Unravelling mechanisms of cytoskeletal regulation that control neuronal health and disease

Axons are the slender, often meter-long processes of neurons which electrically wire the brain. These delicate structures are up to a meter long and need to be maintained for decades. Parallel bundles of microtubules (MTs) form their structural backbones and life-sustaining transport highways. Disregulation of MTs is linked to various neurodevelopmental and -degenerative diseases. We aim to understand how MT dynamics are coordinated and how misregulation leads to defects in neuronal function and decay. Using Drosophila combinatorial genetics, primary neuron cultures, imaging and physiology will allow us to dissect molecular mechanisms how coordination of MT dynamics regulates neuronal morphology as well as function, and subsequently understand how this is affected in neuronal disorders. We will then aim to test if these mechanisms are conserved in rodent neurons. You will be trained in functional genetics, high resolution microscopy, live-imaging, cell culture, biochemical analysis and physiological readouts. Understanding these mechanisms will allow us to consider novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegerative disease like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

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