[{"content":" RNAs and other elements and neurons can be repaired. Why, where, and how?\nProject team # Moritz Schlötter Postdoc – Now: Project Leader at Storz Medical, Tägerwilen Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Lea Baumann Master\u0026rsquo;s Student Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student Further reading # Klusmann F. S., Kögler A. C., Slangewal K., Önder O., Naumann H., Marx A., Bahl A., Müller P. (2025) An RNA ligase shapes transcriptional profiles, neural function, and behaviour in the developing larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.691575 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/neuronal_repair/","section":"Projects","summary":"Mechanisms of neuronal repair","title":"Mechanisms of neuronal repair","type":"projects"},{"content":" Neurons have lots of biophysics – how can we get to this?\nProject team # Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Lucas Heger Master Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/molecular_identity/","section":"Projects","summary":"Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function","title":"Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function","type":"projects"},{"content":" Molecular Tools\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Lucas Heger Master Student Lea Baumann Master\u0026rsquo;s Student Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student Magnus Wannemacher Research Assistant Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026rsquo;s Student, Student Assistant Valentin Daschner Bachelor Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/molecular_tools/","section":"Methods","summary":"Molecular Tools","title":"Molecular Tools","type":"methods"},{"content":" Behavior and neuro different, depending on raising conditions. Joint work with Robert Hindges.\nProject team # Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Further reading # Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2026) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. Neuron (accepted). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/neural_circuit_tuning/","section":"Projects","summary":"Neural circuit tuning","title":"Neural circuit tuning","type":"projects"},{"content":" Synaptic resolution\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Roberto Garza PhD Student Nele Holstegge Master Student Further reading # Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Schalek R. L., Petkova M., Vohra S. K., Wu Y., Savaliya J. H., Tiller R., Herrera K. J., Naumann H., Eberle M., Rencken S., Stingl M., Hebling A., Hockling D., Slangewal K., Deng Z., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Kirchberger K. N., Bianco I. H., Baum D., Bene F. D., Engert F., Lichtman J. W., Bahl A. (2025) Correlative light and electron microscopy reveals the fine circuit structure underlying evidence accumulation in larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/connectomics/","section":"Methods","summary":"Connectomics","title":"Connectomics","type":"methods"},{"content":" Patching of single cells\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Nicolás Beyer-Diaz-Guardamino Bachelor Student Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026rsquo;s Student, Student Assistant Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/electrophysiology/","section":"Methods","summary":"Electrophysiology","title":"Electrophysiology","type":"methods"},{"content":" We custom-build electrical circuits and setup control equipment.\nProject team # Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/engineering/","section":"Methods","summary":"Engineering","title":"Engineering","type":"methods"},{"content":" Behavior is dynamic and flexible\u0026hellip;\nProject team # Flutura Shabani Master Student – Now at Boehringer Ingelheim Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Sydney Hunt PhD Student Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Vanessa Gambus Master student Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Henrike Tebartz-van-Elst Student Assistant Further reading # Krishnan K., Muthukumar A., Sterrett S., Pflitsch P., Fairhall A. L., Fishman M., Bahl A., Zwaka H., Engert F. (2025) Attentional switching in larval zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads4994 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/flexible_behavior/","section":"Projects","summary":"Flexible Behavior","title":"Flexible Behavior","type":"projects"},{"content":" Light field microscopy\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Henrike Tebartz-van-Elst Student Assistant Magnus Wannemacher Research Assistant Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher Sydney Hunt PhD Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/light_field_microscopy/","section":"Methods","summary":"Light field microscopy","title":"Light field microscopy","type":"methods"},{"content":" Integration of different stimuli \u0026hellip;\nProject team # Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Katja Slangewal PhD Student Further reading # Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/multifeature_integration/","section":"Projects","summary":"Multifeature Integration","title":"Multifeature Integration","type":"projects"},{"content":" How do animals integrate signals from noise?\nProject team # Florian Kämpf Master Student – Now: PhD Student at LMB, Cambridge University, UK Kim Kirchberger Master student - Now: PhD Student at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Katja Slangewal PhD Student Roberto Garza PhD Student Max Widmann Master Student Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026rsquo;s Student, Student Assistant Nele Holstegge Master Student Further reading # Bahl A., Engert F. (2020) Neural circuits for evidence accumulation and decision making in larval zebrafish. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0534-9 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/neural_integrator_circuits/","section":"Projects","summary":"Neural Integrator Circuits","title":"Neural Integrator Circuits","type":"projects"},{"content":" Behavior drastically changes over development \u0026hellip;\nProject team # Max Capelle PhD Student Katja Slangewal PhD Student Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Roberto Garza PhD Student Further reading # Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/ontogeny_of_behavior/","section":"Projects","summary":"Ontogeny of Behavior","title":"Ontogeny of Behavior","type":"projects"},{"content":" Whole brain imaging\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Florian Kämpf Master Student – Now: PhD Student at LMB, Cambridge University, UK Kim Kirchberger Master student - Now: PhD Student at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Katja Slangewal PhD Student Lucas Heger Master Student Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Lea Baumann Master\u0026rsquo;s Student Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student Magnus Wannemacher Research Assistant Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Max Widmann Master Student Vanessa Gambus Master student Nele Holstegge Master Student Valentin Daschner Bachelor Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/two_photon_microscopy/","section":"Methods","summary":"Two Photon Microscopy","title":"Two Photon Microscopy","type":"methods"},{"content":" Virtual Reality\u0026hellip;.\nProject team # Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Max Capelle PhD Student Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Katja Slangewal PhD Student Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Vanessa Gambus Master student Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Lea Baumann Master\u0026rsquo;s Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/virtual_reality/","section":"Methods","summary":"Virtual Reality","title":"Virtual Reality","type":"methods"},{"content":" The zebrafish\u0026hellip;.\nFurther reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/zebrafish/","section":"Methods","summary":"Zebrafish","title":"Zebrafish","type":"methods"},{"content":" Brain-wide Functional Ensembles\u0026hellip;\nProject team # Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Magnus Wannemacher Research Assistant Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/brain_wide_neuronal_ensembles/","section":"Projects","summary":"Brain-wide Functional Ensembles","title":"Brain-wide Functional Ensembles","type":"projects"},{"content":" We model behavior following Marr.\nProject team # Flutura Shabani Master Student – Now at Boehringer Ingelheim Kim Kirchberger Master student - Now: PhD Student at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Max Capelle PhD Student Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Katja Slangewal PhD Student Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Roberto Garza PhD Student Further reading # Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 Braitenberg V. (1984) Vehicles: Experiments in Synthetic Psychology. MIT Press. Marr D. (1982) Vision: a computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information. MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262514620.001.0001 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/behavioral_modeling/","section":"Methods","summary":"Behavioral Modeling","title":"Behavioral Modeling","type":"methods"},{"content":" Background # Animals are better in groups than alone\u0026hellip; Project team # Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026rsquo;s Student, Student Assistant Valentin Daschner Bachelor Student Further reading # Harpaz R., Nguyen M. N., Bahl A., Engert F. (2021) Precise visuomotor transformations underlying collective behavior in larval zebrafish. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26748-0 Harpaz R., Aspiras A. C., Chambule S., Tseng S., Bind M., Engert F., Fishman M. C., Bahl A. (2021) Collective behavior emerges from genetically controlled simple behavioral motifs in zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi7460 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/collective_decision_making/","section":"Projects","summary":"We study animal groups","title":"Collective decision-making","type":"projects"},{"content":" We model neural networks.\nProject team # Roberto Garza PhD Student Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Further reading # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/network_modeling/","section":"Methods","summary":"Network Modeling","title":"Network Modeling","type":"methods"},{"content":" Angelina Haag Alumnus Highschool Matura Student M1124 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/angelina_haag/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Angelina Haag","type":"team"},{"content":" Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student M1125 Bio # When I’m not in the lab you’ll usually find me swimming in Lake Constance, spending time in the mountains with friends or I go fencing and try to beat them all:)\nProjects # Mechanisms of neuronal repair Mechanisms of neuronal repair Methods # Electrophysiology Electrophysiology Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Spatial distribution of ribosomes in the larval zebrafish brain Type Bachelor thesis Period 2026/03\u0026ndash;2026/06 Summary I use a plasmid to mark ribosomes with GFP in the larval zebrafish brain. This gives me insights about the repairing system in the brain. To insert the plasmid I use electroporation and microinjections into the embryo of the zebrafish. CV # Education 2023\u0026ndash;2026 Bachelor of Sciences in Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/anna_miranda_k%C3%A4mmerer/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Anna Miranda Kämmerer","type":"team"},{"content":" Antonia Gäbler Alumnus Bachelor Student M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/antonia_g%C3%A4bler/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Antonia Gäbler","type":"team"},{"content":" Armin Bahl Professor M1104 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-2624 Bio # My research explores how nervous systems transform sensory information into decisions and actions. Using larval zebrafish as a model system, my lab investigates the neural algorithms and circuit mechanisms that allow animals to evaluate their environment, integrate evidence over time, and select adaptive behaviors. A central goal of our work is to understand how relatively small neural circuits can implement sophisticated computations underlying perception, decision-making, and intelligence.\nTo address these questions, we combine behavioral experiments, virtual reality technologies for freely behaving animals, and large-scale neural recording and manipulation. These approaches allow us to link sensory stimuli, neural activity, and behavior with high precision. In parallel, we use advanced microscopy and molecular techniques to uncover the cellular and circuit architectures that implement these computations in the brain.\nMore broadly, our research aims to bridge levels of analysis—from genes and synapses to neural circuits, algorithms, and collective behavior. By integrating experimental neuroscience with computational modeling and emerging molecular methods, we seek to uncover general principles of how brains process information and generate intelligent behavior, both in individuals and in interacting animal groups.\nBangalore Scottish Church College Taipei Academia Sinica Janelia Connectomics CV # Positions Since 2021 Tenure-Track Professor of Neurobiology and Zoology, University of Konstanz 2020\u0026ndash;2026 Emmy Noether Group Leader, University of Konstanz 2020\u0026ndash;2025 Zukunftskolleg Research Fellow, University of Konstanz 2015\u0026ndash;2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (Florian Engert Lab) 2015 Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (Alexander Borst Lab) Education 2009\u0026ndash;2015 PhD in Systems Neuroscience and Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology / LMU Munich 2009 Diploma Thesis in Computational Neuroscience, University College London (Michael Häusser Lab) 2004\u0026ndash;2009 Diploma in Biophysics, Humboldt University Berlin Major Grants 2023\u0026ndash;2028 ERC Starting Grant, European Research Council 2020\u0026ndash;2026 Emmy Noether Programme, German Research Foundation (DFG) Publications # 2026 Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2026) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. Neuron (accepted). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 Garza R., Hady A. E., Bahl A. (2026) Developmental and genetic modulation of evidence integration dynamics in zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.01.708829 Putti E., Faini G., Dang J. T., Savaliya J. H., Eggeler F., Duroure K., Vougny J., Ortiz-Álvarez G., Pujades C., Bahl A., Lichtman J. W., Engert F., Boulanger-Weill J., Bene F. D., Albadri S. (2026) Lrrn-mediated retinal ganglion cell targeting drives visual circuit assembly for brightness and contrast detection. