Menno P. Witter

About

Menno P. Witter heads the functional neuroanatomy research group, started in 2007. He is director of the Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience.

I received my Ph.D. at the VU University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where I subsequently started my independent research on the anatomical organization of the hippocampal region. In my early work, I postulated the existence of functional differentiations within both the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex based on thorough anatomical studies of their connectivity .

After many years of productive collaborations with May-Britt and Edvard Moser leading to the discovery of grid cells in 2004/5, I joined the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience NTNU in 2007, where I started my own research group. The current work of my group focusses on the functional architecture of the lateral and medial entorhinal cortex with the aim to contribute to the explanation of their functional differences. We study input/output in relation to local circuitry, with emphasis on the specific neurons and layers that receive or send information from and to other brain areas. We focus on the wiring of identified neuron types in the entorhinal cortex. Such information allows us to formulate biologically more precise descriptions of entorhinal networks. In addition, this information has a potential translational relevance. We have identified a cell-specific change in the expression of proteins in entorhinal layer II which seems involved in the early phases of Alzheimer’s disease, as studied in animal models. This research-line has been merged with human and clinical research in the recently awarded K.G. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Disease with the aim to translate our basic research on space, time and memory coding in the brain to researchers and clinicians who study similar functions in Alzheimer patients, in order to unravel the clues underlying this devastating disease.

Together with colleagues at various universities in Norway, I initiated the Norwegian Research School in Neuroscience in 2013 and act as its director. I hold a visiting position at Tohoku University, Graduate School for Life Sciences and am the President of the board of the FENS (Federation of European Neuroscience Societies) Trust Foundation, The Netherlands. Further I am an elected member of the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters, the Norwegian Academy of Science, and recipient of the 2016 Olav Thon Foundation International Research Award.

Publications

2016

Kobro-Flatmoen, Asgeir; Nagelhus, Anne; Witter, Menno. (2016) Reelin-immunoreactive neurons in entorhinal cortex layer II selectively express intracellular amyloid in early Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of Disease. volum 93.
Olsen, Grethe Mari; Witter, Menno. (2016) Posterior parietal cortex of the rat: Architectural delineation and thalamic differentiation. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 524 (18).
Sugar, Jørgen; Witter, Menno. (2016) Postnatal development of retrosplenial projections to the parahippocampal region of the rat. eLIFE. volum 5 (2016).

2015

Boccara, Charlotte Nina; Kjønigsen, Lisa Jannicke; Hammer, Ingvild Marie F.; Bjaalie, Jan G.; Leergaard, Trygve Brauns; Witter, Menno. (2015) A three-plane architectonic atlas of the rat hippocampal region. Hippocampus. volum 25 (7).
Ito, Hiroshi; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2015) A prefrontal-thalamo-hippocampal circuit for goal-directed spatial navigation. Nature. volum 522 (7554).
Koganezawa, Noriko; Gisetstad, Ragnhild; Husby, Ellen Marie; Doan, Thanh Pierre; Witter, Menno. (2015) Excitatory postrhinal projections to principal cells in the medial entorhinal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 35 (48).
Lu, Li; Igarashi, Kei M; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2015) Topography of Place Maps along the CA3-to-CA2 Axis of the Hippocampus. Neuron. volum 87 (5).
Mathiasen, Mathias; Hansen, Lilliane; Witter, Menno. (2015) Insular projections to the parahippocampal region in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 523 (9).

2014

Kondo, Hideki; Witter, Menno. (2014) Topographic organization of orbitofrontal projections to the parahippocampal region in rats. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 522 (4).
Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Roudi, Yasser; Witter, Menno; Kentros, Clifford; Bonhoeffer, Tobias; Moser, May-Britt. (2014) Grid cells and cortical representation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 15 (7).
O'Reilly, Kally; Flatberg, Arnar; Islam, Sobia; Olsen, Lene Christin; Kruge, Ingvild Ulsaker; Witter, Menno. (2014) Identification of dorsal-ventral hippocampal differentiation in neonatal rats. Brain Structure and Function. volum 220 (5).
Strange, B; Witter, Menno; Lein, Ed S.; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2014) Functional organization of the hippocampal longitudinal axis. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 15 (10).

