Dr. Dieter Willbold studied biochemistry in Tübingen, Germany, Bayreuth, Germany, and Boulder, Colorado, USA. He completed his PhD in 1994 at the University of Bayreuth. After additional study at Bayreuth and research visits to the Sackler School of Medicine of Tel-Aviv University, he headed a junior research group at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology in Jena. In 2001, Dr. Willbold became an associate professor at the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf. Since 2004, he has been a full professor at the Institute of Physical Biology in Düsseldorf and director of the Institute of Complex Systems in the Research Centre Jülich. His research focuses on the development and application of methods to precisely investigate three-dimensional structures, dynamics, ligand (substances that bind to molecules) interactions and molecular mechanisms of biologically- and medically-relevant macromolecules. In addition to basic research, Dr. Willbold develops approaches for early diagnosis and therapies for neurodegenerative disorders with a strong focus on Alzheimer's disease.