SynAGE approved for another 4.5 years
After a positive evaluation at the beginning of February 2023, the DFG’s Grants Committee has now approved the 2nd funding period for our RTG. Starting from July 2023, we will …
Our Research Training Group 2413 is an innovate research program funded by the DFG. We – 13 PhD students and their PIs – are dealing with the idea that cognitive decline in normal aging results from synaptic dysbalances. Hence, we are highly motivated to shed more light on altered synaptic proteostasis, dysfunctions of the immune system, altered functionality of the multipart synapse and changes in neuromodulation. | Unsere Graduiertenschule RTG 2413 ist ein von der DFG gefördertes innovatives Forschungsprogramm. Wir – das sind 13 Promotionsstudenten und ihre Betreuer – verfolgen die Idee, dass kognitiver Leistungsabfall während des normalen Alterns auf einem synaptischen Ungleichgewicht beruht. Deshalb wollen wir im Alter auftretende Prozesse wie veränderte synaptische Proteostase, Fehlfunktionen des Immunsystems, veränderte Funktionalität der Synapse und Veränderungen der Neuromodulation besser verstehen. | Notre école doctorale 2413 est un programme de recherche innovant financé par le DFG. Nous – 13 doctorants et leurs superviseurs – poursuivons des recherches sur l’idée que le déclin cognitif pendant un vieillissement normal est le résultat de déséquilibres synaptiques. C’est pourquoi nous voulons apporter de nouvelles informations sur l’altération de l’homéostasie protéique au niveau synaptique, les dysfonctionnements du système immunitaire, l’altération des fonctions de la synapse et les changements de la neuromodulation. | Nuestro Grupo de formacion en investigación 2413 es un innovador programa de investigación financiado por la DFG. Nosotros – 13 estudiantes de doctorado y sus IP – tratamos con la idea de que el deterioro cognitivo en el envejecimiento normal se debe a desequilibrios sinápticos. Por lo tanto, estamos muy motivados en arrojar más luz sobre proteostasis sináptica alterada, disfunciones del sistema inmunológico, la funcionalidad alterada de la sinapsis multiparte y cambios en la neuromodulación. | Il nostro Research Training Group 2413 è un innovativo programma di ricerca finanziato dalla DFG. Noi – 13 studenti di dottorato e il loro IP – trattiamo l’idea che il declino cognitivo nel normale invecchiamento sia dovuto a squilibri sinaptici. Pertanto, siamo molto motivati a gettare più luce sulla protestasi sinaptica alterata, disfunzioni del sistema immunitario, alterata funzionalità della sinapsi multiparti e cambiamenti nella neuromodulazione.
SynAGE RTG Statistics PublicationsOur steering committee consists of our spokesperson, our vice-spokesperson, 2 PIs, our coordinator, a student´s ombudsperson (PI or postdoc, elected by our students) and 2 student representatives (1 PhD and 1 MD student). The members of the steering committee are committed to report to the DFG, mediate in case of conflicts, coordinate public outreach, manage all administrative hurdles and organize the educational program.
Prof. Dr. Daniela Dieterich
Spokesperson RTG2413, Dean of the Medical Faculty, Director of the Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, & PI of Neural Plasticity and Communication
The work in my lab concentrates on the molecular and cellular underpinnings of protein homeostasis at the multipartite synapse and their consequences for brain function during aging. My major goals within the graduate program SynAGE is to guide young scientists along their ways to develop their very own line of research, to support the intersection of ideas across disciplines, and thereby to catalyze discovery.
Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork
Head of the Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, OVGU
My work is devoted to the understanding of molecular mechanisms that mediate information processing in the brain and the control of behavior. In my group we are particularly interested in long-term change in GABAergic interneurons that control local circuit activity as well as extended network activity patterns in the limbic brain system. Our focus lies on unraveling the intracellular pathways controlling homeostatic plasticity in both GABAergic and their excitatory target neurons. We address the role of these cells with molecular and physiological tools in cell culture, genetically manipulated mice and following acut viral interventions.
Prof. Dr. Constanze Seidenbecher
Committee member, LIN
I am a group leader at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) Magdeburg. My scientific interests are devoted to synaptic molecules and the brain extracellular matrix and their role in neuroplasticity and cognitive functions.
