How synapses form to wire neurons into networks is a fundamental question of neuroscience. We pursue four long-term goals to understand this process. First, we define on molecular and cellular levels the signals that induce synapse formation. Second, we elucidate the intracellular pathways that control synaptogenesis. Third, we determine how the experience-dependent remodeling of neuronal connections is modulated by synapse-organizing proteins.

Our research is multidisciplinary and each of us integrates multiple approaches in our projects, ranging from molecular and cellular studies up to in vivo models. This is guided by our perspective that in order to gain understanding, you have to work on multiple levels and do the central experiments yourself. This allows you not only to lead your project and integrate the results but also to make sense of any new evidence you didn’t expect.