Univ.Prof. Dr.med. MSC PhD Balazs HANGYA
Medical University of Vienna
Center for Brain Research, Division of Neurophysiology
Hangya-Lab
Programm
“Cross-species investigation of learning in health and neurodegenerative disease”
We are interested in the neural mechanisms of cognition, especially learning, attention and decision making, including both healthy functions and disease mechanisms. To address these, we mostly use mouse models and conduct human studies. Tackling complex neurodegenerative diseases requires complex experimental approaches. We studied fruit flies carrying mutations designed to model aspects of Parkinson’s disease (PD), to harness the superior genetic tractability of Drosophila melanogaster. We developed a single-animal trial-based assay to probe the behavioral repertoire of flies and provide means to efficiently screen mutations potentially relevant for human disease in the future. While early diagnosis is becoming a primary goal to best utilize existing and newly developed therapies, specific animal models of early-stage disease are sparse. Therefore, we developed a mouse model of early PD by inducing partial lesions of midbrain dopaminergic neurons using a single graded-dose intra-striatal injection of the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine, which allows us to gain mechanistic insight into early phase changes associated with PD. Finally, to address human PD, we need to better understand the underlying neuronal mechanisms in the human brain. Therefore, we recorded single neurons of the human subthalamic nucleus, a key basal ganglia node implicated in PD, to understand how cognitive functions are altered by both PD and PD therapy. We also use mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease to better understand age- and disease-related cholinergic disfunction.
Host: Michael FISCHER
Contact for questions: Helmut KUBISTA