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Emre Yaksi
NERF Principal Investigator, Associate Prof. KU Leuven
B.Sc.: Middle East technical University, 2001
M.Sc.: University of Heidelberg, 2002
Ph.D.: Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, 2007
Emre.Yaksi@nerf.be
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Research Interests:
- sensory integration and processing in the zebrafish brain
- neural circuits and behavior
- functional assembly of neural circuits
Post-doctoral fellows: Dr. Cameron Wyatt
PhD Students: Ms. Nuria Vendrell Llopis, Mr. Suresh Kumar Jetti
Visiting Scientists:Dr. Elena Dreosti, Ms. Nuray Sogunmez
Laboratory website: http://yaksilab.com/ [External website]
Function and development of neural circuits
Understanding how the sensory world is represented in the brain and how these representations generate behaviors that are essential to the life of an organism is the fundamental challenge of sensory neuroscience. The activity of single neurons and the function of synapses have been investigated in great detail. Yet, information processing at the level of the neural circuits is less well understood. The main goal of our laboratory is to understand the fundamental principles underlying the function and development of neural circuits in a genetically tractable model organism, zebrafish. In order to accomplish these goals we will exploit chemosensory systems. Among the sensory systems, chemosensation is the least studied. Substantial amount of work was done to understand the chemosensory coding in the level of receptor neurons. However, little is known about the chemosensory information processing in the higher brain areas. In order to monitor, dissect and perturb the neural circuits of the adult and larval zebrafish brain, we use: two-photon and widefield microscopy, optogenetics, electrophysiological recordings, molecular genetics and behavioral assays. Ultimately, these experiments will help us to understand the fundamental principles of sensory information processing in the brains of vertebrates, including humans.
Open positions: NERF is an interdisciplinary research institute and we are open to people from all disciplines of natural sciences including biology, physics, mathematics as well engineering backgrounds. Our goal is to create an international and interdisciplinary team for an excellent scientific atmosphere.
Post doctoral candidates are expected to have a PhD in fields related to the research goal of our laboratory (e.g. in vivo electrophysiology, optical imaging of neural circuits, synaptic physiology) and have a solid publication record on their fields. Moreover, applicants with backgrounds in physics/optics or engineering and enthusiastic about applying their skills in systems neuroscience are strongly encouraged.
Please send your: CV, statement of skills and research interest, list of publications, name of 2-3 references to: Emre.Yaksi@nerf.be
Publications:
- Kazama, H., Yaksi, E., Wilson, RI. (2011) Cell death triggers olfactory circuit plasticity via glial signaling in Drosophila. Journal of Neuroscience 31(21):7619-30.
- Yaksi, E. and Wilson, R.I. (2010) Electrical coupling between olfactory glomeruli. Neuron 67: 1034-47
- Chou, Y.H.*, Spletter, M.*, Yaksi, E.*, Leong, J.C.S., Wilson, R.I., Liqun, L. (2010) Developmental and functional diversity of local interneurons in fruit fly antennal lobe. Nature Neuroscience 13: 439-49 * Equal Contributions
- Friedrich, R.W., Yaksi, E., Judkewitz, B.,Wiechert, M.T. (2009) Processing of odor representations by neural circuits in the olfactory bulb. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1170: 293-7.
- Yaksi, E. *, von Saint Paul, F. *, Bundschuh, S., Niessing, J., Friedrich, R.W. (2009) Transformation of odor representations in target areas of the olfactory bulb. Nature Neuroscience 12: 474-82, * Equal Contributions
- Tabor, R., Yaksi, E., Friedrich, R.W. (2008) Multiple functions of GABA A and GABA B receptors during pattern processing in the zebrafish olfactory bulb. European Journal of Neuroscience 28: 117-27
- Yaksi, E., Judkewitz, B., Friedrich, R.W. (2007) Topological reorganization of odor representations in the olfactory bulb. PLoS Biology 5: e178
- Yaksi, E., and Friedrich, R. (2006). Reconstruction of firing rate changes across neuronal populations by temporally deconvolved Ca2+ imaging. Nature Methods 3: 377-83.
- Feng, B., Bulchand, S., Yaksi, E., Friedrich, R. W., and Jesuthasan, S. (2005). The recombination activation gene 1 (Rag1) is expressed in a subset of zebrafish olfactory neurons but is not essential for axon targeting or amino acid detection. BMC Neuroscience 6, 46
- Li, J., Mack, J. A., Souren, M., Yaksi, E., Higashijima, S., Mione, M., Fetcho, J. R., and Friedrich, R.W. (2005). Early development of functional spatial maps in the zebrafish olfactory bulb. Journal of Neuroscience 25: 5784-5795.
- Tabor, R., Yaksi, E., Weislogel, J. M., and Friedrich, R. W. (2004). Processing of odor mixtures in the zebrafish olfactory bulb. Journal of Neuroscience 24: 6611-6620.