Research
Research
Major depressive disorder (MDD) imposes a huge burden on both patients and society as it is a chronic severe and disabling disease. Treatment for MDD started approximately 60 years ago with the first antidepressants (AD) and evolved quickly in its options but still bears some limitations. Beside distinct side effects, the onset of action of AD usually requires several weeks of treatment which often leads to a lack of compliance in patients with 30 % not responding to treatment at all. Thus, an optimized AD treatment and novel AD strategies are desperately needed.
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In this context, my main research interest is to reveal detailed neuro-behavioural mechanisms underlying MDD in validated animal models like inherent anxiety or chronic psychosocial stress in a gender-dependent context to optimize AD treatment. Further, I aim to identify new targets relevant for AD treatment by analysing changes in expression patterns of specific markers during chronic stress and drug treatment as well as test the effectiveness of novel ADs by means of behavioural and molecular techniques combined with pharmacological and/ or genetic manipulation.
Profile
Profile
2014 to date:
PhD student in neurobiology in Prof. Neumann's laboratory, Institute of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg
2012-2014
M.Sc. in Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences (ECN) at the University of Regensburg (Master thesis: “The receptor-mediated molecular mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic activity of Neuropeptide S in male adult Wistar rats”)
2009-2012
B.Sc. in Biology at the University of Regensburg (Bachelor thesis: “Effects of oxytocin on social defeat-induced social avoidance in female Wistar rats”)
born April 4th 1990 in Regensburg, Germany