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz4585 2025 Klusmann F. S., Kögler A. C., Slangewal K., Önder O., Naumann H., Marx A., Bahl A., Müller P. (2025) An RNA ligase shapes transcriptional profiles, neural function, and behaviour in the developing larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.691575 Krishnan K., Muthukumar A., Sterrett S., Pflitsch P., Fairhall A. L., Fishman M., Bahl A., Zwaka H., Engert F. (2025) Attentional switching in larval zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads4994 Vohra S. K., Eberle M., Boulanger-Weill J., Petkova M. D., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Herrera K. J., Kämpf F., Ruetten V. M. S., Lichtman J. W., Engert F., Randlett O., Bahl A., Isoe Y., Hege H., Baum D. (2025) Fishexplorer: A multimodal cellular atlas platform for neuronal circuit dissection in larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.14.664689 Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 Petkova M. D., Januszewski M., Blakely T., Herrera K. J., Schuhknecht G. F., Tiller R., Choi J., Schalek R. L., Boulanger-Weill J., Peleg A., Wu Y., Wang S., Troidl J., Vohra S. K., Wei D., Lin Z., Bahl A., Tapia J. C., Iyer N., Miller Z. T., Hebert K. B., Pavarino E. C., Taylor M., Deng Z., Stingl M., Hockling D., Hebling A., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Dvorak S., Faik Z., King K. I., Goel P., Wagner-Carena J., Aley D., Chalyshkan S., Contreas D., Li X., Muthukumar A. V., Vernaglia M. S., Carrasco T. T., Melnychuck S., Yan T., Dalal A., DiMartino J. M., Brown S., Safo-Mensa N., Greenberg E., Cook M., Finley-May S., Flynn M. A. (2025) A connectomic resource for neural cataloguing and circuit dissection of the larval zebrafish brain. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.10.658982 Shanbhag R., Zoidl G. S., Nakhuda F., Sabour S., Naumann H., Zoidl C., Bahl A., Tabatabaei N., Zoidl G. R. (2025) Pannexin-2 deficiency disrupts visual pathways and leads to ocular defects in zebrafish. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2025.167807 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Schalek R. L., Petkova M., Vohra S. K., Wu Y., Savaliya J. H., Tiller R., Herrera K. J., Naumann H., Eberle M., Rencken S., Stingl M., Hebling A., Hockling D., Slangewal K., Deng Z., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Kirchberger K. N., Bianco I. H., Baum D., Bene F. D., Engert F., Lichtman J. W., Bahl A. (2025) Correlative light and electron microscopy reveals the fine circuit structure underlying evidence accumulation in larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363 2024 Pflitsch P., Oury N., Krishnan K., Joo W., Lyons D. G., Capelle M., Herrera K. J., Bahl A., Rihel J., Engert F., Zwaka H. (2024) Sleep disruption improves performance in simple olfactory and visual decision-making tasks. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.02.621641 Vohra S. K., Harth P., Isoe Y., Bahl A., Fotowat H., Engert F., Hege H., Baum D. (2024) A visual interface for exploring hypotheses about neural circuits. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. https://doi.org/10.1109/tvcg.2023.3243668 Voigt F. F., Reuss A. M., Naert T., Hildebrand S., Schaettin M., Hotz A. L., Whitehead L., Bahl A., Neuhauss S. C. F., Roebroeck A., Stoeckli E. T., Lienkamp S. S., Aguzzi A., Helmchen F. (2024) Reflective multi-immersion microscope objectives inspired by the Schmidt telescope. Nature Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01717-8 2023 Voigt F. F., Naert T., Bahl A., Lienkamp S. S., Helmchen F. (2023) Reflective multi-immersion microscope objectives. Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXX. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2648095 2021 Harpaz R., Nguyen M. N., Bahl A., Engert F. (2021) Precise visuomotor transformations underlying collective behavior in larval zebrafish. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26748-0 Harpaz R., Aspiras A. C., Chambule S., Tseng S., Bind M., Engert F., Fishman M. C., Bahl A. (2021) Collective behavior emerges from genetically controlled simple behavioral motifs in zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi7460 Zhu M. L., Herrera K. J., Vogt K., Bahl A. (2021) Navigational strategies underlying temporal phototaxis in Drosophila larvae. Journal of Experimental Biology. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.242428 Chen A. B., Deb D., Bahl A., Engert F. (2021) Algorithms underlying flexible phototaxis in larval zebrafish. Journal of Experimental Biology. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.238386 2020 Bahl A., Engert F. (2020) Neural circuits for evidence accumulation and decision making in larval zebrafish. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0534-9 2019 Wee C. L., Song E. Y., Johnson R. E., Ailani D., Randlett O., Kim J., Nikitchenko M., Bahl A., Yang C., Ahrens M. B., Kawakami K., Engert F., Kunes S. (2019) A bidirectional network for appetite control in larval zebrafish. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.43775 2018 Ribeiro I. M., Drews M., Bahl A., Machacek C., Borst A., Dickson B. J. (2018) Visual projection neurons mediating directed courtship in Drosophila. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.06.020 2016 Leonhardt A., Ammer G., Meier M., Serbe E., Bahl A., Borst A. (2016) Asymmetry of Drosophila ON and OFF motion detectors enhances real-world velocity estimation. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4262 2015 Bahl A., Serbe E., Meier M., Ammer G., Borst A. (2015) Neural mechanisms for Drosophila contrast vision. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.004 Ammer G., Leonhardt A., Bahl A., Dickson B. J., Borst A. (2015) Functional specialization of neural input elements to the Drosophila ON motion detector. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.014 2013 Maisak M. S., Haag J., Ammer G., Serbe E., Meier M., Leonhardt A., Schilling T., Bahl A., Rubin G. M., Nern A., Dickson B. J., Reiff D. F., Hopp E., Borst A. (2013) A directional tuning map of Drosophila elementary motion detectors. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12320 Bahl A., Ammer G., Schilling T., Borst A. (2013) Object tracking in motion-blind flies. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3386 2012 Bahl A., Stemmler M. B., Herz A. V., Roth A. (2012) Automated optimization of a reduced layer 5 pyramidal cell model based on experimental data. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.04.006 Plett J., Bahl A., Buss M., Kühnlenz K., Borst A. (2012) Bio-inspired visual ego-rotation sensor for MAVs. Biological Cybernetics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-012-0478-6 2009 Roth A., Bahl A. (2009) Divide et impera: optimizing compartmental models of neurons step by step. The Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2009.170944 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/armin_bahl/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Armin's profile","type":"team"},{"content":" Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student ZT925 Bio # If you have spent time watching animals, you might have noticed that their behaviour is quite variable. Even in highly controlled lab environments an individual may respond differently to identical stimuli. My research explores how such variability in behavior is shaped by history—how past sensory and motor experiences accumulate and influence present choices across multiple timescales. Rather than treating actions as simple responses to immediate stimuli, I look at how internal states evolve, how memory is integrated, and how these processes shape both individual decisions and group-level patterns. By combining behavioral experiments with computational models, I aim to identify the minimal rules and feedback mechanisms that can explain these dynamics, and where standard decision-making frameworks fall short.\nAnother line of work that fascinates me is collective movement of biological agents like the murmurations of birds and schools of fish. How do local interactions between individuals scale to such beautifully synchronized patterns? To answer this, I am useing a virtual coupling framework to link real animals with simulated counterparts, allowing precise control over how agents influence each other. This makes it possible to systematically vary feedback, test causal hypotheses, and probe the mechanisms underlying collective behavior. The broader goal is to turn social interaction into something experimentally tractable—where not just animal position but also the structure of the interaction can be designed, manipulated, and understood.\nSome of us from the Bahl Lab doing some fun SciComm events in Konstanz! Outside the lab, I’m a ramen nerd, happily optimizing broths, overengineering noodles, and tinkering toppings—all from scratch and well past the point of diminishing returns. I also play a lot of chess, where I think deeply about decision-making and then routinely blunder anyway.\nA simple chicken shio with crisped up skins. A tamarind-shoyu with chashu: a ramen experiment that actually worked. Projects # Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Collective decision-making We study animal groups Methods # Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Hysteresis in sensorimotor processing of larval zebrafish Type PhD thesis Period Since 2022/09 Summary Why does animal behaviour vary even under seemingly identical conditions? Could hysteresis — the influence of past stimuli and choices — be shaping sensorimotor responses and creating variability? In my work, I investigate history-dependent biases in animal behaviour using larval zebrafish as a model. I find that sensory and response histories push behaviour in opposite directions, and propose a model operating across three timescales to capture these dynamics. CV # Positions Since 2022/09 PhD Student, Bahl Lab, University of Konstanz 2021/05\u0026ndash;2022/08 Master\u0026rsquo;s Thesis Student, Theoretical Ecology and Evolution Lab, Indian Institute of Science - Bengaluru 2019/12\u0026ndash;2020/06 Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s Thesis Student, Gaiti Hasan Lab, National Centre for Biological Sciences - Bengaluru Education Since 2022/09 PhD Student, Bahl Lab, University of Konstanz 2020/08\u0026ndash;2022/05 Master of Technology in Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology - Ropar 2016/07\u0026ndash;2020/06 Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology, People\u0026rsquo;s Education Society (PES) University - Bengaluru Fellowships 2020\u0026ndash;2022 Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) Fellowship, Ministry of Education, Government of India 2019 Summer Research Fellowship Program, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research - Bengaluru Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/ashrit_mangalwedhekar/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Ashrit Mangalwedhekar","type":"team"},{"content":" Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026#39;s Student M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Engineering Engineering Light field microscopy Light field microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Network Modeling Network Modeling Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Thesis # Type Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/aurel_mueller_schoenau/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Aurel Mueller-Schoenau","type":"team"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/authors/","section":"Authors","summary":"","title":"Authors","type":"authors"},{"content":" Ben Hanson Alumnus DAAD RISE Exchange Student M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/ben_hanson/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Ben Hanson","type":"team"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":" Christoph J. Kleineidam Apl. Professor M1102 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # 2025 Sevarika M., Kleineidam C., Romani R. (2025) Ultrastructural Analysis of Johnston’s Organ and Brain Organization in Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae). Insects. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17010015 Schloetter M., Maret G. U., Kleineidam C. J. (2025) Annihilation of action potentials induces electrical coupling between neurons. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.88335.4 2022 Weidenmüller A., Meltzer A., Neupert S., Schwarz A., Kleineidam C. (2022) Glyphosate impairs collective thermoregulation in bumblebees. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf7482 2019 SG L., CF C., J S., C K., NJ V. (2019) Moth pheromone-selective projection neurons with cell bodies in the antennal lobe lateral cluster exhibit diverse morphological and neurophysiological characteristics.. The Journal of comparative neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24611 Bochynek T., Burd M., Kleineidam C., Meyer B. (2019) Infrastructure construction without information exchange: the trail clearing mechanism in Atta leafcutter ants. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.2539 2018 LK G., CJ K., A W. (2018) Behavioral flexibility promotes collective consistency in a social insect.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33917-7 Schneider E. S., Kleineidam C. J., Leitinger G., Römer H. (2018) Ultrastructure and electrophysiology of thermosensitive sensilla coeloconica in a tropical katydid of the genus Mecopoda (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae). Arthropod Structure \u0026 Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2018.08.002 S N., M H., J G. M., CJ K. (2018) Learning Distinct Chemical Labels of Nestmates in Ants.. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00191 A E., A R., CJ K., P S. (2018) High Precision of Spike Timing across Olfactory Receptor Neurons Allows Rapid Odor Coding in Drosophila.. iScience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2018.05.009 S L., C F. C., J S., C K., N V. (2018) Olfactory Projection Neurons From the Moth Antennal Lobe Lateral Cluster Exhibit Diverse Morphological and Neurophysiological Characteristics. https://doi.org/10.1101/274506 2017 Kleineidam C. J., Nieh J. C., Heeb E. L., Neupert S. (2017) Social interactions promote adaptive resource defense in ants. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183872 2016 Paul S., Jacob S., Alpha R., J. K. C., Brian S., C. G. G. (2016) High fidelity transmission of temporal stimulus cues in the insect olfactory system.. Chemical Senses. Paul S., Alpha R., J. K. C., H. S. B., Giovanni G. C. (2016) Odor segregation based on temporal stimulus cues in insects. Chemical Senses. 2015 Manuel N., J. K. C. (2015) Two cold-sensitive neurons within one sensillum code for different parameters of the thermal environment in the ant Camponotus rufipes. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00240 2014 Marco S., Markus R., Manuel N., J. K. C. (2014) Clearing pigmented insect cuticle to investigate small insects' organs in situ using confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM). Arthropod structure \u0026amp; development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2013.12.006 Michael S., J. K. C. (2014) Initiation of swarming behavior and synchronization of mating flights in the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri FOREL, 1893 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News. 2013 SI K., K G., H V., BS H., CJ K., E G. (2013) Correction: Caste-Specific Expression Patterns of Immune Response and Chemosensory Related Genes in the Leaf-Cutting Ant, Atta vollenweideri.. PloS one. C. W., J. K. C., F. R., A. W. (2013) Behavioural plasticity in the fanning response of bumblebee workers: impact of experience and rate of temperature change. Animal Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.003 I. K. S., Katrin G., Heiko V., S. H. B., J. K. C., Ewald G. (2013) Caste-Specific Expression Patterns of Immune Response and Chemosensory Related Genes in the Leaf-Cutting Ant, Atta vollenweideri. Plos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081518 F. B. M., Tobias R., Isabelle R., J. K. C., P. N. M., Wolfgang R. (2013) Parallel Processing via a Dual Olfactory Pathway in the Honeybee. Journal of Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4268-12.2013 Martin S., Christina K., Sarah P., J. K. C., Johannes S. (2013) Sexual dimorphism in the olfactory system of a solitary and a eusocial bee species. Journal of Comparative Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.23312 2011 Simon B. A., Johannes K. C. (2011) Distributed representation of social odors indicates parallel processing in the antennal lobe of ants. Journal of Neurophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.01106.2010 Simon B. A., Wolfgang R., Johannes K. C. (2011) Friends and Foes from an Ant Brain's Point of View - Neuronal Correlates of Colony Odors in a Social Insect. Plos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021383 2010 M R., F R., CJ K. (2010) Detection of Minute Temperature Transients by Thermosensitive Neurons in Ants. Journal of Neurophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00390.2010 LS K., C K., CJ K. (2010) Distinct Antennal Lobe Phenotypes in the Leaf-Cutting Ant (Atta vollenweideri). Journal of Comparative Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.22217 AS B., W R., CJ K. (2010) Dummies versus Air Puffs: Efficient Stimulus Delivery for Low-Volatile Odors. Chemical Senses. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjq022 C K., W R., CJ K. (2010) Phenotypic Plasticity in Number of Glomeruli and Sensory Innervation of the Antennal Lobe in Leaf-Cutting Ant Workers (A. vollenweideri). Developmental Neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1002/dneu.20782 Ruchty,Markus , Helmchen,Fritjof , Wehner,R?diger , Johannes K. (2010) Representation of thermal information in the antennal lobe of leaf-cutting ants. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00174 2009 A W., C M., CJ K., F R. (2009) Preimaginal and Adult Experience Modulates the Thermal Response Behavior of Ants. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.08.059 C K., W R., F R., CJ K. (2009) The Antennal Lobes of Fungus-Growing Ants (Attini): Neuroanatomical Traits and Evolutionary Trends. Brain Behavior and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1159/000230672 M R., R R., LS K., S R., F R., N I., CJ K. (2009) The thermo-sensitive sensilla coeloconica of leaf-cutting ants (Atta vollenweideri). Arthropod Structure \u0026amp; Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2008.11.001 2008 AS B., A E., CJ K. (2008) Nestmate recognition in ants is possible without tactile interaction. Naturwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-008-0360-5 C Z., CJ K., S K., J N., W R. (2008) Organization of the olfactory pathway and odor processing in the antennal lobe of the ant Camponotus floridanus. Journal of Comparative Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.21548 2007 CJ K., W R., B H., F R. (2007) Perceptual differences in trail-following leaf-cutting ants relate to body size. Journal of Insect Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.06.015 SD L., AS B., CJ K. (2007) Reformation process of the neuronal template for nestmate-recognition cues in the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus. Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0252-8 CJ K., M R., ZA C., F R. (2007) Thermal radiation as a learned orientation cue in leaf-cutting ants (Atta vollenweideri). Journal of Insect Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2007.01.011 2006 S K., CJ K., C Z., J R., B G., W R. (2006) Dual olfactory pathway in the honeybee, Apis mellifera. Journal of Comparative Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.21158 C K., W R., CJ K. (2006) Multiple olfactory receptor neurons and their axonal projections in the antennal lobe of the honeybee Apis mellifera. Journal of Comparative Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.20930 NK H., C K., NJ V. (2006) Physiology and glomerular projections of olfactory receptor neurons on the antenna of female Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) responsive to behaviorally relevant odors. Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-005-0061-x 2005 CJ K., M O., W H., W R. (2005) A macroglomerulus in the antennal lobe of leaf-cutting ant workers and its possible functional significance. Chemical Senses. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bji033 2002 A W., C K., J T. (2002) Collective control of nest climate parameters in bumblebee colonies. Animal Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2002.3020 2001 C K., R E., F R. (2001) Wind-induced ventilation of the giant nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri. Naturwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140100235 2000 C K., F R. (2000) Carbon dioxide concentrations and nest ventilation in nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta vollenweideri. Insectes Sociaux. https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00001710 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/christoph_kleineidam/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Christops'page","type":"team"},{"content":" Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher M1124a \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # Research interests # I work on molecular tool development for zebrafish neuroscience, the genetic identity of functionally identified neurons, and depth perception in larval zebrafish.\nMolecular tool development # In our lab, we functionally identify neurons using whole-brain calcium imaging. However, subsequent experiments, such as morphological characterization or functional manipulation of individual neurons, require specific molecular toolkits. Existing driver lines in zebrafish lack the necessary specificity to dissect the circuits we study.\nMy work therefore focuses on developing light-inducible systems that enable single-cell precision targeting. These tools must be compatible with our calcium imaging pipeline; in particular, they should not rely on green fluorescence and must be activatable using a two-photon setup. To meet these requirements, I focus on UV-activatable systems combined with red fluorescent reporters.\nPhotoactivated neurons for red fluorescent imaging Genetic identity of neurons # To gain deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms of the neurons we study, we employ transcriptomic approaches. In particular, I use the molecular tools I develop to enable single-cell sequencing of functionally identified neurons.\nIn parallel, we collaborate with international partners on spatial transcriptomics projects to preserve anatomical context and link molecular profiles to neural circuits.\nMotion parallax # I am interested in how larval zebrafish perceive depth, particularly along the z-axis. My research focuses on motion parallax, that is, how larval zebrafish use self-generated movement to extract depth cues from their environment.\nUsing our virtual reality setup, I present the fish with different underlying geometries, analogous to a human walking across a glass floor and perceiving structures below. In parallel, I am developing virtual fish models that replicate the behavior of real fish under these conditions, with the goal of identifying neural correlates of the underlying computational components.\nAdditionally, I am developing a 3D tracking system for larval zebrafish, which will enable experiments in a full water tank rather than a constrained dish environment.\nYour browser cannot play this video. Download video.\nA (virtual) fish swims over a glass floor stimulus Miscellaneous # I have a background in cell biology, with experience in molecular biology, genetics, and live-cell imaging in yeast. Transitioning to molecular and computational neuroscience in zebrafish was challenging, but ultimately very rewarding. I am motivated to continuously expand my skill set and to support my lab mates wherever I can.\nI try to approach setbacks with perspective, maintain a sense of humor in difficult situations, and value engaging discussions, whether over coffee or a beer.\nProjects # Mechanisms of neuronal repair Mechanisms of neuronal repair Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function Methods # Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # CV # Positions Since 2023 Researcher, University of Konstanz, Germany 2022\u0026ndash;2023 Researcher, University of Geneva, Switzerland Education 2017\u0026ndash;2022 PhD in Molecular Life Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland 2014\u0026ndash;2016 Master in Biochemistry \u0026amp; Biophysics, University of Freiburg, Germany 2011\u0026ndash;2014 Bachelor in Biochemistry, University of Ulm, Germany Publications # 2023 Hummel D. R., Hakala M., Toret C. P., Kaksonen M. (2023) Bsp1, a fungal CPI motif protein, regulates actin filament capping in endocytosis and cytokinesis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.09.561521 Hummel D. R., Kaksonen M. (2023) Spatio-temporal regulation of endocytic protein assembly by SH3 domains in yeast. Molecular Biology of the Cell. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e22-09-0406 2022 Hummel D. (2022) Regulation of membrane scission in yeast endocytosis. Molecular Biology of the Cell. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e21-07-0346 Hummel D. R., Kaksonen M. (2022) Spatio-temporal regulation of endocytic protein assembly by SH3 domains in yeast. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.11.503583 2021 (2021) The Gb3-enriched CD59/flotillin plasma membrane domain regulates host cell invasion by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-021-03766-1 2018 (2018) In Vitro and in Cellulo Sensing of Transition Metals Using Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy.. Journal of fluorescence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-018-2335-z ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/daniel_hummel/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Daniel Hummel","type":"team"},{"content":" Fausto Piehler Alumnus Bachelor Student – Now: Master Student in Cognitive Psychology, University of Vienna M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/fausto_piehler/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Fausto Piehler","type":"team"},{"content":" Florian Kämpf Alumnus Master Student – Now: PhD Student at LMB, Cambridge University, UK M1111 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nThesis # Projects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Methods # Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy CV # Publications # 2026 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 2025 Berg S., Beckett I. R., Costa M., Schlegel P., Januszewski M., Marin E. C., Nern A., Preibisch S., Qiu W., Takemura S., Fragniere A. M. C., Champion A. S., Adjavon D., Cook M., Gkantia M., Hayworth K. J., Huang G. B., Kampf F., Katz W. T., Lu Z., Ordish C., Paterson T., Stuerner T., Trautman E. T., Whittle C. R., Burnett L. E., Hoeller J., Li F., Loesche F., Morris B. J., Pietzsch T., Pleijzier M. W., Silva V., Yin Y., Ali I., Bates A. S., Beresford R. J., Bogovic J., Brooks P., Cachero S., Canino B. S., Chaisrisawatsuk B., Clements J., Crowe A., Vicente I. d. H., Dempsey G., Dona E., Santos M. d., Dreher M., Dunne C. R., Eichler K. (2025) Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.09.680999 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Baier H., Slanchev K., Bahl A. (2025) Parallel and convergent pathways for multifeature visual processing in larval zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.669772 Vohra S. K., Eberle M., Boulanger-Weill J., Petkova M. D., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Herrera K. J., Kämpf F., Ruetten V. M. S., Lichtman J. W., Engert F., Randlett O., Bahl A., Isoe Y., Hege H., Baum D. (2025) Fishexplorer: A multimodal cellular atlas platform for neuronal circuit dissection in larval zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.14.664689 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Schalek R. L., Petkova M., Vohra S. K., Wu Y., Savaliya J. H., Tiller R., Herrera K. J., Naumann H., Eberle M., Rencken S., Stingl M., Hebling A., Hockling D., Slangewal K., Deng Z., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Kirchberger K. N., Bianco I. H., Baum D., Bene F. D., Engert F., Lichtman J. W., Bahl A. (2025) Correlative light and electron microscopy reveals the fine circuit structure underlying evidence accumulation in larval zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F., Bahl A. (2025) Structural data used for morphology based prediction of neuronal functional types (Boulanger-Weill et al, 2025 - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363v2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19220628 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F., Bahl A. (2025) Structural data used for morphology based prediction of neuronal functional types (Boulanger-Weill et al, 2025 - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363v2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19234564 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F., Bahl A. (2025) Structural data used for morphology based prediction of neuronal functional types (Boulanger-Weill et al, 2025 - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363v2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19235596 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F., Bahl A. (2025) Structural data used for morphology based prediction of neuronal functional types (Boulanger-Weill et al, 2025 - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363v2). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19255739 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/florian_k%C3%A4mpf/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Florian Kämpf","type":"team"},{"content":" Flutura Shabani Alumnus Master Student – Now at Boehringer Ingelheim M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Thesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/flutura_shabani/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Flutura Shabani","type":"team"},{"content":" Halley Jeanne Dante Alumnus DAAD-RISE Exchange Student – Now: PHD Student at Boston University ZT925 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/halley_jeanne_dante/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Halley Jeanne Dante","type":"team"},{"content":" Heike Naumann Research Technician M1110 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-4331 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Methods # Zebrafish Zebrafish Thesis # CV # Publications # 2026 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 2025 Klusmann F. S., Kögler A. C., Slangewal K., Önder O., Naumann H., Marx A., Bahl A., Müller P. (2025) An RNA ligase shapes transcriptional profiles, neural function, and behaviour in the developing larval zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.691575 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Baier H., Slanchev K., Bahl A. (2025) Parallel and convergent pathways for multifeature visual processing in larval zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.669772 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schalek R. L., Petkova M., Vohra S. K., Savaliya J. H., Wu Y., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Naumann H., Eberle M., Kirchberger K. N., Rencken S., Bianco I. H., Baum D., Bene F. D., Engert F., Lichtman J. W., Bahl A. (2025) Correlative light and electron microscopy reveals the fine circuit structure underlying evidence accumulation in larval zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363 2024 Serresi M., Cetin A. O., Dramaretska Y., Kertalli S., Schmitt M. J., Naumann H., Zschummel M., Liesse-Labat M., Maciel L. F., Declercq J., Marine J., Gargiulo G. (2024) Transcriptional Dosage of Oncogenic KRAS Drives Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell States, Progression and Metastasis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.29.630643 2021 Schmitt M. J., Company C., Dramaretska Y., Barozzi I., Göhrig A., Kertalli S., Großmann M., Naumann H., Sanchez-Bailon M. P., Hulsman D., Glass R., Squatrito M., Serresi M., Gargiulo G. (2021) Phenotypic Mapping of Pathologic Cross-Talk between Glioblastoma and Innate Immune Cells by Synthetic Genetic Tracing. Cancer Discovery. https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-0219 2018 (2018) Robo signalling controls pancreatic progenitor identity by regulating Tead transcription factors. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07474-6 (2018) The RhoGAP Stard13 controls insulin secretion through F-actin remodeling. Molecular Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2017.12.013 2017 (2017) Stepwise reprogramming of liver cells to a pancreas progenitor state by the transcriptional regulator Tgif2. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms14127 2013 (2013) Mutually exclusive signaling signatures define the hepatic and pancreatic progenitor cell lineage divergence. Genes \u0026 Development. https://doi.org/10.1101/gad.220244.113 (2013) Rho signalling restriction by the RhoGAP Stard13 integrates growth and morphogenesis in the pancreas. Development. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.082701 2010 (2010) Combinations of genetic mutations in the adult neural stem cell compartment determine brain tumour phenotypes. The EMBO Journal. https://doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2009.327 2007 (2007) ERK activation causes epilepsy by stimulating NMDA receptor activity. The EMBO Journal. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.emboj.7601911 (2007) Disease-Associated Prion Protein Oligomers Inhibit the 26S Proteasome. Molecular Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2007.04.001 (2007) Hyperphosphorylation of tau and neurofilaments and activation of CDK5 and ERK1/2 in PTEN-deficient cerebella. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcn.2006.11.014 2003 (2003) Wnt signalling inhibits neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells by controlling bone morphogenetic protein expression. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1044-7431(03)00232-x 2002 (2002) Absence of the prion protein homologue Doppel causes male sterility. The EMBO Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/emboj/cdf386 1999 (1999) Inhibition of Mitochondrial ATP Generation by Nitric Oxide Switches Apoptosis to Necrosis. Experimental Cell Research. https://doi.org/10.1006/excr.1999.4514 (1999) Nitric Oxide Inhibits Execution of Apoptosis at Two Distinct ATP-Dependent Steps Upstream and Downstream of Mitochondrial CytochromecRelease. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. https://doi.org/10.1006/bbrc.1999.0491 1997 (1997) Tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis during the poisoning of mice with hepatotoxins. Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1053/gast.1997.v112.pm9041255 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/heike_naumann/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Heike Naumann","type":"team"},{"content":" Helena Rosery Alumnus Bachelor Student M1126 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/helena_rosery/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Helena Rosery","type":"team"},{"content":" Henrike Tebartz-van-Elst Student Assistant M1126 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nThesis # Title Voltage imaging in zebrafish to visualize membrane voltage change during decision making Type Bachelor‘s thesis Period 2022/09\u0026ndash;2026/03 Summary In my bachelor’s thesis, I used voltage imaging to monitor membrane potential changes in neurons and thereby visualize neuronal activity. To achieve this, I performed plasmid injections to express the genetically encoded voltage indicators JEDI-1P and ArcLight Q175 in neuronal membranes. Imaging was carried out using a light-field microscope, enabling the detection of membrane voltage dynamics in the fish brain in vivo. Projects # Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Light field microscopy Light field microscopy CV # Education 2022\u0026ndash;2026 Bachelor of Sciences in Biological Sciences, Universität Konstanz 2026\u0026ndash;2028 Master in Biological Sciences, Universität Konstanz Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/henrike_tebartz_van_elst/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Henrike Tebartz-van-Elst","type":"team"},{"content":" Katja Slangewal PhD Student ZT902 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-5601 Bio # Larval zebrafish decisions: Larval zebrafish follow motion, an innate behavior called the optomotor response, and prefer to swim in brighter areas, another innate behavior called positive phototaxis. When motion goes right, but there is brightness on the left, what does the fish decide? How does the brain transform sensory inputs into useful behaviour? I am interested in this question in the context of decision-making. Animals continuously receive sensory cues from the environment. Sometimes these cues line up and make it easy to decide on the next action. But often sensory cues conflict - one thing telling the animal to go left and another to go right. How are such cues combined in our brain? Which algorithms are used to integrate the sensory information? And what are the neural circuits that implement these algorithms?\nBehind the scenes: There is me staring at the brain of a larval zebrafish. I am trying to answer these questions using a variety of methods available in the larval zebrafish. From quantitative behavioral analyses, to computational modelling, two-photon calcium imaging, and anatomical tracings of neural morphology. Together these perspectives highlight how larval zebrafish extract multiple features from visual scenes containing motion and luminance cues. The fish temporally integrate motion and luminance, and also compute the absolute change in luminance. They then linearly add these three visual features to guide the direction of their next swim bout. The integration of visual features appears in the anterior hindbrain, a brain region at the boundary of the sensori-to-motor transformation. The anatomy of the involved neurons suggests a parallel and spatially distinct pathway of each feature into the anterior hindbrain neurons which integrate information. This gives a first glimpse into the neural circuitry underlying visual information integration for decision-making.\nNeural circuit underlying visual information integration: these are the neurons involved in the integration of visual information. The pink, purple, and orange neurons take care of detecting changes in brightness. The yellow neurons integration the luminance level over time. The green neurons integrate motion over time. And finally, the blue neurons integrate all this information together. When I am not in the lab you can find me somewhere hiking or running in the mountains, trying to jump as high as I can, or playing boardgames with friends.\nLab hike to Schesaplanehütte: We had an amazing time in the Swiss Schesaplana region. Projects # Multifeature Integration Multifeature Integration Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Ontogeny of Behavior Ontogeny of Behavior Methods # Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Multi feature visual processing in larval zebrafish Type PhD thesis Period 2021/05\u0026ndash;2026/04 Summary How do brains integrate sensory information to inform decision-making? Using behavioral analyses, computational modelling, 2P calcium imaging, and anatomical tracings, I identified the neural circuitry which processes motion, luminance level, and changes in luminance in parallel before linearly adding these features to guide decision-making. My findings support a modular and flexible strategy for integrating sensory information, which in the future could be extended across development, sensory domains, and across other species. CV # Positions Since 2021 PhD Student, Bahl Lab, University of Konstanz 2020\u0026ndash;2021 Research assistant, Baier Lab, MPI Neurobiology Munich 2017\u0026ndash;2018 Trainee Scientific Software Developer, Scientific Volume Imaging, Hilversum Education Since 2021 PhD in Systems Neuroscience, University of Konstanz 2018\u0026ndash;2020 Master of Science in Neuroscience, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich 2014\u0026ndash;2017 Bachelor in Nanobiology, Technical University Delft \u0026amp; Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam Fellowships 2022\u0026ndash;2024 BIF PhD Fellowship, Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds 2019 BESUD stipendium for particularly dedicated international students, DAAD Awards 2022 Best Poster Award, Neurobiology Doctoral Students Workshop Publications # 2026 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 2025 Klusmann F. S., Kögler A. C., Slangewal K., Önder O., Naumann H., Marx A., Bahl A., Müller P. (2025) An RNA ligase shapes transcriptional profiles, neural function, and behaviour in the developing larval zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.691575 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Baier H., Slanchev K., Bahl A. (2025) Parallel and convergent pathways for multifeature visual processing in larval zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.669772 Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2025) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 2022 Kappel J. M., Förster D., Slangewal K., Shainer I., Svara F., Donovan J. C., Sherman S., Januszewski M., Baier H., Larsch J. (2022) Visual recognition of social signals by a tectothalamic neural circuit. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04925-5 2021 Kappel J. M., Slangewal K., Förster D., Shainer I., Svara F., Januszewski M., Sherman S., Baier H., Larsch J. (2021) Visual recognition of social signals by a tecto-thalamic neural circuit. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.17.456614 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/katja_slangewal/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Katja Slangewal's personal page","type":"team"},{"content":" Kezban Özdemir Alumnus Erasmus Exchange Student M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nThesis # Projects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nCV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/kezban_%C3%B6zdemir/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Kezban Özdemir","type":"team"},{"content":" Kim Kirchberger Alumnus Master student - Now: PhD Student at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin M1125 Bio # The zebrafish is an important model organism in neuroscience. They are well-suited for a variety of experiments, including behavioral studies and whole-brain imaging. And, at the same time, they share much genetic information with humans!\nWith a background in physics, I am interested in quantitative characterization of complex biological systems, particularly the brain. My current research focuses on using oscillating visual stimuli to probe neural processing in larval zebrafish. Specifically, I aim to determine whether frequency-modulated stimulation offers an efficient framework for extracting structured information about brain activity.\nOutside the lab, I enjoy exploring cinema and discovering new music.\nThesis # Title Time-frequency-based neural circuit analysis and behavioral quantification in larval zebrafish Type Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis Period 2023/11\u0026ndash;2024/10 Summary To investigate decision-making in larval zebrafish, I analyzed how they process oscillating visual stimuli at both behavioral and neural levels. This work aimed to characterize the frequency-specific dynamics of the optomotor response, test existing computational models, and shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying visual filtering. Projects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Methods # Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy CV # Positions 2025\u0026ndash;now PhD student, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany 2024\u0026ndash;2025 Research Assistant, University of Konstanz, Germany Education 2022\u0026ndash;2024 MSc in Physics, University of Konstanz, Germany 2018\u0026ndash;2022 BSc in Physics, University of Konstanz, Germany Publications # 2023 Marcel S., Kim K., Elke S. (2023) Nonlinear transport properties of atomic copper point contacts. Low Temperature Physics. https://doi.org/10.1063/10.0019693 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/kim_kirchberger/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Kim Kirchberger","type":"team"},{"content":" Kunjal Parnami Alumnus Bachelor Student Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nThesis # Projects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nCV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/kunjal_parnami/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Kunjal Parnami","type":"team"},{"content":" Laura Dirmaite Secretary M1105 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-3632 Bio # Enjoying the Bodensee area! Hello! My name is Laura, and I am part of the secretary team at AG Bahl. I support research activities by coordinating and assisting early career researchers, and I enjoy contributing to a productive and collaborative environment.