Welcome to the Division of Neuroanatomy

Modern neuroscience is oriented towards molecular and cellular biology. The need for continued contribution of high-quality neuroanatomy is often overlooked. As more and more genes related to normal and pathological functioning of the nervous system are uncovered, their significance is elucidated only if there is an accurate understanding of the anatomical regions and neuronal cell types in which they are expressed. To this end, modern neuroanatomical techniques provide the necessary means for scientific progress in the field.

The careful study of the morphological basis of neuronal functions remains a key to a better understanding of the normal and the pathological nervous system. Powerful methods are applied nowadays for imaging the human brain. However, nuclear magnetic resonance scanners rarely provide sufficient spatial detail as to the cytoarchitectonic brain regions in which the activations occur. Hence, advanced neuromorphological techniques are required for linking functional human studies to the cellular and molecular results obtained in various laboratory animals.

The Division of Neuroanatomy at the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology contributes to these objectives by offering lectures and seminars in functional and comparative Neuroanatomy as well as in neuronal imaging. Our major scientific field of interest relates to the morphological consequences of growth factor signaling underlying neurite outgrowth and glial proliferation. A variety of cell lines as well as primary neuron models are used in our laboratory to study these phenomena. The focus of our current projects is on signaling mechanisms and trafficking of the fibroblast growth factor receptor in neurons and glial cells.

We are a highly motivated and enthusiastic team of postdoctoral fellows, students and research assistants. Projects are supported by local grants and by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). We have excellent contacts with colleagues in our main research areas leading to long-standing collaborative efforts.

Click here for a gateway to information about the brain and brain research.

Eine deutschsprachige Informationsquelle über neurowissenschaftliche Forschung im allgemeinen finden Sie hier.