Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2025
Conference Speaker Profile
Prof. Andreas M. Grabrucker
University of Limerick, Ireland
Departments: Biological Sciences, Bernal Institute, Health Research Institute
Talk Title
Zinc and the Brain: Unraveling the Trace Element’s Role in Neural Development and Lateralization
Talk Abstract
Zinc is a versatile element crucial in various biological processes, including gene expression, cell division, and enzymatic reactions. In recent years, cellular zinc signaling has gained increasing attention as a potential regulator of healthy brain development. Zinc deficiency, in turn, was linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Our studies showed that zinc signaling contributes to the establishment of brain lateralization, a fundamental organizational principle of higher-order cognitive and motor processes. We have identified that alterations in zinc availability can disrupt hemispheric asymmetries in brain structure and function. This disruption is associated with behavioral features similar to those seen in ASD, in which atypical lateralization patterns are frequently observed. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we explored possible underlying mechanism on cellular level.
Our findings suggest that zinc is not merely a passive micronutrient but an active player in sculpting brain connectivity. This work opens new avenues the potential of zinc signaling-targeted interventions in correcting early neurodevelopmental imbalances linked to cognitive and behavioral disorders.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Grabrucker received his MSc in Biology, majoring in Genetics, from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, in 2005. He then earned his PhD in Molecular Medicine from Ulm University, Germany, in 2009. Following this, he continued his research at the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the United States. In 2011, he returned to Germany to serve as an Assistant Professor and Executive Director of the Neurocenter at Ulm University.
By 2017, he joined the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Limerick as an Associate Professor. Since 2020, he has also held the position of Lead of the Bio Materials Research Cluster at the Bernal Institute, and since 2024, he has been a Professor in the same department. In 2019, Dr. Grabrucker was awarded a guest professorship at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Since 2009, he has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and more than 14 book chapters, accumulating over 5000 citations. Notably, he is the author of the first textbook detailing the role of biometals in Autism Spectrum Disorders. His research focuses on translational neuroscience, where he develops model systems to understand the processes of cell, tissue, and organ development and function. He also investigates the effects of altered trace metal biology and works on developing nanocarriers for targeted drug and metal delivery into the brain.