2013

Couey, Jonathan Jay; Witoelar, Aree Widya; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Zheng, Kang; Ye, Jing; Dunn, Benjamin Adric; Czajkowski, Rafal; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Roudi, Yasser; Witter, Menno. (2013) Recurrent inhibitory circuitry as a mechanism for grid formation. Nature Neuroscience. volum 16 (3).
Czajkowski, Rafal; Sugar, Jørgen L; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Couey, Jonathan Jay; Ye, Jing; Witter, Menno. (2013) Superficially Projecting Principal Neurons in Layer V of Medial Entorhinal Cortex in the Rat Receive Excitatory Retrosplenial Input. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 33 (40).
O'Reilly, Kally; Dahl, Annelene Gulden; Kruge, Ingvild Ulsaker; Witter, Menno. (2013) Subicular-parahippocampal projections revisited: Development of a complex topography in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 521 (18).
Ohara, S; Sato, S; Tsutsui, K; Witter, Menno; Iijima, Toshio. (2013) Organization of multisynaptic inputs to the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus: retrograde trans-synaptic tracing with rabies virus vector in the rat. PLOS ONE. volum 8 (11).
Rowland, David Clayton; Weible, AP; Wickersham, IR; Wu, HY; Mayford, M; Witter, Menno; Kentros, Clifford. (2013) Transgenically Targeted Rabies Virus Demonstrates a Major Monosynaptic Projection from Hippocampal Area CA2 to Medial Entorhinal Layer II Neurons. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 33 (37).

2012

Canto, Cathrin Barbara; Koganezawa, Noriko; Beed, P; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Witter, Menno. (2012) All Layers of Medial Entorhinal Cortex Receive Presubicular and Parasubicular Inputs. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 32 (49).

2011

Small, Scott A; Schobel, Scott A; Buxton, Richard B; Witter, Menno; Barnes, Carol A. (2011) A pathophysiological framework of hippocampal dysfunction in ageing and disease. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 12 (10).
Yartsev, M; Witter, Menno; Ulanovsky, N. (2011) Grid cells without theta oscillations in the entorhinal cortex of bats. Nature. volum 479 (7371).

2010

Boccara, Charlotte Nina B.; Sargolini, Francesca; Thoresen, Veslemøy Hult; Solstad, Trygve; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2010) Grid cells in pre- and parasubiculum. Nature Neuroscience. volum 13 (8).
Henriksen, Espen Joakim; Colgin, Laura Lee; Barnes, Carol; Witter, Menno; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2010) Spatial representation along the proximodistal axis of CA1. Neuron. volum 68 (1).
Langston, Rosamund Fay; Ainge, James Alexander; Couey, Jonathan Jay; Canto, Cathrin Barbara; Bjerknes, Tale L.; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2010) Development of the Spatial Representation System in the Rat. Science. volum 328 (5985).

2009

van Strien, NM; Cappaert, NLM; Witter, Menno. (2009) The anatomy of memory: an interactive overview of the parahippocampal-hippocampal network. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 10 (4).

2002

Brun, Vegard Heimly; Otnæss, Mona; Molden, Sturla; Steffenach, Hill Aina; Witter, Menno; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2002) Place cells and place representation maintained by direct entorhinal-hippocampal circuitry. Science. volum 296.

