The IRTG curriculum provide comprehensive support of its doctoral candidates in a structured program to ensure academic excellence and foster interdisciplinary interactions. The lectures, technical workshops, and guest speaker sessions unite the IRTG doctoral candidates under a joint research concept and help to find a common language for doctoral candidates from various disciplines by providing insights into all aspects of the CRC research fields. At the same time, the IRTG activities train individual skill sets of the researchers to help them to further progress in their research projects.
Lecture Series
The lecture series are given by PIs and Postdocs. The lectures cover the entire range of methodologies and research approaches used in the CRC, from human to animal studies. This series provide opportunities to expand the knowledge base of the researchers with the primary goal to foster interactions between projects and bridging across single sub-areas. During the open lab days organised by the CRC, the doctoral candidates then have the opportunity to deepen their insights and interactions with other CRC projects.
IRTG Lectures 2023
Proteastasis and cellular senescence
Date: 22.06.2023
Instructor: Daniela C. Dieterich
Cognitive Neurology
Date: 08.06.2023
Instructor: Emrah Düzel
Coordination dynamics in neural systems
Date: 25.05.2023
Instructor: Frank Ohl
Causal interventions in brain circuits for cognition in primates
Date: 11.05.2023
Instructor: Kristine Krug
Noradrenergic system – why relevant in dementia?
Date: 20.04.2023
Instructor: Dorothea Hämmerer
Cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex of rodents
Date: 30.03.2023
Instructor: Volkmar Lessmann
The role of sensory cortex in sensory-guided decision making
Date: 16.03.2023
Instructor: Max Happel
MR-Methods for structural and functional brain imaging
Date: 02.03.2023
Instructor: Oliver Speck
Cognitive flexibility in laboratory rodents: experimental paradigms and neural basis
Date: 16.02.2023
Instructor: Markus Fendt
Ethical aspects of research with humans
Date: 02.02.2023
Instructor: Björn Schott
Functional neuroanatomy of temporal attention
Date: 19.01.2023
Instructor: Toemme Noesselt
IRTG Lectures 2022
Using sMRI Pattern Analysis in Ageing and Neurodegeneration
Date: 27.10.2022
Instructor: Gabriel Ziegler
Testing cognition and probing neural circuits in rodents
Date: 03.11.2022
Instructor: Oliver Stork
Beyond Peaks and Troughs: Multiplexed Performance Monitoring Signals in the EEG
Date: 17.11.2022
Instructor: Markus Ullsperger
Beyond Peaks and Troughs: Multiplexed Performance Monitoring Signals in the EEG
Date: 17.11.2022
Instructor: Markus Ullsperger
Functional neuroanatomy of attention control
Date: 01.12.2022
Instructor: Stefan Pollmann
IRTG Lectures 2021
Loosen the corset – brain ECM dynamics and cognitive flexibility
Date: 04.11.2021
Instructor: Constanze Seidenbecher
Spatial Cognition – a unique window into mechanisms of ageing and dementia
Date: 18.11.2021
Instructor: Thomas Wolbers
Cognitive Reserve
Date: 02.12.2021
Instructor: Gabriel Ziegler
Excitation-transcription coupling: An unexplored neural resource
Date: 20.01.2022
Instructor: Michael Kreutz
Mechanisms and emerging concepts of vascular cognitive impairment
Date: 03.02.2022
Instructor: Stefanie Schreiber
Neuropeptides controlling emotion and cognition
Date: 17.02.2022
Instructor: Anne Albrecht
Neural resources for spatial, temporal and event memories
Date: 03.03.2022
Instructor: Magdalena Sauvage
Training-induced plasticity in the human brain
Date: 17.03.2022
Instructor: Marco Taubert
Effects of Alzheimer’s Pathology on memory dysfunction in ageing
Date: 31.03.2022
Instructor: Anne Maass
Molecular mechanisms of neuroplasticity
Date: 14.04.2022
Instructor: Alexander Dityatev
Workshops
Our workshops are organised and hosted by PIs and Postdocs, comprising aspects of both human and animal research. Practical sessions are provided whenever possible to offer participants a hands-on experience with the techniques discussed during the theoretical part of the workshop by experts in the field. Covering a wide range of methods used within the CRC projects, these workshops serve as critical resources of joint learning, helping doctoral candidates to advance their own research projects by learning about different methodological approaches, thereby fostering collaboration and mutual understanding across projects. Further, the IRTG also supported doctoral candidates to attend external courses. In addition, three Postdocs of the CRC were supported to attend similar courses to advance their skills and knowledge.
