Neuro-Networks
CBBS Neuro-Networks
In order to support new CBBS members and early-career researchers in particular in their collaboration on forward-looking topics within the CBBS and with other research groups at the university, the CBBS funds so-called ‘neuro-networks’ on a competitive basis. These are small consortia comprising three to five research groups. Each participating group may apply to the CBBS for a PhD position, including consumables.
These networks already act as catalysts for innovative approaches and help to make effective use of the existing interdisciplinary opportunities within the CBBS. Furthermore, this achieves even better networking between the CBBS and other university groups or further research priorities within the state.
Would you like to receive funding from the CBBS? We’d be delighted. The CBBS regularly announces funding opportunities; please apply via our funding calls.
The projects funded by the CBBS to date are:
Stimulation of the LC-NE system as a personalized therapeutic intervention
Projectleader: Dorothea Hämmerer, Matthew Betts, Matthias Prigge, Tino Zähle
Many clinical and neurological disorders are attributable to functional impairments in the brainstem. In this network project, we are investigating non-invasive brain stimulation of the brainstem with the aim of contributing to potential treatment options.
Diagnostic Glove: Disease diagnosis in daily life from wearable kinematics
Projectleader: Esther Kühn, Elena Azañón, Stefanie Schreiber, Christoph Reichert
Within this network, we have utilised the latest findings from basic research into the ‘real-life tracking’ of hand functions to develop a new medical device, the ‘Diagnostic Glove’. This is designed to help doctors diagnose pathologies of the upper limbs more easily, monitor their progression, and use the data to classify motor disorders.
Non-Invasive Deep Brain Stimulation for Motor Disorders (NeeMo)
Projectleader: Philipp Ruhnau, Eike Budinger, Lisa Carius
Our network project aimed to develop and refine a novel non-invasive technique for stimulating deep brain structures in neurological patients with motor disorders, with the primary objective of providing technology and expertise that would improve quality of life and potentially delay or even prevent invasive surgery.
CBBScircuitS - A Neuronetwork for functional analysis of the engram connectome
Projectleader: Gürsel Caliskan, Anne Bayrhammer, Guilherme Monteiro Gomes
In our neural network project, we are investigating the cortical structures associated with memory disorders, with the aim of identifying suitable targets for the development of pharmacotherapy.
Dopaminergic modulation of working memory-related persistent neuronal activity in auditory cortex: from molecules to behavior
Projectleader: Janelle Pakan, Ying Huang, Motoharu Yoshida
We are investigating auditory short-term memory with a view to developing new pharmacological treatment approaches for patients with memory disorders, such as those associated with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease.
Autophagy mechanisms in stress-induced neuro- and psychopathology
Projectleader: Anne Albrecht, Anke Müller
We are investigating how autophagy influences the function and development of synapses, as well as stress resilience, by examining its molecular mechanisms in cell culture and an in vivo stress model, with the aim of identifying potential therapeutic targets for autophagy-dependent diseases.
Promoting memory by behavioral tagging: from cellular function towards application in humans
Projectleader: Elke Edelmann, Jorge Ricardo Bergado Acosta, Kerstin Krauel
Within our network, we develop learning strategies that lead to improved learning outcomes for both healthy individuals and those with learning difficulties.
Optogenetic Read/Write Neuroprosthesis for Sensory Substitution
Projectleader: Michael Lippert, Armin Dadgar
We are developing an LED electrode with the aim of restoring, at least in part, the sensory perception of blind or deaf people. In late 2017, this project was recognised as the most innovative initiative and awarded the Hugo Junkers Prize for Research and Innovation from Saxony-Anhalt.
Advanced fMRI-based analysis of human sensory cortex
Projectleader: Michael Hoffmann, Michael Hanke
We are investigating methodological developments that hold promise for a wide range of applications – not only to deepen our understanding of the healthy visual system, but also to investigate the pathophysiology and plasticity of the visual system in patient studies, and to optimise future therapeutic strategies.
Odor-induced fear behavior in rodents - Identification and characterization of the underlying neural circuitry
Projectleader: Markus Fendt, Jürgen Goldschmidt, Wolfgang D’Hanis
We are investigating the neural basis of innate fear in order to deepen our understanding of these processes and to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how innate and learned emotionally relevant odours are processed.
Systems Physiology of Deep Brain Stimulation
Projectleader: Kentaroh Takagaki, Christian Kluge, Thomas Schindler
We are investigating new stimulation paradigms based on ‘stochastic control’ to improve deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, using both animal models and brain activity measurements from patients to better understand the underlying pathological beta oscillations and their modulation.
Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in dependence on protective paradigms in M. Alzheimer
Projectleader: Elmar Kirches, Thomas Endres, Yannic Waerzeggers, Michael Gruß, Jörg Bock
Using novel mouse models, we are investigating the role that chronic BDNF deficiency—observed in patients—plays in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly with regard to memory function and mitochondrial dysfunction, with a view to evaluating potential protective strategies based on these findings.
Mechanisms of resting state plasticity
Projectleader: Anna Fejtova, Anna Karpova, Ina Schanze, Martin Walter, Denny Schanze
We are investigating the changes in brain plasticity and resting-state functional connectivity induced by ketamine in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms of its rapid antidepressant effect in depression.
Neurotrophin signal pathways in neurodegenerative diseases
Projectleader: Tanja Brigadski, Christina Spilker, Daniel Bittner, Raik Rönicke
Using a multidisciplinary approach, we are investigating how disruptions in neurotrophin transport and BDNF signalling pathways contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease, by examining mechanisms ranging from the molecular level to animal models and patient studies.
Neuroeconomic approaches to describing behavior-amplifying information
Projectleader: Marcus Heldmann, Michael Brosch, Sönke Hoffmann
We investigate how situational factors influence reward and punishment learning, choice behaviour and decision-making processes by examining the underlying neural mechanisms in sensory and frontal brain regions in human and non-human primates.
Developmental Chromatin Remodeling in Stress- and Learning-induced Neuronal Plasticity
Projectleader: Jörg Bock, Angela Poehlmann, Volker Korz, Jorge Bergado-Acosta
We are investigating how early stressful experiences alter epigenetic mechanisms and thereby influence synaptic plasticity as well as the long-term development of the brain and behaviour.
Linking the Microscopic and Macroscopic World: Systematic Study of Water Macromolecule Exchange as a Basis for Ultra-High Field MR Phase Contrast Imaging
Projectleader: Kai Zhong, Oliver Speck, Liane Hilfert, Karl-Heinz Smalla, Frank Angenstein, Mike Matzke
We are investigating the biophysical, chemical and biochemical mechanisms underlying MRI phase contrast in ultra-high-field MRI in order to understand its fundamentals and evaluate its potential as a diagnostic tool – particularly for the early detection and classification of MS lesions.
