Behavioural Neuroanatomy
Dr. rer nat. Andreas Schaefer
(Ruf angenommen 2010, voraussichtl. Antritt 2011 / expected start date 2011)
2010 Accepted offer of research chair “Neuroscience” at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Heidelberg
Since 2008 group leader in the Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research
2007-2008 David Philips Fellow and group leader, Department of Physiology, University College London, UK
2004-2007 Postdoctoral work in the Department of Physiology, University College London, UK and Department of Biology, Carnegie-Mellon-University Pittsburgh, USA
2001-2004 PhD MPI for Medical Research, Heidelberg
2000-2001 Research Fellow Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, UK
1995-2000 Undergraduate and graduate work University Heidelberg (Major Physics)
Introduction
The group “Functional Neuroanatomy of Behaviour” is being established at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology. We are currently at the MPI for Medical Research (please see 
our group website) and expect to move to the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology in 2011. We aim to understand how complex behaviour emerges from the properties of molecules, cells and ensembles of cells. The model employed is the olfactory system of mice. To understand how smells are processed we modify specific selected brain areas - in particular the olfactory bulb - using transgenic mice, pharmacological tools or targeted virus injections. We then probe how these specific modifications alter the neural networks and the resulting cellular function and physiology in vivo and in vitro. Ultimately, we perform quantitative behavioural tasks in such modified mice. Combining these genetic, physiological, anatomical and behavioural techniques with computational modelling approaches we aim to elucidate the cellular basis of olfactory behaviour and ultimately more general complex behaviours.
Selected publications
Abraham, N. M., Egger, V., Shimshek, D. R., Renden, R., Fukunaga, I., et al. (2010). Synaptic Inhibition in the Olfactory Bulb Accelerates Odor Discrimination in Mice. Neuron, 65 (3), 399-411.
Arenz, A., Silver, A., Schaefer, A. T., and Margrie, T. W. (2008). The Contribution of Single Synapses to Sensory Representation in Vivo. Science 321:5891, 977-980
Schaefer,A.T., and Margrie,T. W. (2007). Spatio-temporal representations in the olfactory system. Trends in Neurosciences, 30: 92-100
Schaefer,A. T., Helmstaedter, M., Schmitt, A. C., Bar-Yehuda, D., Almog, M., Ben-Porat,H., Sakmann, B. and Korngreen, A. (2007). Dendritic voltage-gated K+ conductance gradient in neocortical pyramidal neurones. Journal of Physiology 579: 737-752
Schaefer, A. T., Angelo, K., Spors, H., and Margrie, T. W. (2006). Neuronal oscillations enhance stimulus discrimination by ensuring action potential precision. PLoS Biology, 4:e163
Shimshek,D. R., Bus, T., Kim, J., Mihaljevic, A., Mack, V., Seeburg, P. H., Sprengel, R., and Schaefer, A. T. (2005). Enhanced Odor Discrimination and Impaired Olfactory Memory by Spatially Controlled Switch of AMPA Receptors. PLoS Biology, 3:e354
Waters, J., Schaefer, A. T. and Sakmann, B. (2005). Backpropagating action potentials in neurones: measurement, mechanisms and potential functions. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 87: 145-170
Abraham,N., Spors, H., Carleton, A., Margrie, T. W., Kuner, T., and Schaefer, A. T. (2004) Maintaining accuracy at the expense of speed: Stimulus similarity defines odor discrimination time in mice. Neuron 44: 865-876
Schaefer,A.T., Helmstaedter,M., Sakmann,B. and Korngreen,A. (2003). Correction of Conductance Measurements in Non-Space-Clamped Structures: 1. Voltage-Gated K(+)-channels. Biophysical Journal 84:3508-28
Schaefer, A. T., Larkum, M. E., Sakmann, B., and Roth, A. (2003). Coincidence detection in pyramidal neurons is tuned by their dendritic branching pattern. Journal of Neurophysiology 89:3143-3154
Margrie, T. W. and Schaefer, A. T. (2003). Theta oscillation coupled spike latencies yield computational vigour in a mammalian sensory system. Journal of Physiology, 546:363-374.
Margrie, T. W., Meyer,A. H., Caputi, A., Monyer, H., Hasan, M. T., Schaefer, A. T., Denk, W. and Brecht, M. (2003). Targeted whole-cell recordings in the Mammalian brain in vivo. Neuron, 39:911-918