We are excited to introduce the newest members of our institute!
Hao Chan – Hao joins Johannes Passecker’s lab as a PhD student, focusing on neural circuits underlying complex goal-directed behavior. Originally from Taiwan, he earned his MSc at National Taiwan University and is looking forward to exploring Austria whenever he gets the chance.
Maryam Najafian – Maryam joins Johannes Passecker’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher in the FWF Cluster of Excellence (CoE) program. Her work investigates the role of GABAergic interneurons in excitatory–inhibitory imbalance in mouse models of schizophrenia, combining high-density probe recordings with optogenetic manipulation to study prefrontal cortex circuits and belief instability.
Alessa Franz – Alessa joins Liebscher’s Lab as a postdoctoral researcher, focosing on the pathophysiology of anti-NMDAR autoimmune encephalitis. Using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging in behaving animals, she studies the chronic effects of NMDAR antibodies on hippocampal CA1 network activity and cognitive function.