Journal publications

Kobro-Flatmoen, Asgeir; Nagelhus, Anne; Witter, Menno. (2016) Reelin-immunoreactive neurons in entorhinal cortex layer II selectively express intracellular amyloid in early Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of Disease. volum 93.
Olsen, Grethe Mari; Witter, Menno. (2016) Posterior parietal cortex of the rat: Architectural delineation and thalamic differentiation. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 524 (18).
Sugar, Jørgen; Witter, Menno. (2016) Postnatal development of retrosplenial projections to the parahippocampal region of the rat. eLIFE. volum 5 (2016).
Boccara, Charlotte Nina; Kjønigsen, Lisa Jannicke; Hammer, Ingvild Marie F.; Bjaalie, Jan G.; Leergaard, Trygve Brauns; Witter, Menno. (2015) A three-plane architectonic atlas of the rat hippocampal region. Hippocampus. volum 25 (7).
Ito, Hiroshi; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2015) A prefrontal-thalamo-hippocampal circuit for goal-directed spatial navigation. Nature. volum 522 (7554).
Koganezawa, Noriko; Gisetstad, Ragnhild; Husby, Ellen Marie; Doan, Thanh Pierre; Witter, Menno. (2015) Excitatory postrhinal projections to principal cells in the medial entorhinal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 35 (48).
Lu, Li; Igarashi, Kei M; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2015) Topography of Place Maps along the CA3-to-CA2 Axis of the Hippocampus. Neuron. volum 87 (5).
Mathiasen, Mathias; Hansen, Lilliane; Witter, Menno. (2015) Insular projections to the parahippocampal region in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 523 (9).
Kondo, Hideki; Witter, Menno. (2014) Topographic organization of orbitofrontal projections to the parahippocampal region in rats. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 522 (4).
Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Roudi, Yasser; Witter, Menno; Kentros, Clifford; Bonhoeffer, Tobias; Moser, May-Britt. (2014) Grid cells and cortical representation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 15 (7).
O'Reilly, Kally; Flatberg, Arnar; Islam, Sobia; Olsen, Lene Christin; Kruge, Ingvild Ulsaker; Witter, Menno. (2014) Identification of dorsal-ventral hippocampal differentiation in neonatal rats. Brain Structure and Function. volum 220 (5).
Strange, B; Witter, Menno; Lein, Ed S.; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2014) Functional organization of the hippocampal longitudinal axis. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 15 (10).
Couey, Jonathan Jay; Witoelar, Aree Widya; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Zheng, Kang; Ye, Jing; Dunn, Benjamin Adric; Czajkowski, Rafal; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Roudi, Yasser; Witter, Menno. (2013) Recurrent inhibitory circuitry as a mechanism for grid formation. Nature Neuroscience. volum 16 (3).
Czajkowski, Rafal; Sugar, Jørgen L; Zhang, Sheng Jia; Couey, Jonathan Jay; Ye, Jing; Witter, Menno. (2013) Superficially Projecting Principal Neurons in Layer V of Medial Entorhinal Cortex in the Rat Receive Excitatory Retrosplenial Input. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 33 (40).
O'Reilly, Kally; Dahl, Annelene Gulden; Kruge, Ingvild Ulsaker; Witter, Menno. (2013) Subicular-parahippocampal projections revisited: Development of a complex topography in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology. volum 521 (18).
Ohara, S; Sato, S; Tsutsui, K; Witter, Menno; Iijima, Toshio. (2013) Organization of multisynaptic inputs to the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus: retrograde trans-synaptic tracing with rabies virus vector in the rat. PLOS ONE. volum 8 (11).
Rowland, David Clayton; Weible, AP; Wickersham, IR; Wu, HY; Mayford, M; Witter, Menno; Kentros, Clifford. (2013) Transgenically Targeted Rabies Virus Demonstrates a Major Monosynaptic Projection from Hippocampal Area CA2 to Medial Entorhinal Layer II Neurons. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 33 (37).
Canto, Cathrin Barbara; Koganezawa, Noriko; Beed, P; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Witter, Menno. (2012) All Layers of Medial Entorhinal Cortex Receive Presubicular and Parasubicular Inputs. Journal of Neuroscience. volum 32 (49).
Small, Scott A; Schobel, Scott A; Buxton, Richard B; Witter, Menno; Barnes, Carol A. (2011) A pathophysiological framework of hippocampal dysfunction in ageing and disease. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 12 (10).
Yartsev, M; Witter, Menno; Ulanovsky, N. (2011) Grid cells without theta oscillations in the entorhinal cortex of bats. Nature. volum 479 (7371).
Boccara, Charlotte Nina B.; Sargolini, Francesca; Thoresen, Veslemøy Hult; Solstad, Trygve; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2010) Grid cells in pre- and parasubiculum. Nature Neuroscience. volum 13 (8).
Henriksen, Espen Joakim; Colgin, Laura Lee; Barnes, Carol; Witter, Menno; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2010) Spatial representation along the proximodistal axis of CA1. Neuron. volum 68 (1).
Langston, Rosamund Fay; Ainge, James Alexander; Couey, Jonathan Jay; Canto, Cathrin Barbara; Bjerknes, Tale L.; Witter, Menno; Moser, Edvard Ingjald; Moser, May-Britt. (2010) Development of the Spatial Representation System in the Rat. Science. volum 328 (5985).
van Strien, NM; Cappaert, NLM; Witter, Menno. (2009) The anatomy of memory: an interactive overview of the parahippocampal-hippocampal network. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. volum 10 (4).
Brun, Vegard Heimly; Otnæss, Mona; Molden, Sturla; Steffenach, Hill Aina; Witter, Menno; Moser, May-Britt; Moser, Edvard Ingjald. (2002) Place cells and place representation maintained by direct entorhinal-hippocampal circuitry. Science. volum 296.

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