Dr. Anthony Vernon, King’s, Basic and Clinical Neuroscience; Prof. Gerd Kempermann, TUD, Faculty of Medicine, DZNE
With the help of suitable animal models based on isogenic mice, where the environment and genotype can be strictly controlled, this research project studies the individuality and the underlying biological mechanisms at the levels of cells, tissues, systems, or the entire brain.
Specifically, the requirement for adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) in the emergence of individuality phenotypes at the level of the brain is being tested, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and behavior in populations of isogenic mice following exposure to an enriched environment (ENR).
By using the synergies created with the transCampus, the involved researchers have undertaken a small proof-of-concept study and with the extended pilot study, they will be able to deliver one potential cellular mechanistic explanation for individualization, as well as cross-species MR imaging of biomarkers for future longitudinal MRI studies in mice and a forward translation to humans.