Prof. Dr. U. Valentin Nägerl
Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology
- 1991–1994: Studies of physics and medicine, University of Göttingen, Germany
- 2000: PhD in Neuroscience with Istvan Mody, UCLA, USA
- 2000–2004: Postdoc with Tobias Bonhoeffer, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology,
- 2004–2008: Group leader, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
- 2009: Habilitation in Neuroscience with Arthur Konnerth, Technical Univ. of Munich
- 2009–2024: Full professor of neuroscience and bioimaging, University of Bordeaux
- 2024: Director of Institute of Anatomy & Cell Biol., Univ. Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
- 2025: Managing director of Center of Anatomy, Univ. Medical Center Göttingen, Germany
Distinctions
- 2024: Niedersachsenprofessur
- 2023: Maxime Dahan Prize
- 2023: Discovery Award Wellcome Trust
- 2021: Promotion to “professeur classe exceptionelle"
- 2021: ERC Synergy
- 2000: HFSP
- 2018: Research Prize of French Academy of Sciences
- 2017: Senior member of Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)
- 2016: Equipe FRM prize
Major Research Interests
Our team focuses on the development and application of super-resolution microscopy techniques (STED and SMLM) as well as novel labeling strategies to investigate the dynamics and plasticity of key microanatomical players and compartments, such as tripartite synapses and the extracellular space of the brain, using the mouse as a model system. We seek to uncover the biophysical and physiological mechanisms that orchestrate the complex and purposeful interplay of neurons and glia in the living brain in health and disease. We are looking for highly motivated students who are in love with neuroanatomy and neuroscience, technology and microscopy to reinforce our new team in Göttingen, which is brimming with cool project ideas, great resources and international collaborators.
Homepage Department/Research Group
under construction
Selected Recent Publications
- Arizono et al. Live STED imaging of functional neuroanatomy. Nature Protocols 2025 (doi.org/10.1038/s41596-024-01132-6)
- Dembitskaya et al. Shadow imaging for panoptical visualization of brain tissue in vivo. Nature Communications 2023 (PMID: 37828018)
- Arizono et al. Structural basis of astrocytic Ca2+ signals at tripartite synapses. Nature Communications 2020 (PMID: 32312988)
- Pfeiffer et al. Chronic 2P-STED imaging reveals high turnover of dendritic spines in the hippocampus in vivo. Elife 2018 (PMID: 29932052)
- Tønnesen et al. Cell 2018 (PMID: 29474910)
- Tønnesen et al. Spine neck plasticity regulates compartmentalization of synapses. Nature Neuroscience 2014 (PMID: 24657968)