I am member of the Board of directors of the Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS) Magdeburg, steering committee member of the SFB „Neurobiology of motivated behavior“ and deputy speaker of the graduate school ABINEP. In 2019 I was elected as council member of the International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN).
My aim is to further support excellent young scientists – with a special focus on female researchers – by connecting, inspiring and promoting young careers in SynAGE and beyond.
Dr. Michael R. Kreutz
Committee member, LIN
My research in NPlast in Magdeburg and DOF in Hamburg is concerned with fundamental questions on how synapses communicate with the nucleus, how gene activity-dependent gene expression feeds back to synaptic function and how this is related to the formation of a cellular engram and last but not least how the nanoscale organization of the synapse determines functional properties in the context of learning and memory. We use a multi-disciplinary approach with studies ranging from single molecules to in vivo animal experimentation. We also address translational aspects where we try to understand whether the processes that we investigate might be relevant for disease. The Leibniz Group ‚Dendritic Organelles and Synaptic Function‘ at the ZMNH in Hamburg investigates how microsecretory systems and organelles in neurites are involved in synaptic function. We are interested in organelles like autophagosomes, lysosomes, and Golgi satellites and their local contribution to neurotransmission.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Anne Albrecht
PI at Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, OVGU & Ombudsperson SynAGE
My work aims for understanding neuronal mechanisms of stress resilience and vulnerability. Usually individuals cope well with aversive experiences, but if they become too intense or last too long, stress-induced neuropsychopathologies such as anxiety disorders or depression can occur. Using different models of stress in juvenile and adult rodents, we study how stress across the life span affects anxiety, learning and memory. Specifically we are interested on how such stress experiences shape local GABAergic interneuron circuits, signaling by modulatory neuropeptides as well as astrocyte-neuron-interactions in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. To that end, we utilize biochemical and molecular tools such as high-resolution gene expression analysis with laser microdissection and quantitative PCR and combine it with testing emotional and cognitive functions in transgenic mice and after acute pharmacological and viral interventions.
Elisa Lancini
PhD Candidate Project 12, SynAGE PhD Representative
My work focuses on the role of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems in age-related episodic memory decline. Specifically, I investigate whether L-DOPA administration improves memory consolidation in healthy older adults. Furthermore, I will explore to what extent the variance of the MTL, the volume of medial temporal lobe memory structures and the volume/signal intensity of SN and LC mediate the memory outcomes.
Miguel del Angel
PhD Candidate Project 2, SynAGE PhD Representative
A good maintenance of autophagy has been linked to longer lifespan, and reduced age-related diseases in many model organisms, In my PhD project I am trying to find novel pathways that regulate this process, as well as potential interventions that could prevent cognitive impairment during ageing. For that, I use neuronal culture, as well as protein biochemistry and behavioural experiments.
Lena Haag
MD Candidate Project 12, SynAGE MD Representative
In my project I am focusing on the noradrenergic neuromodulatory system especially in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. I use volume measures of specific brain regions reflecting a noradrenergic high or low content and analyze their associations to possible disease predicting factors CSF biomarkers, genetic and external risk factors in healthy and non-healthy elderly subjects within a structural equation model.
Dr. Anika Dirks
Scientific Coordination of RTG 2413 SynAGE
After studying Biochemistry at the Martin Luther University Halle, I did my PhD in Molecularbiology and Neurochemistry at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiologie Magdeburg. During that time, my life focused on the presynapse-to-nucleus shuttling protein CtBP1.
Since 2017, I have worked as scientific coordinator at LIN and OVGU, especially at the center for behavioral brain sciences cbbs and the cbbs graduate program. I like to help young motivated students to complete their MD or PhD, which I am looking forward to continue and intensify at SynAGE.
Sandra Schinkel
Project assistant
Since June 2021 I am supporting Prof. Dr. Daniela Dieterich and SynAGE especially in financial concerns. I am looking forward to work with and assist young scientists on their way to become independent reseachers.
The aim of the CBBS graduate program is to connect students from the Otto von Guericke University (OVGU), the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
Under the umbrella of the Otto von Guericke Graduate Academy (OVG-GA), you can find on their webpage useful information about upcoming events on the campus dealing with neuroscience, they organize lectures focusing on state-of-the-art methods used in neuroscience and organize social events.
Magdeburg connects Life-Scientists and Alumnae
Are you life-scientist? Are you connected to Magdeburg? Are you interested in networking with other researchers, join our events, be a mentor or seek one, share experiences about dual career or the balance of career and family? Then join our network via www.fsn.ovgu.de!
