A5066620516- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Angiogenesis and VEGF in Cancer
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques
University of Zurich
2019-2025
ETH Zurich
2018-2025
Neuroscience Institute
2022-2024
Neurosciences Institute
2023-2024
Department of Medical Sciences
2023-2024
Stressful experiences are linked to anxiety disorders in humans. Similar effects observed rodent models, where is often measured classic conflict tests such as the open-field test. Spontaneous rearing behavior, which rodents stand on their hind legs explore, can also be this test yet ignored. We define two forms of rearing, supported (in animal rears against walls arena) and unsupported without contacting arena). Using an automated test, we show that both behaviors appear strongly context...
Abstract To study brain function, preclinical research heavily relies on animal monitoring and the subsequent analyses of behavior. Commercial platforms have enabled semi high-throughput behavioral by automating tracking, yet they poorly recognize ethologically relevant behaviors lack flexibility to be employed in variable testing environments. Critical advances based deep-learning machine vision over last couple years now enable markerless tracking individual body parts freely moving...
BackgroundAcutely stressful experiences can trigger neuropsychiatric disorders and impair cognitive processes by altering hippocampal function. Although the intrinsic organization of hippocampus is highly conserved throughout its long dorsal-ventral axis, dorsal (anterior) mediates spatial navigation memory formation, whereas ventral (posterior) involved in emotion regulation. To understand molecular consequences stress, detailed genome-wide screens are necessary need to distinguish between...
Abstract The acute stress response mobilizes energy to meet situational demands and re-establish homeostasis. However, the underlying molecular cascades are unclear. Here, we use a brief swim exposure trigger an in mice, which transiently increases anxiety, without leading lasting maladaptive changes. Using multiomic profiling, such as proteomics, phospho-proteomics, bulk mRNA-, single-nuclei small RNA-, TRAP-sequencing, characterize stress-induced events mouse hippocampus over time. Our...
Abstract The molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis have been intensely studied, but many genes that control endothelial behavior and fate still need to be described. Here, we characterize the role Apold1 (Apolipoprotein L domain containing 1) in vivo vitro. Single-cell analyses reveal - across tissues expression is restricted vasculature cells (ECs) highly sensitive environmental factors. Using −/− mice, find dispensable for development does not affect postnatal retinal nor alters vascular...
Chronic stress is a risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders, making the ability to adapt repeated crucial determinant of mental health. On molecular level, it remains unclear whether exposure characterized by habituation - decreased responsiveness same stimulus or emergence new, adaptive responses. Here, we explore how tightly regulated response triggered acute restraint becomes altered after exposure. Transcriptomic sampling mouse hippocampus at multiple time points revealed that leads...
Pain and welfare monitoring is essential for ethical animal testing, but current cage-side assessments are qualitative subjective. Here we present the GrimACE, first fully standardised automated tool mice, most widely used animals in research. The GrimACE uses computer vision to provide mouse grimace scale (MGS) assessment together with pose estimation a dark, safe environment. We validated system by analysing pain after brain surgeries (craniotomies) head implants under two analgesia...
The basal ganglia (BG) are a group of subcortical nuclei responsible for motor and executive function. Central to BG function striatal cells expressing D1 (D1R) D2 (D2R) dopamine receptors. D1R D2R considered functional antagonists that facilitate voluntary movements inhibit competing patterns, respectively. However, whether they maintain uniform across the striatum what influence exert outside is unclear. Here, we address these questions by combining optogenetic activation in mouse...
Understanding how the brain's macroscale dynamics are shaped by underlying microscale mechanisms is a key problem in neuroscience. In animal models, we can now investigate this relationship unprecedented detail directly manipulating cellular-level properties while measuring whole-brain response using resting-state fMRI. Here, focused on understanding blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) dynamics, measured within structurally well-defined striato-thalamo-cortical circuit mice, chemogenetically...
Exposure to an acute stressor triggers a complex cascade of neurochemical events in the brain. However, deciphering their individual impact on stress-induced molecular changes remains major challenge. Here, we combine RNA sequencing with selective pharmacological, chemogenetic, and optogenetic manipulations isolate contribution locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system stress response mice. We reveal that NA release during exposure regulates large reproducible set genes dorsal ventral...
Abstract To study brain function, preclinical research relies heavily on animal monitoring and the subsequent analyses of behavior. Commercial platforms have enabled semi high-throughput behavioral by providing accurate tracking animals, yet they often struggle with analysis ethologically relevant behaviors lack flexibility to adapt variable testing environments. In last couple years, substantial advances in deep learning machine vision given researchers ability take entirely into their own...
Abstract Exposure to an acute stressor triggers a complex cascade of neurochemical events in the brain. However, deciphering their individual impact on stress-induced molecular changes remains major challenge. Here we combine RNA-sequencing with selective pharmacological, chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations isolate contribution locus coeruleus - noradrenaline (LC-NA) system stress response. We reveal that NA-release during exposure regulates large reproducible set genes dorsal ventral...
Exposure to an acute stressor triggers a complex cascade of neurochemical events in the brain. However, deciphering their individual impact on stress-induced molecular changes remains major challenge. Here, we combine RNA sequencing with selective pharmacological, chemogenetic, and optogenetic manipulations isolate contribution locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system stress response mice. We reveal that NA release during exposure regulates large reproducible set genes dorsal ventral...
Abstract The quantification of behaviors interest from video data is commonly used to study brain function, the effects pharmacological interventions, and genetic alterations. Existing approaches lack capability analyze behavior groups animals in complex environments. We present a novel deep learning architecture for classifying individual social animal behavior, even environments directly raw frames, while requiring no intervention after initial human supervision. Our behavioral classifier...
Chronic stress exposure in adolescence can lead to a lasting change responsiveness later life and is associated with increased mental health issues adulthood. Here we investigate whether the Social Instability (CSI) paradigm influences behavioral molecular responses novel acute stressors mice, it alters physiological influenced by noradrenergic system. Using large cohorts of show that CSI mice display persistent increase exploratory behaviors open field test alongside small but widespread...
Abstract The nuanced detection of rodent behavior in preclinical biomedical research is essential for understanding disease conditions, genetic phenotypes, and internal states. Recent advances machine vision artificial intelligence have popularized data-driven methods that segment complex animal into clusters behavioral motifs. However, despite the rapid progress, several challenges remain: Statistical power typically decreases due to multiple testing correction, poor transferability...
Abstract The locus coeruleus (LC) supplies norepinephrine (NE) to the entire forebrain, regulates many fundamental brain functions, and is implicated in several neuropsychiatric diseases. Although selective manipulation of LC not possible humans, studies have suggested that strong activation might shift network connectivity favor salience processing. To test this hypothesis, we use a mouse model study impact stimulation on large-scale functional by combining chemogenetic with resting-state...
The locus coeruleus (LC) supplies norepinephrine (NE) to the entire forebrain, regulates many fundamental brain functions, and is implicated in several neuropsychiatric diseases. Although selective manipulation of LC not possible humans, studies have suggested that strong activation might shift network connectivity favor salience processing. To test this hypothesis, we use a mouse model study impact stimulation on large-scale functional by combining chemogenetic with resting-state fMRI, an...
Appropriate risk evaluation is essential for survival in complex, uncertain environments. Confronted with choosing between certain (safe) and (risky) options, animals show strong preference either option consistently across extended time periods. How such encoded the brain remains elusive. A candidate region lateral habenula (LHb), which prominently involved value-guided behavior. Here, using a balanced two-alternative choice task longitudinal two-photon calcium imaging, we identify LHb...