IRTG Technical Workshops 2024
NEURAL CIRCUIT ANALYSIS TO TRACE ENGRAMS
Instructors: Dr. Michael Kreutz, Dr. Anna Karpova, Dr. Prof. Alexander Dityatev, Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sauvage, Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork.
Detailed information and the schedule of the workshop can be found here.
Schedule may change last-minute. Please check the information below for the most up-to-date information.
Theoretical Sessions
Date: 29. February 2024 I 09:00 a.m. – 13:00 p.m.
Location: IBIO – Room 001
| Time | Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| 9.10 – 9.50 | Functional circuit analysis with engram technologies. | Dr. Michael Kreutz |
| 9.50 – 10.30 | From mGRASP to SynapShot: exploring basic principles of molecular tools and applicability for defined questions. | Dr. Anna Karpova |
| 10.50 – 11.30 | Implementation of engram labelling in behavioral research using the robust activity marking (RAM) technology | Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork and Sara Enrile |
| 11.30 – 12.10 | Emergence and fate of memories: engram mapping based on Immediate-Early Gene (IEG) expression. | Prof. Dr. Magdalena Sauvage |
| 12.10 – 12.50 | Imaging engrams using two-photon calcium imaging. | Prof. Dr. Alexander Dityatev |
Practical Sessions
Registration for the practical session will take place on-site at the conclusion of the technical session.
Location: The practical sessions will be held in the laboratory of the respective Professor/Instructor.
| Date | Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| 5.-6.03.2024 | Engram mapping based on Immediate-Early Gene (IEG) expression | Magdalena Sauvage |
| 28.03.2024 | Implementation of engram labelling in behavioral research using the robust activity marking (RAM) technology | Sara Enrile Lacalle |
| 14.03.2024 | Imaging engrams using two-photon calcium imaging. | Stepan Aleshin |
| 7.03.2023 | From mGRASP to SynapShot: exploring basic principles of molecular tools and applicability for defined questions. | Anna Karpova |
IRTG Technical Workshops 2023
TOOLS AND PARADIGMS FOR PROBING COGNITION ACROSS SPECIES
Date: 04 – 05. May 2023 I 09:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Anne Albrecht, Prof. Dr. Frank Angenstein, Prof. Dr. Markus Fendt, Prof. Dr. Kristine Krug, Dr. Janelle Pakan, Prof. Dr. Thomas Wolbers
Location: IBIO – Room 203
Detailed information and the schedule of the workshop can be found here.
Advanced MRI Methods
Practical Sessions
Workshop: “Multimodal neuroimaging data analysis: an example for a fMRI-PET study”
Date: 22 February 2023 I 10:00 a.m. – 02:00 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Anne Maass
Location: DZNE – Room 121
Workshop: “7 Tesla MRI visit”
Date: 12 January 2023 I 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
16 January 2023 I 3:30 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Oliver Speck
Location: Haus 92 – 7 Tesla MRI
Workshop: “Software and tools to infer brain-behaviour correlations based on structural MRI data”
Date: 3 November 2022 I 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Nico Lehmann
Location: PC pool in OvGU building 40 D – Room 08
Workshop: “Perivascular Spaces Segmentation (PVS)”
Date: 28 October 2022 I 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Instructor: Jose Bernal Moyano
Location: IBIO – Seminar room: 001
Theoretical Sessions
Date: 04 October 2022
| Time | Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Introduction to MRI | Oliver Speck |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | fMRI and PET | Anne Maass |
| 14:15 – 15:15 | Structural MRI | Marco Taubert |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Vascular MRI | Stefanie Schreiber |
IRTG Technical Workshops 2022
Foundations of Bayesian Inference
Date: 05-07 October 2022 – Dirk Ostwald
| (0) Introduction | |
| (1) Foundations | |
| (2) Conjugate inference | |
| (3) Numerical inference | |
| (4) Variational inference |
.