The goal of the FSN is to connect all life-scientists associated to Magdeburg- independent whether Magdeburg was the starting point, an intermediate stop or the goal of your career.
The task of the network is to connect alumnae and currently in Magdeburg working scientists, to win them as role models or mentors for future junior scientists and to highlight various career paths inside and outside academia.
The Female Scientists Network is a project funded by the CRC 854, RTG 2408 and RTG 2413. It started in June 2019.
SynAGE Lecture Series „Clinically Relevant“
17.01.2023 – 5th Plenary Assembly
08.12.2022 – Brainhack Magdeburg 2022
15.11.2022 – (Post-)Doctoral Researchers Assembly
15.11.2022 – FSN Mentoring Kick Off – What mentoring offers me!
20.-22.09.2022 – Annual Female Career Days
08.06.2022 – Workshop on „Advanced EEG Analyses“ (M. Ullsperger)
24.05.2022 – FSN: Female Network Evening – Meet neotiv
28.-30.03.2022 – ISYNC: International SynAGE Conference on Healthy Ageing
11.03.2022 – Workshop on „High-resolution live-imaging“
08. and 10.03.2022 – Workshop on „Good Scientific Practice“
07.-08.12.2021 – Local Brainhack Magdeburg 2021
24.11.2021 – GRK 2408 & GRK 2413 Satellite Symposium
29.10.2021 – FSN Mentoring Kick-Off
22.-24.09.2021 – SynAGE Neuroscience Summer School
08.-10.06.2021 – Career Day(s) 2021: Perspectives for Women in Life Sciences
04.06.2021 – ProMoAge & SynAGE Kick Off
06.05.2021 – 4th Plenary Assembly
19.-20.04.2021 – Meet the scientist – „Successful Postdoc-Funding in Europe“ with Dr. Katja Reinhard – for females only
25.03.2021 – Bioinformatics Workshop on „How to analyze the synaptic proteome“
05.03.2021 – Workshop on „Preclinical Research with Mouse Models“
05.-06.11.2020 – RTG 2413 SynAGE Retreat 2020
02.10.2020 – 3rd Plenary Assembly
10.09.2020 – Workshop on metabolic labeling strategies, proteomics and protein analytics
10.06.2020 – Students Plenary Assembly
02.03.2020 – Satellite Workshop on the Learning and Memory Symposium
08.10.2019 – 2nd Plenary Assembly
22.-23.05.2019 – RTG 2413 SynAGE Kick-Off Meeting
19.02.2019 – 1st Plenary Assembly
25.-26.10.2018 – Recruitment Symposium
After a positive evaluation at the beginning of February 2023, the DFG’s Grants Committee has now approved the 2nd funding period for our RTG. Starting from July 2023, we will …
More than 10 SynAGE PhD and MD candidates got the chance to join ENCODS, the European Neuroscience Conference by Doctoral Students, to present and discuss their data with young neuroscientists. The …
Today we successfully started our monthly Squad meetings with lectures by external guests and tandem talks by our PhD candidates, PIs and Postdocs.
Our call for an international mentoring for female scientists is now online! Female SynAGE PhD and MD candidates can apply for up to 5.000 € travel budget to build up an international network, gain experience from successful international PIs and to explore career options in academia. The mentoring will start with an intense time in the lab of the (female or male) mentor and will be accompanied before and after the lab visit by individual career coaching sessions. …
Congratulations to Alex (TP13), who successfully defended is PhD thesis! And after your explanations, we are sure to never ever forget your name! 😉
Congratulations to our SynAGE members Gürsel Caliskan, Miguel del Angel, Sara Enrile, Johannes Steffen, Ildiko Dunay and Oliver Stork being awarded with the CBBS Paper of the Year 2021. More …
SynAGE enabled many PhD students to attend the FENS Forum 2022- an international conference, which brought together more than 7,890 neuroscientists from 92 countries in Paris, France. Some impressions by …
Our PhD candidate Tabea Linde from project 5 was interviewed by www.hochschul-job.de about her daily life as a doctoral candidate, being part of SynAGE and her career goals. You can …
Transformation into a scientist for one night. On June 11, 2022, the Long Night of Science took place in Magdeburg and our PhD and MD candidates introduced neuroscience to all …