V, Schmeisser MJ, Kreutz MR, Ehret G, Boeckers TM, Grabrucker AM: Zinc deficiency dysregulates the synaptic ProSAP/Shank scaffold and might contribute to autism spectrum disorders. Brain 2014; 137 (Pt 1): 137-152.
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt303
https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/137/1/137/360491

Schmeisser MJ, Ey E, Wegener S, Bockmann J, Stempel AV, Kuebler A, Janssen AL, Udvardi PT, Shiban E, Spilker C, Balschun D, Skryabin BV, Tom Dieck S, Smalla KH, Montag D, Leblond CS, Faure P, Torquet N, LE Sourd AM, Toro R, Grabrucker AM, Shoichet SA, Schmitz D, Kreutz MR, Bourgeron T, Gundelfinger ED, Boeckers TM: Autistic-like behaviours and hyperactivity in mice lacking ProSAP1/Shank2. Nature, 2012, 486 (7402): 256-260.
DOI: 10.1038/nature11015
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11015

Grabrucker AM, Schmeisser MJ, Schoen M, Boeckers TM: Postsynaptic ProSAP/Shank scaffolds in the cross-hair of synaptopathies. Trends in Cell Biology 2011, (10): 594-603. DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2011.07.003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2011.07.003

Grabrucker AM, Knight MJ, Proepper C, Bockmann J, Joubert M, Rowan M, Nienhaus GU, Garner CC, Bowie JU, Kreutz MR, Gundelfinger ED, Boeckers TM: Concerted action of zinc and ProSAP/Shank in synaptogenesis and synapse maturation. EMBO Journal 2011, 30 (3): 569-581.
DOI: 10.1038/emboj.2010.336
http://emboj.embopress.org/content/30/3/569