State-of-the-art – EEG/MEG Analysis Workshop
Date: 13-17 June 2022
| Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|
| Introduction to FieldTrip, EEGlab – Preprocessing I | Max Stenner, Christian Merkel, Korka |
| Preprocessing II & III | Max Stenner, Christian Merkel |
| Spectral analysis | Stefan Dürschmid |
| SSVEP | Christian Merkel |
| Statistics | Max Stenner |
| Source analysis | Max Hopf |
| Multivariate analyses | Radoslaw Martin Cichy, Reichert |
| Connectivity analyses | Stefan Dürschmid |
| Visit to MEG labs | Nönnig, Knape |
| What to keep in mind when designing EEG/MEG research | Mandy Bartsch |
Neuro-image Modelling Workshop
Date: 21-24 March 2022
| Date | Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|---|
| 21-22 March 2022 | Introduction to fMRI Analysis (GLM) | Dirk Ostwald |
| 23-24 March 2022 | Basics on Predictive Modelling | Gabriel Ziegler |
IRTG External Courses 2024
Workshop “Career Path Development”
2 sessions:
- first session: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
- second session: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Date: 05.12.2024 and 17.01. 2025 | ZOOM
Instructor: Dr. Matthew J. Betts
Workshop “Grant Writing”
2 sessions: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Date: 21.11.2024 and 02.12.2024 | ZOOM
Instructor: Dr. Alexander Schiller
IRTG External Courses 2023
Mental Strategies – Stress Management Seminar for Doctoral Students (in cooperation with TK)
5 sessions: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
25.05.2023 Stress and its effects | in person
01.06.2023 Protect yourself from stress | ZOOM
08.06.2023 It’s all in the mind | ZOOM
15.06.2023 Manage stress successfully | ZOOM
29.06.2023 My doctoral journey | in person
Workshop “Advanced Python – Analysis and Visualization of Scientific Data”
Date: 13.-15.03.2023
Instructor: Dr. Alexander Britz
Workshop “Solving Conflicts in the Lab”
Date: 01.03.2023
Instructor: Dr. Imke Lode
Workshop “Oral Presentation Skills”
Date: 15.-16.02.2023
Instructor: Dr. Imke Lode
IRTG External Courses 2022
Workshop “Advanced Python – Analysis and Visualization of Scientific Data”
Date: 19.-21.11.2022
Instructor: Dr. Alexander Britz
Workshop “Writing Scientific Publications”
Date: 24.-25.11.2022
Instructor: Dr. Anne Wolfes
Workshop “Writing Scientific Publications”
Date: 10.-11.11.2022
Instructor: Dr. Anne Wolfes
Workshop “Time Management”
Date: 24.08.2022
Instructor: Dr. Anne Wolfes
Workshop “Entrepreneurship”
Date: 24.08.2022
Instructor: Dr. Gerald Böhm – TUGZ
Workshop “Designing Skills for Papers”
Date: 24.08.2022
Instructor: Philipp Jordan
Workshop “Mental Health during PhD”
Date: 23.08.2022
Instructor: Suzanne Maureen Jones
Workshop “Poster Design”
Date: 23.08.2022
Instructor: Philipp Jordan
Workshop “Research Data Management”
Date: 21.-22.02.2022
Instructor: Katarzyna Biernacka
German Language Courses
Date: 25.10-31.12.2022
Workshop “Research Data Management”
Date: 24.-25.01.2022
Instructor: Katarzyna Biernacka
IRTG External Courses 2021
Workshop “Good Scientific Practice”
Date: 22.11.2021
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Kliewer
Workshop “Good Scientific Practice”
Date: 19.11.2021
Instructor: Dr. Andrea Kliewer
Workshop “Research Data Management”
Date: 26.10.2021
Instructor: Katarzyna Biernacka
Workshop “Good Scientific Practice”
Date: 08.10.2021
Instructor: Barbara Witter
German Conversation Clubs
Date: 01.10.-31.12.2021
Retreats & Summerschools
Internal IRTG activities provide important anchor points for progress and quality control of the thesis projects. Milestones of each project are reported and discussed in annual IRTG retreats, which provide further opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange among our doctoral researchers. For many events such as the IRTG Summer School, doctoral researchers actively shape the program by selecting lectures and workshops aligned with their needs. The coordinator then facilitates the envisioned schedule, plan the event and involve the doctoral candidates in organisational tasks.
