Dr. Magdalene Schlesiger

Magdalene Schlesiger Department of Clinical Neurobiology Heidelberg University German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) - A230 Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 69120 Heidelberg Germany   Phone:    Fax:    eMail:  m.schlesiger@dkfz-heidelberg.de Website:  https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/izn/researchgroups/schlesiger/

Research Summary

The project aims to investigate how the formation of long-term memories is altered by the use of drugs such as amphetamine and cocaine. We aim to investigate how addictive drugs, and endogenous dopamine released from the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, influence neuronal network activity in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex at different stages of long-term memory formation. To achieve these aims, we use electrophysiological in vivo recordings from large ensembles of neurons in mice performing memory tasks during and after the repeated use of addictive substances. To decipher the neuronal circuits that link addiction and memory, these methods are combined with optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations of genetically-defined cell types and pathways.

Structure of the Group