Cellular Neuropathology and Cognition

Our group wants to understand the mechanisms of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and their effect on the processing of information and cognitive processes. My group focuses on two main research questions:

(1) We investigate neuronal ensembles and circuits involved in spatial and social cognition to decipher their role for behaviour and their impairments in the context of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.

(2) We further aim at deciphering the interactions of tumors of the central nervous system with their microenvironment, to identify routes of communication and thus novel treatment strategies.

 

To address these questions, we make use of cutting-edge microscopy techniques, combined with neuronal manipulation tools and behavioral readouts in transgenic mice, e.g.:

  • longitudinal two-photon (2P) microscopy in vivo (mus musculus)
  • AAV-mediated, activity-dependent and temporally controlled expression systems
  • Opto- and chemogenetics
  • Behavioral tests to assess learning and memory recall
  • Immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy