Clinical Expertise:

General Neurology,

Special areas of expertise: Diseases of peripheral nerve and muscle (incl. ALS/ Motor Neuron Disease), Central Movement Disorders (e.g. Parkinsonian Syndromes and Dystonia) and electrodiagnostic studies.

Prof. Dengler was Director of the Department of Neurology of Hannover Medical School (MHH) until 2015 and is still active in research and in academic committees.

He holds regular consultation hours in the INI outpatient clinic.

Education:

Medical studies at LMU Munich and TU Munich. MD thesis on pharmacological treatment of spasticity. Military services at the Bundeswehr Center-Hospital in Koblenz.  1977 Post Doc at the Department of Physiology of the TU Munich involving in experimental research in the field of neuromuscular disorders. In 1978 start of his training in neurology und clinical neurophysiology, thereafter  appointment as senior consultant and academic habilitation for neurology (Brainstem Reflexes) in the Department of Neurology of TU Munich. In 1986 sabbatical (DFG- sponsored) at the Physiological Institute of the University of

Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (experiments on the physiology of nerve and muscle in man).

In September 1989 appointment as full Professor of Neurology at the University of Bonn, Germany, and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Neurology. Head of the lab for clinical neurophysiology und of the section of physiotherapy.

From December 1992 until September 2015 Professor of Neurology at Hannover Medical School and Director of the Department of Neurology. Development of a high-end academic neurological center providing all modern neurodiagnostic und therapeutic options. Installation of several research groups (e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Central Movement Disorders, Neuromuscular Disorders). Regular student teaching.

Research:

Areas of personal research interest are neuromuscular disorders incl. motor neuron disease/ALS, central movement disorders and experimental and clinical neurophysiology. He was Principal Investigator in the DFG-sponsored Cluster of Excellence „Hearing for All“ until 2016. His list of publications comprises more than 300 articles. He is member of the Executive Board of „Clinical Neurophysiology“ (Elsevier) and was on the Editorial Board of  „Muscle and Nerve“ (Wiley) until recently. He was Associate Editor of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis“ (Taylor and Francis) until 2012 and Editor in Chief of “Klinische Neurophysiologie” (Thieme) until 2016.

Certificates:

Prof. Dengler is a board certified Neurologist, and Clinical Geriatrist. He holds certificates for Electroencephalography (EEG), Electromyography (EMG) und evoked Potentiales (EP) of the DGKN.

Honours and Awards:

He was awarded the „Richard-Jung-Preis“ of the German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (DGKN), the „PRIX „THEOPHILE GLUGE“ of the Belgian Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and the “Robert-Schwab-Award” of the American Clinical Neurophysiological Society (ACNS). He is „Foreign Member“ of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and a Honorary Member of the DGKN.

Memberships:

German Society of  Neurology (DGN); American Academy of Neurology (AAN); German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (DGKN); American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), German Society of Muscle Disorders (DGM, member of the Executive Committee). International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (member of the Executive Committee).

Clinical Practice

General Clinical Neurology, Outpatient Consultations, and Advisory Services

Specialties:
• Multiple Sclerosis and Clinical Neuroimmunology
• Myasthenia Gravis and Other Neuromuscular Diseases
• Polyneuropathies
• Parkinson’s Disease and Other Movement Disorders
• Cognitive Disorders and Dementias
• Vascular Diseases of the Brain

Prof. Heidenreich is a board-certified neurologist and served as Head of the Neurology Department at Diakovere Hospital Henriettenstift in Hannover from 2002 to July 2024. He conducts regular consultations at the Neurology Outpatient Clinic of the INI.

Professional Background

After studying medicine in Aachen, Mainz, and London, Prof. Heidenreich worked for two years as a research associate in the laboratory of Prof. J. Newsom Davis at the Royal Free Hospital and the National Hospital Queen Square in London. He then pursued his neurology specialist training at the University Neurology Clinic Düsseldorf under Prof. Dr. H.J. Freund. From 1994, he served as a senior physician and completed his habilitation in 1995.

He later became chief senior physician in the Neurology Department at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) under Prof. Dr. R. Dengler. From 2002, he served as Head of the Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology at Diakovere Hospital Henriettenstift in Hannover, a neurological acute care hospital, where he specialized in acute stroke treatment and maintained a strong outpatient practice focusing on multiple sclerosis and other immune-mediated neurological disorders, as well as Parkinson’s disease. Most recently, he established a department for early neurological rehabilitation at the hospital.

His scientific research also focuses on neuroimmunology, particularly multiple sclerosis.

Prof. Heidenreich is a member of the German Society for Neurology (DGN), the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and various other professional associations. He holds EEG and EMG certifications from the German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (DGKN) and is certified in neurological laboratory diagnostics. He is also Chairman of the Lower Saxony Regional Association of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society (DMSG) and a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the national organization.

