PD Dr. Conny Kopp-Scheinpflug
Main Focus
Neurons are perfectly
tuned to congregate biologically relevant information from synaptic inputs.
This process is under permanent activity-dependent control mediated by
neuromodulators, which can temporarily sway the neural processing by changing
the properties of the membrane receptors, transporters and ion channels
involved in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. Our laboratory is
interested in how ambient sensory stimulation activates neuromodulators and how
these then influence the processing of relevant information.
We use the mammalian auditory system as a model and apply a variety of
electrophysiological (single cell in vivo and patch clamp in brain slices) and
histological techniques to study how hyper- or hypo stimulation lead to
acquisition/loss of function. We hope that knowing more about these mechanisms
will reveal new targets for the treatment of functional disorders of neuronal
excitability.
Accepting PhD students in 2025: To be determined.