\nOutside of university life, I love exploring the Bodensee area, visiting art events, and, of course, hiking, biking, and swimming.\nCV # Positions Since 2025 Secretary, Neurobiology, University of Konstanz Since 2023 Administration, Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz Education 2013\u0026ndash;2015 MA in Social Science, University of Jyväskylä 2009\u0026ndash;2013 BA in Communication Science, Vilnius University ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/laura_dirmaite/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Laura","type":"team"},{"content":" Lea Baumann Master\u0026#39;s Student M1126 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # I have long been fascinated by how the brain works, which initially led me to study Psychology. During my specialization in Brain and Cognition, I became particularly interested in the biological foundations of behavior. This interest motivated me to pursue a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, where I developed a strong focus on neurodegenerative diseases. I am currently exploring mechanisms of regeneration in the nervous system as part of my Master’s thesis.\nOutside the lab, I enjoy skateboarding, DJing, dancing, and unwinding through yoga and Pilates.\nProjects # Mechanisms of neuronal repair Mechanisms of neuronal repair Methods # Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # CV # Education Since 2024 Master in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Phillips - University Marburg, Germany 2021 - 2024 International Bachelor of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/lea_baumann/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Lea Baumann | Neurodegeneration \u0026 Regeneration","type":"team"},{"content":" Content Responsibility according to § 55(2) RStV # Prof. Dr. Armin Bahl Neurobiology, Department of Biology University of Konstanz Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz Germany Email: armin.bahl@uni-konstanz.de Phone: +49 (0)7531 88-2624\nLiability for external links # The content of our webpages has been created with the greatest possible care. However, we cannot assume liability for the content of external links. The operators of the linked websites are solely responsible for their content. At the time of linking, the linked pages were checked for possible legal violations. Illegal content was not recognizable at the time the links were created. However, permanent monitoring of the linked pages is not reasonable without concrete indications of a violation of the law. If we become aware of any legal infringements, we will remove such links immediately.\nCopyright # The content and works created by the operators of this website are subject to German copyright law. Contributions by third parties are marked as such. Any reproduction, editing, distribution, or any form of use beyond the limits of copyright law requires the prior written consent of the respective author or rights holder. Downloads and copies of this site are permitted only for private, non-commercial use.\nImage credits # Images used on this website are protected by copyright. Unless otherwise stated, the image rights belong to the University of Konstanz or to the respective credited authors.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/legal/","section":"Neural Circuit Computation and Behavior","summary":"","title":"Legal notice","type":"page"},{"content":" Leonard Weiß Alumnus Bachelor Student – Now Master Exchange Student at Universidade de Lisboa M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nThesis # Projects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nCV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/leonard_wei%C3%9F/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Leonard Weiß","type":"team"},{"content":" Lucas Heger Master Student M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function Molecular identity of neuronal structure and function Methods # Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Neuronal cell labeling with light induceable proteins Type Master’s thesis Period 08/2025\u0026ndash;06/2026 Summary In my Thesis i am doing a labeling method to select neurons and continuously mark them with fluorphores. I am combining this with two-photon-imaging to allow for acticity specific selection of neurons and the ability to relocate these. CV # Education 2023\u0026ndash;2026 Diploma Thesis in Biological Science, University of Konstanz (Armin Bahl Lab) 2019\u0026ndash;2023 Diploma in Biological Science, University of Konstanz (Anna Stöckl Lab) Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/lucas_heger/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Lucas Heger","type":"team"},{"content":" Magnus Wannemacher Alumnus Research Assistant M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Methods # Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Light field microscopy Light field microscopy Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Thesis # Title Whole-brain activity mapping by cfos in larval zebrafish Type Bachelor thesis Period 2022/04-2023/07 Summary In this study, we established HCR RNA-FISH–based c-fos staining as a method to map neuronal activity in larval zebrafish. Using cold shock and optomotor response experiments, we demonstrated stimulus-specific activation patterns, including stress-related upregulation in the forebrain and motion-dependent activation of distinct brain regions. Our results confirm c-fos as a reliable marker for recent neuronal activity in zebrafish. CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/magnus_wannemacher/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Magnus Wannemacher","type":"team"},{"content":" Maite Börsig Alumnus Research Assistant – Now: Master Student in Neuroscience at the University of Heidelberg M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/maite_b%C3%B6rsig/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Maite Börsig","type":"team"},{"content":" Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher M1124a Bio # Collective escapes: Fish escape together from a predator-like stimulus How do fish make decisions? How much their choices are influenced by the behavior of their peers?\nI study how fish within a group make decisions by looking at how they integrate information from the environment with cues from conspecifics during collective escape responses. For this purpose, I use a combination of virtual reality and optogenetic techniques to manipulate the behavior of single individuals within a freely swimming group.\nOf course I am not only interested in the behavior, but also in where and how the integration of predator and social cues happens in the brain. For this purpose, I make head-fixed fish swim in a virtual reality environment under a lightfield or a two-photon microscope.\nVR + microscopy: 3D-VR environment to make the fish swim in a virtual shoal under a microscope. The behavior of head-fixed fish is monitored through tail tracking. When I am not in the lab, I enjoy reading, cooking, and taking long walks in nature.\nProjects # Collective decision-making We study animal groups Multifeature Integration Multifeature Integration Methods # Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Light field microscopy Light field microscopy Thesis # CV # Positions Since 2024 Postdoctoral researcher, University of Konstanz 2018–2023 Doctoral candidate, Max-Delbrück Center (MDC), Berlin 2017–2018 Research assistant, Neuroscience Institute de Biologie Paris Seine (IBPS), Paris Education 2024 Doctorate in Biology, Freie University, Berlin 2015-2017 Master in Molecular Biology, University of Padova 2015-2017 Master in Genetics, Diderot University, Paris 2012-2015 Bachelor in Molecular Biology, University of Padova Fellowships 2025 Walter Benjamin position, DFG Publications # 2024 Zaupa M., Nagaraj N., Sylenko A., Baier H., Sawamiphak S., Filosa A. (2024) The Calmodulin-interacting peptide Pcp4a regulates feeding state-dependent behavioral choice in zebrafish. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.001 2022 Corradi L., Zaupa M., Sawamiphak S., Filosa A. (2022) Using pERK immunostaining to quantify neuronal activity induced by stress in zebrafish larvae. STAR Protocols. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101731 2021 Zaupa M., Naini S. M. A., Younes M. A., Bullier E., Duboué E. R., Corronc H. L., Soula H., Wolf S., Candelier R., Legendre P., Halpern M. E., Mangin J., Hong E. (2021) Trans-inhibition of axon terminals underlies competition in the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.051 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/margherita_zaupa/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Margherita Zaupa's personal page","type":"team"},{"content":" Max Capelle PhD Student Bio # My PhD research investigates how brightness-guided navigation changes across zebrafish development. Using carefully designed visual stimuli and high-throughput behavioural experiments, I build algorithmic models of decision-making and test them using agent-based simulations. This approach revealed that larval and juvenile zebrafish use different brightness navigation strategies: a behavioural switch driven by a reweighting of three parallel processing streams.\nAs the first PhD student in the Bahl lab, I contributed to building the experimental and computational infrastructure that the lab now runs on; from hardware setup to analysis pipelines and lab culture. I enjoy translating complex, high-dimensional datasets into clear and communicable conclusions, and have been recognised for this with presentation awards including at the IMPRS and the Göttingen Meeting.\nBeyond the bench, I organised programming, data visualisation, and team culture workshops at both lab and department level, served as PhD representative at the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (CASCB) across a consortium of 15+ research groups, co-organised the NeuroDoWo workshop, and contributed to the Grant Committee of the Doctoral Fund.\nOutside the lab, I am drawn to problems where rigorous quantitative thinking meets real-world impact, including in pharma, biotech, and life sciences R\u0026amp;D.\nJuvenile zebrafish Projects # Ontogeny of Behavior Ontogeny of Behavior Methods # Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Thesis # Title Beyond black and white: brightness navigation strategies across zebrafish development Type PhD thesis Period 2021/04\u0026ndash;2025/11 Summary In my thesis, I investigated how brightness-guided navigation changed across zebrafish development by combining high-throughput behavioral experiments with agent-based modeling. I showed that larval zebrafish preferred bright regions whereas juveniles preferred darker ones, and I identified three parallel visual pathways underlying this behavior: whole-field luminance processing, binocular brightness comparison, and temporal changes in each eye. Together, my results suggest that developmental transitions in phototactic behavior arise not from entirely new computations, but from a reweighting of existing sensory processing streams. CV # Positions 2021\u0026ndash;2025 PhD Student, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior / University of Konstanz, Germany 2020\u0026ndash;2021 Intern Process Engineering and Flow Assurance, Porthos, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2019 Internal Consultant / Research Assistant, Center for Ultrasound and Brain Imaging (CUBE), Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2016 Intern Trading Floor, Trianel GmbH, Aachen, Germany Education 2021\u0026ndash;2025 PhD in Systems Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior / University of Konstanz, Germany 2018\u0026ndash;2021 MSc in Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands 2014\u0026ndash;2018 BSc in Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands 2013\u0026ndash;2014 Propedeuse in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands Awards 2025 Present Award, Göttingen Meeting 2025 2024 IdeaCup: Impact Award, Kilometer1 2023 Best Presentation Award, International Max Planck Research School Publications # 2026 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 2025 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Baier H., Slanchev K., Bahl A. (2025) Parallel and convergent pathways for multifeature visual processing in larval zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.12.669772 Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2025) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 2024 Pflitsch P., Oury N., Krishnan K., Joo W., Lyons D. G., Capelle M., Herrera K. J., Bahl A., Rihel J., Engert F., Zwaka H. (2024) Sleep Disruption Improves Performance in Simple Olfactory and Visual Decision-Making Tasks. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.02.621641 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/max_capelle/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Max Capelle","type":"team"},{"content":" Max Widmann Master Student M1125 Bio # As a little boy, I wanted to become a paleontologist because I loved dinosaurs (who doesn’t). But when I first heard and saw about zebrafish neuroscience and watched their brain compute live under the microscope, I became fascinated by it. Why care about long-dead lizards when you can watch live fish brains? I am interested in finding out all there is about the neurons that make up this brain:\nWhat is their anatomy? How do they react to visual stimuli? What is their molecular makeup? And what is their role in the neural circuitry leading to the behavior of the animal? Leveraging the new methods, I plan to answer all of these questions for single cells and, through this, find out more about the whole brain\nProjects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Methods # Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Molecular and Functional Profiling of Motion-sensitive Neurons in the Zebrafish Hindbrain Type Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis Period 2026/02\u0026ndash;2026/08 Summary Short summary of the thesis CV # Education 2024\u0026ndash;2026 MSc. Life Science, University of Konstanz 2018\u0026ndash;2023 BSc. Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg Publications # 2025 Musella L., Castro A. A., Lai X., Widmann M., Vera J. (2025) ENQUIRE automatically reconstructs, expands, and drives enrichment analysis of gene and Mesh co-occurrence networks from context-specific biomedical literature. PLOS Computational Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012745 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/max_widmann/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Max Widmann's personal page","type":"team"},{"content":" Maximilian Stahlsmeier Alumnus Exchange Master Student (Bielefeld) M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/maximilian_stahlsmeier/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Maximilian Stahlsmeier","type":"team"},{"content":" Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher M1124 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-2102 Bio # Behaviour setup for collectives: We have larger versions of our high throughput behaviour setups to study large groups of juvenile zebrafish Many animals, including fish, prefer to live in groups. Being part of a collective offers many benefits — from better protection against predators to easier access to food and shared information. I’m interested in how animals use and share this information when making decisions together. To study this, I look at the optomotor response in juvenile zebrafish and introduce controlled noise to test whether groups perform better than individuals. To better control their social interactions, I use virtual reality. This setup lets me create situations of conflict — for example, showing motion in opposite directions — and observe when fish choose to follow visual motion versus another fish’s movement.\nMore broadly, I aim to understand how zebrafish combine sensory input from their environment with social cues from others to drive collective decisions.\nFishtime: A schmematic of Fishtime where two fish are virtually coupled. The trajectories show fish happily swimming together Another focus of my work is understanding how slow dynamics arise in the brain. I study a small region in the fish brain called the Torus Longitudinalis, which shows remarkably slow activity patterns. I want to find out what roles these “slow” cells play, how they’re connected, and what gives rise to their unusually slow dynamics.\nFish Brain: A larval fish brain under the two photon microscope. The neurons express GCAMP, a fluorescent calcium indicator. In addition to science I am also passionate about food, books, board games. When the weather allows, I like to bike and run.\nMe with the behaviour setups in progress Projects # Collective decision-making We study animal groups Multifeature Integration Multifeature Integration Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Methods # Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Electrophysiology Electrophysiology Connectomics Connectomics CV # Positions Since 2024 Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Konstanz 2017\u0026ndash;2023 Researcher, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India Education 2024 PhD in Neuroscience, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India 2015\u0026ndash;2017 Master in Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India 2012\u0026ndash;2015 Bachelor in Chemistry and Zoology, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India Fellowships 2015\u0026ndash;2017 Fellowship for Master\u0026rsquo;s Degree, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India 2012\u0026ndash;2015 INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India Awards 2022 Foreign Travel Award, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India 2023 Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience Publications # 2025 Jadhav M. P., Verma S., Thirumalai V. (2025) Ionic conductances driving tonic firing in Purkinje neurons of larval zebrafish. The Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP286063 2021 Sitaraman S., Yadav G., Agarwal V., Jabeen S., Verma S., Jadhav M., Thirumalai V. (2021) Gjd2b-mediated gap junctions promote glutamatergic synapse formation and dendritic elaboration in Purkinje neurons. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.68124 2020 Balasubramanian N., Sagarkar S., Jadhav M. P., Shahi N., Sirmaur R., Sakharkar A. J. (2020) Role for histone deacetylation in traumatic brain injury-induced deficits in neuropeptide Y in arcuate nucleus: Possible implications in feeding behaviour.. Neuroendocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000513638 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/meha_jadhav/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Meha Jadhav's personal page","type":"team"},{"content":" Which methods do we employ? # We combine a wide range of neuroscience methods to understand how the biophysics of neurons shape function and structure of the nervous system, and behavior.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/methods/","section":"Methods","summary":"","title":"Methods","type":"methods"},{"content":" Moritz Fuchsloch Alumnus Master Student – Now: PhD Student Institute for Laser Tools, Uni Stuttgart M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/moritz_fuchsloch/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Moritz Fuchsloch","type":"team"},{"content":" Moritz Schlötter Alumnus Postdoc – Now: Project Leader at Storz Medical, Tägerwilen M1107 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # Mechanisms of neuronal repair Mechanisms of neuronal repair Methods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/moritz_schl%C3%B6tter/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Moritz Schlötter","type":"team"},{"content":" Nele Holstegge Master Student M1125 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # I have always wanted to know how human bodies work, which is why I started studying biomedical science. Of course, the most interesting part for me was the brain and how single cells could interact in order to keep a system as complex as our bodies running in all kinds of conditions.\nWith photography being one of my biggest hobbies, I was fascinated by microscopy and all the different techniques that are available to study brains, and now being able to look at them while they are still alive is of course, even more exciting.\nProjects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Methods # Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Connectomics Connectomics Thesis # Title Structural and functional basis of temporal integration in the zebrafish torus longitudinalis Type Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis Period 2026/02-2026/10 Summary In my master\u0026rsquo;s thesis, I am characterising the morphology and projections of neurons in the torus longitudinalis of zebrafish larvae. For that I combine functional imaging with photoactivation in the two-photon microscope. Eventually this data could be compared with recently acquired electron microscopy data from the zebrafish brain. CV # Positions Since 2025 Research Assistant at the MPI-AB (Schuppli Group), University of Constance 2023 Hiwi/Tutor for Histology Module, University of Marburg Education Since 2024 Master in Biological Sciences, University of Constance 2020-2023 Bachelor in Biomedical Sciences, University of Marburg Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/nele_holstegge/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Nele Holstegge's personal page","type":"team"},{"content":" Neural Circuit Computation and Behavior # Welcome to our lab website\nThis site is new and work-in-progress. Please also see our old website. Meet the team Explore our projects Browse our methods Read our work ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/","section":"Neural Circuit Computation and Behavior","summary":"","title":"Neural Circuit Computation and Behavior","type":"page"},{"content":" Nicolás Beyer-Diaz-Guardamino Alumnus Bachelor Student M1124 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # Electrophysiology Electrophysiology Thesis # Type Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s thesis CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/nicol%C3%A1s_beyer_diaz_guardamino/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Nicolás Beyer-Diaz-Guardamino","type":"team"},{"content":" Nikolai Hörmann Alumnus Visiting PhD Student – Now: Postdoc Harvard University M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # 2020 Hoermann N., Schilling T., Ali A. H., Serbe E., Mayer C., Borst A., Pujol-Martí J. (2020) A combinatorial code of transcription factors specifies subtypes of visual motion-sensing neurons in Drosophila. Development. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.186296 2017 (2017) Identification of preoptic sleep neurons using retrograde labelling and gene profiling.. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22350 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/nikolai_h%C3%B6rmann/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Nikolai Hörmann","type":"team"},{"content":" Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student M1124a \u0026#43;49-7531-88-2102 Bio # Research interests # I am interested in how sensory systems encode and internally represent information to guide flexible behavior. To study such questions, I focus on the visual system. Through vision, animals must constantly infer behaviorally relevant features across highly variable contexts. In my PhD, I ask how the visual system tunes to features of visual scenes across different timescales and how this tuning translates to behavior.\nFor my project, I use detailed behavioral tracking in larval zebrafish in combination with whole-brain functional imaging, modelling, and theoretical approaches.\nFunctional imaging with eye and tail tracking Behavioral tracking Fish duty Conferences \u0026amp; Workshops # Visual Neuroscience # Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts (2025) # Trying to patch from a mouse retina In 2025, I had the great opportunity to attend a 2-week summer school for an intense, theoretical, and practical deep dive into visual neuroscience. I had the chance to work with an amazing group of people and learn various techniques, including calcium imaging of the zebrafish retina, mouse visual cortex, and octopus optic lobe; patch-clamp recordings of mouse retinas; and electron microscopy.\nVisual Neuroscience inaugural cohort 2025 Outside the lab # Hanging on for dear life Besides research, I enjoy bouldering, playing music, watching movies, and reading philosophy.\nSunset view of my hometown, Athens Projects # Ontogeny of Behavior Ontogeny of Behavior Neural circuit tuning Neural circuit tuning Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Neural circuit tuning to visual statistics in the larval zebrafish Type PhD thesis Period 2025\u0026ndash;2029 Summary Visual circuits must be able to flexibly adjust to changes in the environment, to guide adaptive behavior. In my PhD, I am investigating how visual features experienced during early development shape the function of visual circuits and ultimately animal behavior. Moreover, I investigate behavioral strategies and neural population dynamics underlying adaptations to temporal changes in visual scene properties. CV # Positions Since 2025 PhD Student, Bahl Lab, University of Konstanz (IMPRS-QBEE) 2024\u0026ndash;2026 Research Associate, Zhang lab, Harvard University 2023\u0026ndash;2024 Research Assistant, Mlynarski lab, LMU Munich 2023\u0026ndash;2024 Research Assistant, Fenk lab, MPI - BI 2019\u0026ndash;2021 Research Assistant, Zagoraiou lab, BRFAA Education Since 2025 PhD in Systems Neuroscience, University of Konstanz 2022\u0026ndash;2024 Master of Science in Neuroscience, University of Munich (LMU) 2016\u0026ndash;2021 Bachelor in Biology, University of Athens (NKUA) Fellowships 2022\u0026ndash;2024 Α.G. Leventis Postgraduate Scholarship Awards 2023 Papanikolaou legacy prize, Academy of Athens Publications # 2025 Liang J., Moon S., Moza S., Lee H. J., Eleftheriadis P. E., Chen J., Ge M., Chen M., Lu H., Zhang Y. (2025) Aversive Learning Induces Context-Gated Global Reorganization of Neural Dynamics in Caenorhabditis elegans. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.31.685731 Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 2023 Eleftheriadis P. E., Pothakos K., Sharples S. A., Apostolou P. E., Mina M., Tetringa E., Tsape E., Miles G. B., Zagoraiou L. (2023) Peptidergic modulation of motor neuron output via CART signaling at C bouton synapses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300348120 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/panagiotis_eleftheriadis/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Panagiotis Eleftheriadis","type":"team"},{"content":" Philipp Kuschel Alumnus Bachelor Student M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/philipp_kuschel/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Philipp Kuschel","type":"team"},{"content":" Phoebe Reynolds Alumnus Visiting PhD Student – Now Postdoc at FMI Basel Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # 2026 Reynolds P., Read E., Daly-East C., Parker M. O., Hindges R. (2026) Virtual reality exposes fine-scale alterations in behaviour following loss of the ADHD-linked gene adgrl3.1 in zebrafish. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.20.719162 2025 Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2025) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/phoebe_reynolds/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Phoebe Reynolds","type":"team"},{"content":" Pradeep Chintapalli Alumnus Exchange Master Student M1124a Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nCV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/pradeep_chintapalli/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Pradeep Chintapalli","type":"team"},{"content":" How do animals integrate information and make decisions? # When animals move through the environment, they constantly need to make decisions about what to do next. They integrate information from their senses, retain a working memory of such cues, and evaluate signals according to their internal state. Somehow, the nervous system effortlessly implements these computations and eventually controls behavior.\nA juvenile zebrafish deciding where to swim. Photo by Nadja Geiger. We use the larval zebrafish as a model organism to investigate the neural circuit mechanisms underlying sensory integration and decision-making. Larval zebrafish are tiny and almost perfectly transparent vertebrates. This allows us to use two-photon microscopy to observe brain activity at cellular resolution in behaving animals and to directly link circuit dynamics to individual swimming decisions.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/projects/","section":"Projects","summary":"","title":"Projects","type":"projects"},{"content":" Publications # 2026 Reynolds P., Marchi D., Ling Y. T., Slangewal K., Capelle M., Chalakova Z., Bahl A., Hindges R. (2026) Early visual experience elicits cellular and functional plasticity in the retina and alters behaviour. Neuron (accepted). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.29.651180 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 Garza R., Hady A. E., Bahl A. (2026) Developmental and genetic modulation of evidence integration dynamics in zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.01.708829 Putti E., Faini G., Dang J. T., Savaliya J. H., Eggeler F., Duroure K., Vougny J., Ortiz-Álvarez G., Pujades C., Bahl A., Lichtman J. W., Engert F., Boulanger-Weill J., Bene F. D., Albadri S. (2026) Lrrn-mediated retinal ganglion cell targeting drives visual circuit assembly for brightness and contrast detection. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz4585 2025 Klusmann F. S., Kögler A. C., Slangewal K., Önder O., Naumann H., Marx A., Bahl A., Müller P. (2025) An RNA ligase shapes transcriptional profiles, neural function, and behaviour in the developing larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.01.691575 Krishnan K., Muthukumar A., Sterrett S., Pflitsch P., Fairhall A. L., Fishman M., Bahl A., Zwaka H., Engert F. (2025) Attentional switching in larval zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads4994 Vohra S. K., Eberle M., Boulanger-Weill J., Petkova M. D., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Herrera K. J., Kämpf F., Ruetten V. M. S., Lichtman J. W., Engert F., Randlett O., Bahl A., Isoe Y., Hege H., Baum D. (2025) Fishexplorer: A multimodal cellular atlas platform for neuronal circuit dissection in larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.14.664689 Capelle M. Q., Slangewal K., Eleftheriadis P. E., Bahl A. (2025) Behavioral algorithms of ontogenetic switching in larval and juvenile zebrafish phototaxis. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.13.659371 Petkova M. D., Januszewski M., Blakely T., Herrera K. J., Schuhknecht G. F., Tiller R., Choi J., Schalek R. L., Boulanger-Weill J., Peleg A., Wu Y., Wang S., Troidl J., Vohra S. K., Wei D., Lin Z., Bahl A., Tapia J. C., Iyer N., Miller Z. T., Hebert K. B., Pavarino E. C., Taylor M., Deng Z., Stingl M., Hockling D., Hebling A., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Dvorak S., Faik Z., King K. I., Goel P., Wagner-Carena J., Aley D., Chalyshkan S., Contreas D., Li X., Muthukumar A. V., Vernaglia M. S., Carrasco T. T., Melnychuck S., Yan T., Dalal A., DiMartino J. M., Brown S., Safo-Mensa N., Greenberg E., Cook M., Finley-May S., Flynn M. A. (2025) A connectomic resource for neural cataloguing and circuit dissection of the larval zebrafish brain. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.10.658982 Shanbhag R., Zoidl G. S., Nakhuda F., Sabour S., Naumann H., Zoidl C., Bahl A., Tabatabaei N., Zoidl G. R. (2025) Pannexin-2 deficiency disrupts visual pathways and leads to ocular defects in zebrafish. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2025.167807 Boulanger-Weill J., Kämpf F., Schuhknecht G. F. P., Schalek R. L., Petkova M., Vohra S. K., Wu Y., Savaliya J. H., Tiller R., Herrera K. J., Naumann H., Eberle M., Rencken S., Stingl M., Hebling A., Hockling D., Slangewal K., Deng Z., Wang R. C., Zhang L. L., Kirchberger K. N., Bianco I. H., Baum D., Bene F. D., Engert F., Lichtman J. W., Bahl A. (2025) Correlative light and electron microscopy reveals the fine circuit structure underlying evidence accumulation in larval zebrafish. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.14.643363 2024 Pflitsch P., Oury N., Krishnan K., Joo W., Lyons D. G., Capelle M., Herrera K. J., Bahl A., Rihel J., Engert F., Zwaka H. (2024) Sleep disruption improves performance in simple olfactory and visual decision-making tasks. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.02.621641 Vohra S. K., Harth P., Isoe Y., Bahl A., Fotowat H., Engert F., Hege H., Baum D. (2024) A visual interface for exploring hypotheses about neural circuits. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. https://doi.org/10.1109/tvcg.2023.3243668 Voigt F. F., Reuss A. M., Naert T., Hildebrand S., Schaettin M., Hotz A. L., Whitehead L., Bahl A., Neuhauss S. C. F., Roebroeck A., Stoeckli E. T., Lienkamp S. S., Aguzzi A., Helmchen F. (2024) Reflective multi-immersion microscope objectives inspired by the Schmidt telescope. Nature Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01717-8 2023 Voigt F. F., Naert T., Bahl A., Lienkamp S. S., Helmchen F. (2023) Reflective multi-immersion microscope objectives. Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXX. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2648095 2021 Harpaz R., Nguyen M. N., Bahl A., Engert F. (2021) Precise visuomotor transformations underlying collective behavior in larval zebrafish. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26748-0 Harpaz R., Aspiras A. C., Chambule S., Tseng S., Bind M., Engert F., Fishman M. C., Bahl A. (2021) Collective behavior emerges from genetically controlled simple behavioral motifs in zebrafish. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abi7460 Zhu M. L., Herrera K. J., Vogt K., Bahl A. (2021) Navigational strategies underlying temporal phototaxis in Drosophila larvae. Journal of Experimental Biology. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.242428 Chen A. B., Deb D., Bahl A., Engert F. (2021) Algorithms underlying flexible phototaxis in larval zebrafish. Journal of Experimental Biology. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.238386 2020 Bahl A., Engert F. (2020) Neural circuits for evidence accumulation and decision making in larval zebrafish. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0534-9 2019 Wee C. L., Song E. Y., Johnson R. E., Ailani D., Randlett O., Kim J., Nikitchenko M., Bahl A., Yang C., Ahrens M. B., Kawakami K., Engert F., Kunes S. (2019) A bidirectional network for appetite control in larval zebrafish. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.43775 2018 Ribeiro I. M., Drews M., Bahl A., Machacek C., Borst A., Dickson B. J. (2018) Visual projection neurons mediating directed courtship in Drosophila. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.06.020 2016 Leonhardt A., Ammer G., Meier M., Serbe E., Bahl A., Borst A. (2016) Asymmetry of Drosophila ON and OFF motion detectors enhances real-world velocity estimation. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4262 2015 Bahl A., Serbe E., Meier M., Ammer G., Borst A. (2015) Neural mechanisms for Drosophila contrast vision. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.004 Ammer G., Leonhardt A., Bahl A., Dickson B. J., Borst A. (2015) Functional specialization of neural input elements to the Drosophila ON motion detector. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.014 2013 Maisak M. S., Haag J., Ammer G., Serbe E., Meier M., Leonhardt A., Schilling T., Bahl A., Rubin G. M., Nern A., Dickson B. J., Reiff D. F., Hopp E., Borst A. (2013) A directional tuning map of Drosophila elementary motion detectors. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12320 Bahl A., Ammer G., Schilling T., Borst A. (2013) Object tracking in motion-blind flies. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3386 2012 Bahl A., Stemmler M. B., Herz A. V., Roth A. (2012) Automated optimization of a reduced layer 5 pyramidal cell model based on experimental data. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2012.04.006 Plett J., Bahl A., Buss M., Kühnlenz K., Borst A. (2012) Bio-inspired visual ego-rotation sensor for MAVs. Biological Cybernetics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-012-0478-6 2009 Roth A., Bahl A. (2009) Divide et impera: optimizing compartmental models of neurons step by step. The Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2009.170944 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/papers/","section":"Neural Circuit Computation and Behavior","summary":"","title":"Publications","type":"page"},{"content":" Roberto Garza PhD Student M1124a \u0026#43;49-7531-88-2102 Bio # I study how connectivity patterns in larval zebrafish relate to working-memory processes such as evidence accumulation, designing biologically constrained models grounded in both behavioral and neural activity data. A particular interest of mine is development — I use these models to understand how key computational features emerge across ontogeny.\nIn general, I am very interested in computational neuroscience, and I love to explore big and small brains, to understand the principles by which information is represented and used for computation in biological neural networks.\nOutside the lab, I enjoy designing and playtesting my own board games, reading, and dabbling in neurosymbolic AI.\nBoard layout in one of my games. Projects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Ontogeny of Behavior Ontogeny of Behavior Methods # Behavioral Modeling Behavioral Modeling Network Modeling Network Modeling Connectomics Connectomics Thesis # Title Experimentally constrained neural network models for working memory and decision-making Type PhD thesis Period 2023-2027 Summary By adapting and extending established modeling frameworks, I investigate how evidence accumulation underlies decision-making at both the behavioral and circuit levels. I develop drift-diffusion models to extract the latent variables governing decision-making, enabling me to trace how these variables evolve across development and how genetic mutations perturb them. Complementing this, I leverage connectomics data from larval zebrafish to identify biologically plausible circuit architectures and interrogate the connectivity patterns that give rise to these dynamics. CV # Positions Since 2023 PhD Student, Bahl Lab, University of Konstanz, Germany 2021\u0026ndash;2023 Software developer and analyst, SAEP ICT, Milan, Italy Education Since 2023 PhD in Systems Neuroscience, University of Konstanz 2018\u0026ndash;2020 Master of science in Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy 2014\u0026ndash;2017 Bachelor in Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy Funding 2024 CASCB Travel Grant, Cluster for Advanced Studies of Collective Behavior Publications # 2026 Garza R., Hady A. E., Bahl A. (2026) Developmental and genetic modulation of evidence integration dynamics in zebrafish sensorimotor decision-making. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.03.01.708829 Mascherpa P., Rienzner M., Tkachenko D., Garza R., Brandalese F., Naldi E., Gandolfi C., Facchi A. (2026) SmartWT: An open IoT sensor, datalogger and GPRS data transmission device for monitoring water levels in rice fields, with application to AWD irrigation. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.111324 2021 Garza R., Amil A. S., Nowacki A., Pollo C., Nguyen T. A. K. (2021) Patient-Specific Anisotropic Volume of Tissue Activated with the Lead-DBS Toolbox. 2021 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine \u0026amp; Biology Society (EMBC). https://doi.org/10.1109/embc46164.2021.9629810 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/roberto_garza/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Roberto Garza","type":"team"},{"content":" Sandrien Huber Alumnus Master Student M1111 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/sandrien_huber/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Sandrien Huber","type":"team"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/series/","section":"Series","summary":"","title":"Series","type":"series"},{"content":" Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher M1126 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # Mainau island I study how coordinated activity across the brain gives rise to behavior and internal states. My work combines whole-brain imaging, light-field and 2-photons microscopy, and computational analysis to identify reproducible functional ensembles across animals.\nLake Constance I develop experimental and computational tools to record and analyze brain-wide activity at high speed, including light-field microscopy and virtual reality setups for behaving animals. This allows us to capture neural population dynamics during naturalistic behavior.\nZebrafish larvae waving hello. By combining imaging, behavior, and modeling, I aim to uncover principles of how distributed neural circuits generate flexible and adaptive behavior.\nProjects # Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Brain-wide Functional Ensembles Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Light field microscopy Light field microscopy Connectomics Connectomics CV # Positions Since 2024 Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Konstanz (Bahl Lab) 2021\u0026ndash;2024 Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics 2019\u0026ndash;2021 Postdoctoral Researcher, Technical University of Munich 2012\u0026ndash;2019 Postdoctoral Researcher, UCSD / Salk Institute Education 2007\u0026ndash;2011 PhD in Biophysics, Curie Institute / University of Paris VI 2006\u0026ndash;2007 M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics of Complex Systems, University of Paris VI \u0026amp; VII 2001\u0026ndash;2005 B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry, Clermont Ferrand University Fellowships 2016\u0026ndash;2019 Simons Fellowship (Simons Collaboration for the Global Brain), Simons Foundation 2010 FRM Fellowship (4th year PhD), French Medical Research Foundation Awards 2024 Drosophila Image Award (Honorable Mention) 2017\u0026ndash;2018 Kavli Institute Innovative Research Grant (co-PI), Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind 2014 Young Investigator Award (Honorable Mention), IEEE EMBS BRAIN Grand Challenges 2013 Young Researcher Award, Bettencourt Schueller Foundation 2002 JANUS Undergraduate Research Funding Publications # 2026 Slangewal K., Aimon S., Capelle M. Q., Kämpf F., Naumann H., Slanchev K., Baier H., Bahl A. (2026) Visuomotor decision-making through multifeature convergence in the larval zebrafish hindbrain. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69633-4 2023 Aimon S., Cheng K. Y., Gjorgjieva J., Kadow I. C. G. (2023) Global change in brain state during spontaneous and forced walk in Drosophila is composed of combined activity patterns of different neuron classes. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.85202 2020 Siju K., Štih V., Aimon S., Gjorgjieva J., Portugues R., Kadow I. C. G. (2020) Valence and State-Dependent Population Coding in Dopaminergic Neurons in the Fly Mushroom Body. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.037 Aimon S., Kadow I. C. G. (2020) Studying complex brain dynamics using Drosophila. Journal of Neurogenetics. https://doi.org/10.1080/01677063.2019.1706092 2019 Aimon S., Dubnau J., Katsuki T., Jia T., Grosenick L., Broxton M., Deisseroth K., Sejnowski T. J., Greenspan R. J. (2019) Fast near-whole–brain imaging in adult Drosophila during responses to stimuli and behavior. PLOS Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2006732 2014 Aimon S., Callan-Jones A., Berthaud A., Pinot M., Toombes G. E., Bassereau P. (2014) Membrane Shape Modulates Transmembrane Protein Distribution. Developmental Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2013.12.012 2011 Aimon S., Manzi J., Schmidt D., Larrosa J. A. P., Bassereau P., Toombes G. E. S. (2011) Functional Reconstitution of a Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025529 Domanov Y. A., Aimon S., Toombes G. E. S., Renner M., Quemeneur F., Triller A., Turner M. S., Bassereau P. (2011) Mobility in geometrically confined membranes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1102646108 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/sophie_aimon/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Sophie Aimon","type":"team"},{"content":" Susanne Kraus Master Student M1125 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # 2025 Trinh A., Ostenrath A. M., Castillo-Berges I. d., Kraus S., Cachin F., Serneels B., Kawakami K., Yaksi E. (2025) Hierarchical processing of sensory information across topographically organized thalamocortical-like circuits in the zebrafish brain. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.15.675867 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/susanne_kraus/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Susanne Kraus","type":"team"},{"content":" Sydney Hunt PhD Student M1126 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # How do animals navigate a complex and unpredictable world — flexibly deciding how to respond to ever-changing sensory inputs? How variable is this decision-making across a population, or within a single individual over time?\nTo address these questions, I study the optomotor response — a well-defined behavioral response to whole-field visual motion — in larval zebrafish. Using high-throughput live tracking, I measure how individual larvae respond to visual stimuli across repeated trials. I find that animals switch between distinct behavioral states (swimming with or against the motion, or not strongly responding) and that the frequency of these states differs reliably between individuals.\nWhole-brain imaging using light field imaging I am now bridging brain and behavior using light field imaging in tail-free larvae to capture whole-brain neural dynamics underlying this flexibility. Together, this work aims to reveal how the brain transforms sensory input into motor output in a state-dependent manner.\nProjects # Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Light field microscopy Light field microscopy Thesis # CV # Positions Since 2023 PhD Student, University of Konstanz 2019–2020 Research Assistant, Technical University of Munich (TUM) Education 2020-2023 Master in Neuroscience, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) 2015-2019 Bachelor in Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara Publications # 2025 Thakur D., Hunt S., Tsou T., Petty M., Rodriguez J. M., Montell C. (2025) Control of odor sensation by light and cryptochrome in the Drosophila antenna. iScience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.112443 Mearns D. S., Hunt S. A., Schneider M. W., Parker A. V., Stemmer M., Baier H. (2025) Diverse prey capture strategies in teleost larvae. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.98347.2 2022 Boehm A. C., Friedrich A. B., Hunt S., Bandow P., Siju K., Backer J. F. D., Claussen J., Link M. H., Hofmann T. F., Dawid C., Kadow I. C. G. (2022) A dopamine-gated learning circuit underpins reproductive state-dependent odor preference in Drosophila females. eLife. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.77643 ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/sydney_hunt/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Sydney Hunt","type":"team"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"},{"content":" Current team # Armin Bahl Professor Heike Naumann Research Technician Daniel Hummel Postdoctoral Researcher Margherita Zaupa Postdoctoral Researcher Sophie Aimon Postdoctoral Researcher Meha Jadhav Postdoctoral Researcher Christoph J. Kleineidam Apl. Professor Max Capelle PhD Student Ashrit Mangalwedhekar PhD Student Katja Slangewal PhD Student Sydney Hunt PhD Student Panagiotis Eleftheriadis PhD Student Roberto Garza PhD Student Lucas Heger Master Student Susanne Kraus Master Student Max Widmann Master Student Vanessa Gambus Master student Aurel Mueller-Schoenau Masters\u0026rsquo;s Student Lea Baumann Master\u0026rsquo;s Student Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026rsquo;s Student, Student Assistant Nele Holstegge Master Student Anna Miranda Kämmerer Bachelor Student Valentin Daschner Bachelor Student Henrike Tebartz-van-Elst Student Assistant Ulrike Bonitz Secretary Laura Dirmaite Secretary Group photos # Rinkenklause Retreat 2026 VTK Course 2024 Meha\u0026rsquo;s PHD Defense Alumni # Phoebe Reynolds Visiting PhD Student – Now Postdoc at FMI Basel Florian Kämpf Master Student – Now: PhD Student at LMB, Cambridge University, UK Flutura Shabani Master Student – Now at Boehringer Ingelheim Kim Kirchberger Master student - Now: PhD Student at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Pradeep Chintapalli Exchange Master Student Angelina Haag Highschool Matura Student Antonia Gäbler Bachelor Student Ben Hanson DAAD RISE Exchange Student Fausto Piehler Bachelor Student – Now: Master Student in Cognitive Psychology, University of Vienna Halley Jeanne Dante DAAD-RISE Exchange Student – Now: PHD Student at Boston University Helena Rosery Bachelor Student Kezban Özdemir Erasmus Exchange Student Kunjal Parnami Bachelor Student Leonard Weiß Bachelor Student – Now Master Exchange Student at Universidade de Lisboa Magnus Wannemacher Research Assistant Moritz Schlötter Postdoc – Now: Project Leader at Storz Medical, Tägerwilen Nikolai Hörmann Visiting PhD Student – Now: Postdoc Harvard University Maximilian Stahlsmeier Exchange Master Student (Bielefeld) Moritz Fuchsloch Master Student – Now: PhD Student Institute for Laser Tools, Uni Stuttgart Maite Börsig Research Assistant – Now: Master Student in Neuroscience at the University of Heidelberg Nicolás Beyer-Diaz-Guardamino Bachelor Student Philipp Kuschel Bachelor Student Zihan Lyu DAAD Rise Exchange Student Sandrien Huber Master Student ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Team","type":"team"},{"content":" Ulrike Bonitz Secretary M1105 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-3632 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nCV # ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/ulrike_bonitz/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Ulrike Bonitz","type":"team"},{"content":" Valentin Daschner Bachelor Student M1125 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # Spinal projection neurons (SPN): These SPNs were labeled through backfilling the spinal cord with a fluorescent dye. I am Valentin, a student with a strong interest in understanding how complex behaviour emerges from a stimulus through neural activity. During my work, I have focused on combining molecular tools with experimental neuroscience, particularly using optogenetic approaches to manipulate specific neurons and study their function in living systems. This allows me to causally link neural activity to behaviour.\nA central aspect of my interest lies in collective behaviour, especially how individual actions influence group dynamics. By studying the escape or flight response in zebrafish, I explore how a single neuron, such as the Mauthner cell, can trigger rapid behavioural changes and how these responses propagate within a group during decision-making processes.\nElectroporation set up: 1. Fluorescence microscope, 2. Micromanipulator, 3. Stages for unidirectional controle, 4. DAC (digital-to-analog converter), 5. Oscilloscope, 6.Controller for the stages and manipulators. To investigate these questions, I use the art of single cell electroporation as well as imaging and microscopy techniques, including fluorescence and two-photon microscopy. These methods enable me to visualize neuronal structures and activity with high spatial resolution, providing insights into the underlying circuitry that drives behaviour. Through this combination of molecular manipulation and advanced imaging, I aim to better understand the connection between single-cell activity and complex, collective phenomena.\nThe Mauthner cell post Electroporation: Here you see the Mauthner cell only seconds after it was electroporated. Outside of my academic work, I enjoy art, gaming, and audiobooks as a way to relax and clear my mind. I also make sure to stay active with sports, it helps me keep a good balance overall.\nI would describe myself as a knowledge-driven and hard-working person with a genuine passion for science.\nProjects # Collective decision-making We study animal groups Methods # Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Targeted optogenetic control of individual motor behaviour during collective decision making Type Bachelor thesis Period 2026\u0026ndash;2026 CV # Positions 2024–2026 Hiwi, University of Konstanz 2023–2024 Hiwi, Max Plank Institute of Animal Behavior Education Since 2022 Bachelor in Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz Publications # ","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/valentin_daschner/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Valentin Daschner","type":"team"},{"content":" Vanessa Gambus Master student M1125 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-xxxx Bio # I am a Master’s student in neuroscience, studying how sensory inputs are transformed into neural activity and ultimately behavior in larval zebrafish. I am particularly interested in how past sensory experiences shape ongoing processing and enable flexible, adaptive behavior.\nMy current work focuses on how stimulus history influences sensorimotor transformations under controlled conditions. Using head-fixed larval zebrafish, I combine quantitative behavioral tracking with precisely controlled visual stimulation to probe how prior inputs bias future responses. A central goal of my project is to link these behavioral effects to their underlying neural dynamics by integrating two-photon microscopy.\nImage 1: Wildtype larval zebrafish embedded in agarose with tail cut free I previously worked in the same lab during my Bachelor’s thesis, where I focused on multicolor fluorescent labeling of the nervous system in larval zebrafish using electroporation. I continued this work during a six-month research assistant position, further deepening my interest in experimental neuroscience. Early observations from a recent Master-level course (VTK) suggest that larval zebrafish retain information about previous stimuli and adjust their responses accordingly, providing a strong motivation for my current research.\nImage 2: 4dpf zebrafish larva where electroporation was done with the plasmid gap43EGFP using a 0,1μm tip borosilicate glass pipette; a, b, c: the three positions were the electroporation needle was placed Image 3: Electroporated zebrafish larva at 4dpf with gap43-EGFP. a: Maximum z-stack projection of successfully electroporated larval zebrafish (5dpf) b: single stack chosen from two-photon image Outside the lab, I am involved in university and HTWG theater, mainly working in make-up but occasionally also performing on stage. In my free time, I enjoy trying out new sports, solving escape rooms, and I am currently working towards my scuba diving certification.\nProjects # Flexible Behavior Flexible Behavior Methods # Virtual Reality Virtual Reality Two Photon Microscopy Two Photon Microscopy Thesis # Title Neural correlates of history-dependent sensorimotor processing in larval zebrafish Type Master thesis Period 2026/03\u0026ndash;present Summary My Master’s thesis will investigate the behavior of larval zebrafish in response to visual stimuli with varying coherence levels in a head-fixed preparation. The project combines behavioral tracking with visual stimulation and is planned to be extended with two-photon imaging to study the underlying neural activity. CV # Positions 2023 Assistant researcher, University of Konstanz Education Since 2023 Master of Science in Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz 2018\u0026ndash;2023 Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, University of Konstanz Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/vanessa_gambus/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Vanessa Gambus","type":"team"},{"content":" Vincent Sanwald Master\u0026#39;s Student, Student Assistant M1125 \u0026#43;49-7531-88-2100 Bio # It is tragically said about me that \u0026ldquo;I like to come up with the hardest exam questions\u0026rdquo; which could not be further from the truth. In countless highly cultured argumentative battles, I always stood my ground for simple yet funny shark questions, never dispirited, never relinquished. One day, there will be an exam with said shark question, and on that day, the sun will rise, the birds will sing ,and the students will exult in joy.\nImage 1: Neurons in optic tectum of zebrafish larvae. Synapsin tagged blue, whole cell in red Until that day, far off in the future, I strive to learn about how molecular mechanisms in animals work and how this knowledge could lead to cure of illnesses or defects. The one piece shared between all animals - not spared from disorder - that sets us apart from cold rock or freezing water is our brain, defining who we are. Apprehending this mystery could teach us so much about ourselves, our behaviour and all living beings.\nIn my Bachelor’s thesis I did electroporations with various plasmids. One attempt aimed at making the synapses in neurons visible by using BFP tagged Synapsin with is part of the Snare complex.\nImage 2: 3D model of electroporated neurons in the optic tectum in zebrafish brain Once a high success rate for electroporations is achieved, many neurons can be transfected and the mystery surrounding their morphology can be disclosed\nM-cells can also be electroporated giving rise to a variety of possibilities as optic stimulation of cells in vivo\nImage caption 3: Mauthner cell in zebrafish larvae Projects # Neural Integrator Circuits Neural Integrator Circuits Collective decision-making We study animal groups Methods # Electrophysiology Electrophysiology Molecular Tools Molecular Tools Thesis # Title Optimization of electroporation for gene expression in zebrafish brain Type Bachelor\u0026rsquo;s thesis Period 2025/12\u0026ndash;2026/03 Summary In my bachelor\u0026rsquo;s thesis, I enhanced electroporation to provide a reliable tool for gene expression in single cells in vivo. CV # Positions Since 2026 Student Assistant, University of Konstanz Education 2026 Master in Life Science, University of Konstanz 2022\u0026ndash;2026 Bachelor in Life Science, University of Konstanz Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/vincent_sanwald/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Vincent's amazing page","type":"team"},{"content":" Zihan Lyu Alumnus DAAD Rise Exchange Student ZT925 Bio # Short bio coming soon.\nProjects # No projects listed.\nMethods # No methods listed.\nThesis # CV # Publications # No publications available.\n","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/bahl/team/zihan_lyu/","section":"Team","summary":"","title":"Zihan Lyu","type":"team"}]