Prof. Dr. med. Bahram Mohammadi is Director of the Department of Neurology at the INI – International Neuroscience Institute® in Hanover. Prof. Mohammadi studied human medicine at the Hannover Medical School (MHH). From 1999 to 2005 he completed his training as a neurologist in the Department of Neurology of the MHH (Director: Prof. Dr. R. Dengler) and in 2005 became a specialist in neurology, working until until 2006 in the neurology department of MHH as a specialist in electrophysiology and neurodegeneration.  From 2006 to 2010 he worked clinically as Senior Physician at the INI – International Neuroscience Institute® Hannover and in 2010 he moved to the Department of Neurology of the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck (Director: Prof. Dr. T. F. Münte). Since 2011 he is director of the Department of Neurology at INI Hannover. In 2000 he was appointed Doctor of Medicine by the Faculty of Medicine of the MHH. The subject of his dissertation was the “Paramyotonia Congenita: Electrophysiological basis of cold sensitivity of the symptoms acquired using the patch-clamp technique.” After further scientific work with the focus on “Experimental Studies on the Physiology and Pharmacology of Inhibitory Ligand-Activated Ion Channels” in 2006 he was awarded the Venia Legendi Award by the Neurology Faculty of MHH.

From 2006 to 2010 he was a fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in the field of clinical neuroscience. During this time, he co-founded a new functional imaging research group in neurology, psychiatry and psychology at INI. In 2011 he was appointed professor (APL). The CNS-LAB in the INI under his leadership initiated various national and international cooperations. Clinically, he uses functional imaging for preoperative diagnosis and brain mapping in neurosurgical patients.

Special fields of work and research:

Neurodegeneration (e.g., motor neurone disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS)) movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s syndrome, dystonia) botulinum toxin therapy (e.g., in dystonia, hyperhidrosis, spasticity, chronic migraine) functional imaging clinical neurophysiology (electromyography, electroneurography, evoked potentials)

Certificates:

Certificate “Qualified botulinum toxin therapy” of the working group Botulinum toxin of the German Society of Neurology (DGN) Evoked potential certificate of the German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology and Functional Imaging (DGKN) Electromyography and Electro-Neurography Certificate of DGKNEelectencephalography. Certificate of DGKN.

Memberships:

German Society of Neurology (DGN), German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology and Functional Imaging (DGKN), Working Group Botulinum Toxin of the DGN Organization of Human Brain Mapping, (OHBM) NISALS Oxford, UK (Neuroimaging in ALS)

Cooperation:

Medical University of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck,  Medical University Hannover, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede The Netherlands, Clinical Neuroscience Department, Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom.

Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Schwartz is a specialist in neurology with an additional qualification in “Special Neurological Intensive Care Medicine” as well as a specialist in diagnostic radiology with a subspecialization in neuroradiology.

Clinical Practice:

General clinical neurology with a focus on:

• Primary and secondary stroke prevention
• Central movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, blepharospasm)
• Epilepsies
• Autoimmune diseases (e.g., multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome)
• Diagnosis and treatment of back pain

Prof. Dr. med. Schwartz regularly conducts consultations at the Neurological Outpatient Clinic of INI Hannover.
Additionally, he provides expert consultation in the Neuroradiology Department of INI (Head: Prof. Dr. med. H. Lanffermann) on topics related to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of central nervous system diseases (brain and spinal cord) as well as spinal conditions (e.g., PRT).

Education and Career:

Prof. Schwartz studied medicine at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and earned his doctorate in 1980 with a dissertation on the development of a vaccine for Dengue-II virus infection. Starting in 1980, he trained as a specialist in neurology, followed by specialization in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology. He was appointed senior physician and habilitated at the Neurology Department of the University Hospital Düsseldorf (Director: Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. H.-J. Freund) in the field of neurology, with a special focus on neuroradiology, developing a new technique for endoscopic vascular diagnostics.

In 1990, he became a professor of neurology at Heidelberg University, deputy director of the Neurology Department at the University Hospital Mannheim, and head of the cerebrospinal fluid laboratory.
From August 2000, he served as chief physician of the Neurology Clinic at Klinikum Nordstadt (Klinikum Region Hannover – KRH) and from 2013 to 2018, also as chief physician of the Neurology Clinic at KRH Klinikum Agnes-Karll Laatzen.

At both hospitals, he expanded stroke care, transforming the Nordstadt Clinic into a certified supraregional stroke unit with 14 beds and an associated tele-neurology network supporting three regional hospitals. From 2006 to 2015, he was the Medical Director of Klinikum Nordstadt at KRH.

He regularly held teaching assignments at Heidelberg University until 2018. At Klinikum Nordstadt, an academic teaching hospital, he was the liaison for medical students in their final practical year on behalf of Hannover Medical School (MHH).

Research:

Prof. Schwartz’s research interests focus on stroke studies. Over more than 20 years, both in Heidelberg and at Klinikum Nordstadt, he led participation in all major clinical studies on thrombolysis and thrombectomy as the principal investigator. His publication record since 1982 includes approximately 210 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He authored the textbook “Systematic Neurology” and contributed to numerous neurology, internal medicine, and neuroradiology textbooks. He was a member of the editorial board of Cerebrovascular Diseases (Karger Verlag).

Memberships in Professional Societies:

• German Society for Neurology (DGN)
• German Society for Neuroradiology
• Until his retirement as chief physician at KRH, member of:
  • German Society for Radiology
  • German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology and Functional Imaging (DGKN)
  • German Multiple Sclerosis Society (DMSG)
  • German Society for Laser Medicine
  • Professional Association of German Neurologists (BDN)
  • German Neuroradiologists (BDNR)

Previously:

• Fellow of the European Stroke Organization (ESO)
• Fellow of the European Society of Neurology (ESN)
• Fellow of the American Radiological Society (ASR)

In 2014, Prof. Schwartz was Congress President of the Annual Meeting of the German Society for Neurological Intensive Care Medicine (DGNI) in Hannover.