Education

PhD

2018

Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Advisor: Ofer Yizhar
Design and Characterization of Light-Gated Proteins for the Investigation of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Function

MSc

2011

LMU Munich, Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience, Germany
Advisors: Shimon Marom (Technion) and Lars Kunz (LMU)
Dynamical Modes in Coupled Large-Scale Networks

BSc

2009

Department of Biology, University of Constance, Germany
Advisor: Marcel Leist
Genetic Modification of Embryonic Stem Cells

Professional Experience

2023-present

Ambizione Project Leader, Department of Neurobiology, FMI, Basel, Switzerland. Investigation of affect processing in decision-making.

2018-2023

Postdoctoral fellow with Andreas Lüthi, Department of Neurobiology, FMI, Basel, Switzerland. Valence and salience representation in the basolateral amygdala.

Mentoring

Andres De Vicente – PhD thesis – ongoing: Valence in Decision-Making

Nikolaos Armeniakos – PhD thesis – ongoing: The BLA microcircuitry guiding foraging behavior

Pritish Patil – MSc thesis: Chloride-channel mediated BLA inhibition during fear conditioning

Dan Blum – lab rotation: Stable protein expression via feedback expression repression

Jonathan Nutkiewitz – lab rotation: Closed loop gene expression control

Teaching

The central aim of my teaching strategy is to foster a dynamic and engaging learning environment that promotes critical thinking. To this end, I encourage active participation, discussions, and hands-on experiences. I believe that learning is most effective when students are actively engaged in the material, applying theoretical concepts to real-life scenarios, and participating in problem-solving activities. By promoting interactive learning, I seek to foster critical thinking skills, creativity, and independent thought among my students. I encourage students to think beyond canonical textbook concepts by exposing them to current scientific literature. My aim is to create an inclusive environment that values diversity and creates a safe space for students to express their thoughts and ideas freely, ensuring that every student can thrive and succeed. Finally, I am an approachable and supportive mentor to my students. I encourage open communication and provide constructive feedback to help students identify their strengths and areas for improvement. By fostering a positive learning environment, I aim to inspire confidence and motivate students to reach their fullest potential.

Courses Taught

2025

In vivo electrophysiology and behavior modules co-organizer – Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School, The Pike Lake, Transylvania, Romania (2 weeks – 60h block course)

2023

In vivo electrophysiology and behavior modules instructor – Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School, The Pike Lake, Transylvania, Romania (2 weeks – 60h block course)

2021

Instructor – Cajal Course: Optogenetics, chemogenetics and biosensors for cellular and circuit neuroscience (1.5 week – 90h block course)

2019

Instructor – Cajal Course: Biosensors and actuators for cellular and systems neuroscience (3 week – 180h block course)

2019

Speaker – Nencki Institute Open Lab – Ephys and Optogenetics Workshop
(8 h block course)

2014

Instructor, Methods in Neuroscience Lab course, module: Whole-cell patch-clamp recording in primary neuronal cultures, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. (2 weeks – 60h block course)

Awards

2018

Giora Yoel Yashinski Memorial Prize for outstanding PhD thesis, awarded by the Weizmann Institute of Science

2017

Computational and Systems Neuroscience travel grant

2016

FENS Young Investigator Training Program

2016

FENS and IBRO-PERC stipend for attending TENSS

2011

Technion Scholarship during Master Thesis Research

2011

PROSA LMU Scholarship of the DAAD & State of Bavaria (declined)

Funding

Novartis Foundation Young Investigator Grant

Institution: Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research
Type of funding: Competitive funding
Funding period: 03/2025 – 02/2026
Personal Role: Project leader

SNSF Ambizione grant with Flexibility grant

Institution: Swiss National Science Foundation
Type of funding: Competitive funding
Funding period: 03/2023 – 02/2027
Personal Role: Project leader

Horizon Europe: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship

Institution: EU’s research and innovation funding program – Horizon 2020
Type of funding: Competitive funding
Funding period: 03/2021 – 02/2023
Personal Role:  MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow

European Molecular Biology Organization: Postdoctoral Fellowship

Institution: European Molecular Biology Organization
Type of funding: Competitive funding
Funding period: 07/2019 – 02/2021
Personal Role:  EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow

Leadership and Management Activites

2021-2023

Basel Postdoc Network Committee Member

2019-2024

Postdoc representative, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research

2017-2018

Organizing committee students-invited lecture series in brain sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science

Reviewing Activities

Journals

Molecular Psychiatry, Nature Communications, Nature Methods, and Scientific Reports

Funding agencies

External expert reviewer for ERC LS9 Advanced Grant 2024 and Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies

Invited Presentations

2024

Les Rasses meeting: Value processing in the amygdala

2023

Les Rasses meeting: State-, context-, and task-dependent value processing in the amygdala

2023

Bernstein Seminar Freiburg: From optogenetic inhibition to value and valence coding

2021

Department of Biomedicine Basel: Investigation of neuronal circuits: Genetic Approaches in Biomedical Research

2015

Israel Society for Neuroscience: Biophysical constraints of optogenetic inhibition at presynaptic terminals

2014

Israel Society for Neuroscience: Neuromodulation of dynamic network connectivity in the medial prefrontal cortex

Advanced Coursework

2022

Animal study director – LTK Module 2 – Training for persons responsible for directing animal experiments

2021

EMBO Laboratory Leadership course

2016

FENS Young Investigator Training Program 2016 – research stay with Jakob B. Sørensen, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

2016

Transylvanian Experimental Neuroscience Summer School (TENSS), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2013

ELSC International School: Intracellular In-vivo Recording, Eilat, Israel

2012

FENS-IBRO Winter School: Brain Dynamics and Dynamics of Brain Disease, Obergurgl, Austria