Staff
Dr. Eduard Maier
Head of RG | Scientist
Department Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry
About me
In mammals, maternal behaviour is essential for the survival and well-being of offspring, and it is closely linked to the oxytocin (OT) system. Although the peripheral effects of OT on maternal behaviour, such as milk ejection and uterine contractions, have been extensively studied, the functions of OT, particularly in higher-order brain areas, are less well understood. Therefore, I plan to investigate the role of OT in cortical processing in the context of maternal care using viral, anatomical, physiological, and behavioural techniques. I hope that this will advance our basic neurobiological understanding of the intimate relationship between mother and infant.
Eddy holds a PhD in Neurobiology and an MD in translational Oncology. He is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in our team, having been awarded a Walter Benjamin Fellowship by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Expertise
| Viral techniques | Neuroanatomy |
|---|---|
| In-vivo Electrophysiology | Animal behavior |
TOP 5 publications:
- , , , , , , , . Play and tickling responses map to the lateral columns of the rat periaqueductal gray.Neuron. 2023 111(19):3041-3052.e7.
- , , , , . Elephant facial motor control.Sci Adv. 2022 8(43):eabq2789.
- , , , , , . Effects of Sexual Experience and Puberty on Mouse Genital Cortex revealed by Chronic Imaging.Curr Biol. 2019 29(21):3588-3599.e4.
- , , , , , , , , , , , , . Trigeminal ganglion and sensory nerves suggest tactile specialization of elephants.Curr Biol. 2022 32(4):904-910.e3.
- , . Maternity: Oxytocin circuits during birth and lactation.Curr Biol. 2022 32(17):R921-R923.
Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit (ZI) - https://www.zi-mannheim.de