IRTG Retreat / 30. September – 02. October 2024
SCHULZENS Hotel & Brauerei Tangermünde
The final IRTG Retreat of the first funding period has come to an end, and it was held in the wonderful Tangermünde at the SCHULZENS Hotel & Brauerei from 30.09. to 02.10.2024.
All participants presented project updates through 5-minute Flash Talks, which were carefully timed by Lara (special thanks for that!), engaged in a lively discussion about AI in academia, worked on their projects, and relaxed during the brewery tour.
All attendees were gifted a one-year Nature Masterclass licence to access online courses of their choice, and the two most-voted Flash Talk presenters, Margarita Darna and Lisa Sempf, will receive further support by the IRTG for a workshop of their choice.
IRTG Retreat / 27.-29. September 2023
Schloss Schkopau
This year’s IRTG retreat took place at Schkopau Castle in Saxony-Anhalt from September 27 to 29, 2023.
The focus of this event was the scientific exchange among the doctoral students, to strengthen the potential for future cooperation between the sub-projects of the CRC1436.
IRTG Retreat / 01.-03. June 2022
Hotel Wasserschloss Westerburg
This year our IRTG Retreat took place in the Hotel Wasserschloss Westerburg. We took opportunity to review the current status of our educational activities and the research results of our members. The PhD students, MD fellows and postdocs of each project presented and discussed their recent research outcomes, as well as technical challenges and possible collaborations.
IRTG Kick-Off Meeting / 01.-03. September 2021
K6 Seminar Hotel, Halberstadt
We welcomed our new PhD students and postdocs of CRC 1436 at our Kick-Off Meeting. We took the opportunity to get to know each other and introduce the IRTG graduate program. In addition, students gave presentations on their research topics and made initial contacts for future collaborations.
IRTG Neuroscience Summer School 2022
Our first summer school, organized by our PhD students, took place from August 22nd to 24th, 2022 in Festung Mark and enabled more than 60 young researchers to expand their knowledge in neuroscience and to network with their peers.
We hosted Prof. Dr. Martin Fuhrmann (DZNE Bonn – Germany), Prof. Dr. Marloes Henckens (Donders Institute – Netherlands), Dr. Christian Schnell (Cell Press-UK), Dr. Chiara de Lucia (King’s College London – UK), Dr. Nahid Zokaei (University of Oxford – UK), Dr. Eider Arenaza Urquijo (Barcelona Beta Brain Research Center – Spain), six high-profile scientists from across Europe. We appreciate their exciting lectures and the opportunity to expand our knowledge at all levels of neuroscience!
Moreover, we had great highlight workshops on Poster Design, Open Data & BIDS, Mental Health during PhD, Design Skills for Scientific Papers, Time management and Entrepreneurship.
In our panel discussion „Growing up in Science“, Prof. Dr. Anne Albrecht, Dr. Chiara de Lucia and Dr. Philipp Jordan gave valuable insights into their experiences inside and outside of academy and exchanged perspectives on future career opportunities for young scientists.
