Michael Wolfe is the Mathias P. Mertes Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Kansas, USA, where he has worked since 2016. He began his academic career at the University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1994, before moving to Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 1999. He was appointed Professor of Neurology in 2008. His research career has been dedicated elucidating the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s and related disorders and identifying effective pharmacological interventions. Awards for his work include the MetLife Award for Biomedical Research (2008), a Zenith Fellows Award from the Alzheimer’s Association (2008), and the Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology (2009).