A09 – Mnemonic resources of the mammillary body

A09

graphical abstract A09 2025-2028

The mammillary body (MB) is one of the hippocampus’ main projection targets and plays a major role in the processing of episodic memories. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, hippocampal function deteriorates while the MB remains relatively unaffected. Project A09 aims to unlock potential reserve mechanisms in the MB to improve memory processing in the diseased brain. We already pioneered single-cell in vivo calcium imaging to understand MB mnemonic coding properties. We will use neural activity manipulations to enhance hippocampus–MB functional connectivity.

Principal Investigators

CRC 1436 member Oliver Barnstedt

Dr. Oliver Barnstedt

CRC member Anne Petzold

Dr. Anne Petzold

Dr. Oliver Barnstedt

Oliver Barnstedt is head of the junior research group “Cellular and Synaptic Mechanisms of Engram Formation” at the Institute of Biology at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg and he has a second affiliation at the European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen (ENI-G) where he is leading the junior research group “Multiscale Circuit Analysis”. He obtained his PhD at the University in Oxford in the laboratory of Prof. Scott Waddell, before learning to perform two-photon calcium imaging in the hippocampus of moving mice in the group of Prof. Stefan Remy, during his postdoctoral training.

His research aims to understand the circuit-level dynamics between hippocampal neurons and downstream projection targets, and how their interactions allow memories to be processed and transformed into adaptive behaviour. For this, his group is using advanced optical tools like in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, and circuit tracing, alongside machine learning and computer vision algorithms.

Publications of the project A09