We thank all our invited guests for sharing their valuable research experiences and for the inspiring career tips they gave to the young researchers. Finally, we would like to thank our organising committee for the great success, who stayed motivated from start to finish and took care of every detail individually.
For more information check our flyer and the schedule.
Speakers
Keynote Lectures:
- “How AD affects the brain from sub cellular to network level – lessons from animal experiments” – Prof Dr Martin Fuhrmann – DZNE Bonn – Germany
- “Inter-individual differences in stress susceptibility: what can we learn from animal models?”– Prof Dr Marloes Henckens – Donders Institute – Netherlands
- “Negative results” – Dr Christian Schnell – Cell Press
- “Adult neurogenesis across time” – Dr Chiara de Lucia – King’s College London – UK
- “Memory and Attention” – Dr Nahid Zokaei – University of Oxford – UK
- “Cognitive Reserve” – Dr Eider Arenaza Urquijo – Barcelona Beta Brain Research Center (BBRC) – Spain
Panel Discussions:
Workshops:
- Poster design – Dr Philipp Jordan
- Open Data & BIDS – Prof Dr Dirk Ostwald
- Mental Health during PhD- Suzanne Jones
- Designing skills for scientific papers – Dr Philipp Jordan
- Entrepreneurship – Dr Gerald Böhm
- Time management – Dr Anne Wolfes
Clubs and Student organized Events
Based on the initiative of our IRTG doctoral candidates, informal events like the monthly IRTG Coding Club – a regular peer meeting to support to each other with coding challenges – was established. The IRTG organised the Brainhack event 2024, a coding event format recognised worldwide that welcomes participants from all disciplines and with any level of experience to foster collaborative work among doctoral candidates on campus. Our IRTG is dedicated to scientific outreach, as we consider it our responsibility to inform and educate the public about research on neural resources of cognition and educate people about animal experiments. IRTG members are involved in the CRC participants’day for our study participants, presenting their research at science slams and during the Long Night of Science.
CRC 1436 IRTG Afterwork Get-Together 2025
From June 2025 on, the IRTG & DZNE Rep’s hosts a monthly reoccurring relaxed evening gathering at building 64, welcoming students, Hiwis, researchers, and staff from the SFB1436 and across the neuroscience community of OvGU. With games, drinks, snacks, and lively conversation, the event provides an ideal setting for informal networking and interdisciplinary exchange. The get-together fosters connection between new and established members, emphasizing the importance of community in research environments. The events will highlight an ongoing commitment to collaboration, inclusion, and scientific dialogue beyond the labs.
Pint of Science 2025
The Pint of Science event held on May 19-20, 2025, in Magdeburg, delved into the intricate mechanisms of memory, perception, and cognitive control.
Prof. Dr. Janelle Pakan discussed how the brain constructs reality through predictive processes, highlighting the illusory nature of perception. Mariano Diaz Rivera examined the neural underpinnings of inhibitory control, emphasizing the brain’s role in processing negation and self-regulation. Dr. Erika Atucha Trevino, OWN-Award winner 2023, explored the hippocampus’s function in memory retention and forgetting, shedding light on why certain memories persist while others fade.
The second night of the Pint of Science 2025 festival in Magdeburg, titled “Gehirn unter der Lupe: Von Maus-Hirnen und Molekül-Magie,” featured three neuroscientific presentations exploring learning mechanisms, neuroimaging in Alzheimer’s research, and intracellular signaling pathways. Prof. Dr. Eike Budinger discussed how effective learning depends on the coordinated activation of brain networks, utilizing behavioral tests and ultrahigh-field MRI in mice to study neural activity patterns associated with learning efficiency. Dr. Berta García García highlighted the role of nuclear medicine techniques in Alzheimer’s disease research, emphasizing their importance in understanding the disease’s complexities. Dr. Sebastian Samer illustrated the journey of the protein Jacob from synapse to nucleus, elucidating its role in maintaining neuronal plasticity through interactions with transport proteins and signaling molecule.
