We are pleased to announce that four outstanding researchers have been awarded fellowships of 15.000 Euro each as part of the IN-CODE initiative. These awards recognize the exceptional quality and potential impact of their proposed research projects. The following fellows and their respective projects have been selected for this honor:

Chotima Böttcher: Regional heterogeneity of human interneurons

Claudia Böhm: The role of GABAergic interneuroons in the lasting impact of early life adversity

Antje Kilias: Enhancer-mediated chemogenetic activation of interneurons in the medial septum as a potential anti-epileptic stimulation (EMStim)

Anna Schröder: Mapping neuronal diversity in the inhibitory zona incerta using spatial transcriptomics

Dr. Matthias Haberl dives into the fascinating intersections between artificial intelligence and neuroscience in their latest piece for the NWG Journal Neuroforum. Discover the insights and ideas on page 19—link below.

https://nwg-info.de/sites/nwg-info.de/files/media/pdf/neuroforum/Neuroforum_02-2024.pdf

Gamze Güney and Dr. Svenja Steinfelder (Poulet lab) captivated young minds at the Heinrich-Schliemann-Gymnasium and Kurt-Tucholsky-Oberschule in Berlin, sharing the wonders of their science (Dec 2024 & Jan 2025). They also illuminated their research for a wide audience at the Planetarium Berlin, inspiring curiosity  for science in the community (Dec 2024).

https://www.mdc-berlin.de/de/news/events/svenja-steinfelder-gamze-guney-kalter-schnee-heisse-schokolade-wie-unser-korper

In October 2024, Prof. Bartos undertook a one-month sabbatical in Boston to deepen collaborations with researchers known for their outstanding contribution in areas of interneuron development, interneuron-glia interactions, and the structural and functional dynamics of cortical interneurons. At Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Brandeis University, Prof. Bartos met with Prof. Gina Turringano, Prof. Elly Nevidi, Prof. Eve Marder and Prof. Amar Sahay (to name a few) sharing insights on recent advancements in the field and cutting-edge methodologies. Prof. Bartos also attended the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Chicago.

Dr. Anna Schroeder, a neuroscientist and postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Prof. Dr. Johannes Letzkus at the Institute of Physiology, Dept. I, was awarded an ERC starting grant for her project CERTASTATES. In this project, she will investigate how internal states drive behavioral flexibility with a focus on the neural circuits of the subthalamic zona incerta. Motivated by the fact that this little studied brain region is one of few established targets for deep brain stimulation in humans, the project also aims to explore how clinically-applied neuromodulation can transform state-driven computations with the aim to develop new therapeutic directions for psychiatric disease. To achieve these goals, Dr. Schroeder will employ cutting-edge molecular, cellular and circuit-level technologies in mouse models together with diverse behavioral paradigms and advanced machine learning techniques. CERTASTATES will be carried out at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich, where, as of April 2025, Dr. Schroeder will be a tenure-track W2 Professor of Systemic Neuroscience.

For the official ERC press releases, click here and here.

The METIS network provides advice on how to promote gender equality, diversity and family friendliness in academic work environments in accordance to DFG guidelines.

You can browse the METIS page to see what other research associations did in terms of Gender and Diversity measures and approach the IN-CODE Gender and Diversity (GD) representatives with your inquiry.

METIS: https://www.metis.hu-berlin.de/