11.10.2011

Press Release: 'Starting Grants' for Two Tübingen University Scientists

Steffen Katzner (Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience & BCCN Tübingen) has been awarded a prestigious ERC Starting Grant. The grant provides €1.3 million over five years to support his innovative research. His project was selected by the European Research Council from more than 4000 applications. In total, 16 Starting Grants have been awarded in the state of Baden-Württemberg this year and 480 Europe-wide (Press release in German only).

Steffen Katzner receives the ERC Starting grant for his research on the neural basis of visual perception. Perceptual processes rely on the coordinated activity of populations of neurons in the cerebral cortex, where they are connected in a highly structured way, forming local cortical circuits. These local circuits are the heart of cortical computation. The goal of Dr. Katzner’s project is to understand cortical circuit function, and to relate activity in cortical circuits to perception and behavior. To achieve this goal, Dr. Katzner focuses on the visual system of the mouse. Owing to increasing availability of molecular biology tools, the mouse is gaining popularity as a model system for basic vision research. Dr. Katzner’s work addresses fundamental principles, which are expected to apply to other sensory modalities and species. Steffen Katzner received his PhD from the University of Göttingen, in collaboration with the German Primate Center. During postdoctoral research, he worked in San Francisco and in London. His group 'Neural basis of visual behavior' is part of the Center for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Tübingen.

Press release for download in German only. Pressemitteilung zum Download nur auf Deutsch.

Organization:

• Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience

Reseach Group: Neural Basis of Visual Behavior

Contact: Dr. Steffen Katzner

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