After the successful premiere of the format last year, the second edition of the “Pint of Science” can also be considered a success for all involved.
IRTG Coding Club
The IRTG Coding Club, organised by students for students, gathers every 3rd Wednesday of the month (with occasional exceptions) to offer support with coding challenges in an easygoing environment. Whether someone is new to coding or familiar with it, everyone is welcome to join for a relaxed, question-friendly space to collaboratively address coding issues.
Participants are also welcomed to invite speakers to address specific topics and learn new methods. No registration required.
For more details regarding the location and upcoming dates, please contact our coordination-team
IRTG Brainhack 2024
The IRTG was the organiser of the 2024 edition of Brainhack Magdeburg!
The Brainhack is a format of event that encourages everyone to learn and practice coding in their specific field of interest in a collaborative environment. Our event focused on analysing block-design human fMRI , neuronal recording and protein expression datasets. Three IRTG students (Avinash Kalyani, Anwesha Das, Aditya Nemali) lead the working groups and presented the results on the last day of the event.
During the two days, Dr. Gabriel Ziegler introduced participants to the basics of fMRI analysis and Dr. Davide Ciliberti discussed real-time detection of hippocampal replay patterns for closed-loop experiments.
For more details on the datasets used please visit the brainhack website.
The organisation team: Anwesha Das, Martin Matke, Avinash Kalyani, Aditya Nemali, Margarita Darna
The organisers provided also documentation for the participants to ensure their laptop were ready to go for the event!
Dataset 1 – Protein expression Setup Guide
Dataset 2 – Neuronal recording in mice Access to the dataset & Setup Guide
Dataset 3 – Human fMRI Setup Guide
Pint of Science 2024
The Pint of Science took place in Magdeburg for the very first time! Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Sara Lacalle and two IRTG members, Marina Leimann and Sebastian Samer, the Pint Of Science festival became a reality in Magdeburg for the first time. The IRTG was delighted to be an official supporter of this initiative, a global science festival held in pubs and bars worldwide to make science more approachable and enjoyable for everyone. In this inaugural edition at Hyde Pub, four engaging speakers presented in English or German, ensuring that everyone felt included in the fun and learning experience.
Awards and Achievements
Here you find achievements, prizes and awards of our IRTG students:
- Christoph Knoll – MED doctoral scholarship by Commission for the Promotion of Young Scientists of the Medical Faculty of Otto von Guericke University. The doctoral scholarship will run from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024
- Parthiban Saravanakumar – 2nd prize in the Flash talk at ENCODS (24th June 2024, Vienna)
- Bahrd Philip Bernard – Granted the Alzheimer’s Doctoral Scholarship from the Hans and Ilse Breuer Stiftung – Starting February 2024
- Anwesha Das – travel grant and NCM award for April 2024 at NCM (Society for Neural Control of Movement) meeting in Dubrovnik
- Anna Felsberg – travel grant by the Nachwuchsförderung of the Med OvGU for attending the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) conference
- Joans Marquardt – travel grant by DZNE Stiftung for attending AAIC
- Vockert, Niklas – conference registration fellowship (August 2022)
- Marina Leiman
- LOM doctoral scholarship by the Medical Faculty of Otto von Guericke University. The scholarship is for the best performance-oriented researchers
- FME Doctoral Scholarships
- Travel grant for 4th Workshop on Research Definitions for Reserve and Resilience in Cognitive Aging & Dementia (Bethesda, USA)
Nature® Masterclass
As part of our commitment to supporting the professional development of our graduate students, the IRTG provide subscriptions to the Nature® Masterclasses on-demand training platform. Nature® Masterclasses offers training from world-class experts with research background and leading Nature® Portfolio Editors. All courses are designed to help researchers learn at their own pace and grow their research skills, confidence, and careers, from research design to writing, publishing and sharing research, to effective networking, collaboration and career development and with certificates awarded after completion.
Not sure which Nature® Masterclasses course to take?
Take a moment to take the quiz to find out which course are recommended for your phase of PhD.