Research Interests

One of the most fascinating properties of the mammalian brain is its plasticity: the capacity to modify neuronal circuit function and thereby incorporate transient experiences into persistent memory traces. The ability to encode, consolidate and retrieve memories is a prerequisite for any organism`s behavioral adaptation to environmental changes. How the brain achieves such remarkable tasks is still one of the greatest remaining mysteries of our time.

Over the last years it has become evident that activity-dependent gene expression plays an essential role in controlling memory persistence. However, how exactly neuronal gene expression affecting cognition and behavior is orchestrated is not fully understood. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms that affect epigenetic modifications and chromatin architecture in neurons will help to better understand how gene expression is maintained in neurons. In addition, those findings could help to unravel potential drug targets for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases in the near future.