Memory circuits

In order to lastingly store memories, our brain has to translate neuronal activity patterns into lasting structural correlates. It forms connections between specific neurons and thereby generate so called memory circuits. When re-activated, these “engrams” allow us to retrieve the previously stored information.

We investigate not only the natural behaviorally relevant memory circuits in learning and memory but also pathology relevant circuits that underlay certain neuropsychiatric disorders. We are interested in cellular and molecular events of neuronal memory allocation to their genetic manipulation in different brain regions especially hippocampus, amygdala and cortical areas.

Publications

Mikhaylova M, Bär J, van Bommel B, Schätzle P, YuanXiang P, Raman R, Hradsky J, Konietzny A, Loktionov EY, Reddy PP, Lopez-Rojas J, Spilker C, Kobler O, Raza SA, Stork O, Hoogenraad CC, Kreutz MR. Caldendrin Directly Couples Postsynaptic Calcium Signals to Actin Remodeling in Dendritic Spines. Neuron. 2018 Feb 20. pii: S0896-6273(18)30071-0.

Raza SA, Albrecht A, Çalışkan G, Müller B, Demiray YE, Ludewig S, Meis S, Faber N, Hartig R, Schraven B, Lessmann V, Schwegler H, Stork O. HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background context memory salience. Nat Commun. 2017 Aug; 8(1):189.

Çalışkan G, Müller I, Semtner M, Winkelmann A, Raza AS, Hollnagel JO, Rösler A, Heinemann U, Stork O, Meier JC. Identification of Parvalbumin Interneurons as Cellular Substrate of Fear Memory Persistence. Cereb Cortex. 2016 May;26(5):2325-40.

Funding

Collaborative Research Center 779, project B05: GABA interneurons as mediators of cognitive flexibility

PI: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork

Researchers: Dr. Ahsan RazaDr. Gürsel Çalişkan

Collaborative Research Center 1436, project A07: Orexinergic modulation of neural resources

PIs: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork, Prof. Dr. Anne Albrecht

Researchers: Dr.Gürsel Çalişkan

Collaborative Research Center 1436, project Z01: Funktional neural circuit analysis and small animal imaging in vivo

PIs: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork, Dr. Michael Kreutz, Prof. Dr. Frank Angenstein

Researchers: Dr. Ahsan Raza

LSA Fellow Project: Role of local-circuit neurons in the formation and over-generalization of remote fear memory

PI: Dr. Ahsan Raza

CBBS Science Campus, project group 6

PIs: Dr. Gürsel Çalişkan, Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork

CBBS Infrastructure

PI: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork