Research Labs

We study neural and neural crest development, evolution and pathology with focus on patterning mechanisms.

Research in my group focuses on CD8-mediated and antibody-mediated pathogenic mechanisms in rare (epileptic) diseases such as Rasmussen encephalitis, Susac syndrome, Narcolepsy and the clinically defined antibody-associated encephalitides.

The research questions target not only rare peroxisomal disorders such as X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy but also the role of peroxisomes in common neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

We are interested in the initiation, progression and resolution of inflammatory lesions of the central nervous system, and study these processes in models of neuromyelitis optica, an important human disease.

We are studying nociception and pain in the central nervous system, with a particular focus on the spinal cord.

We study GABA-A receptor structure, function and pharmacology – project deal with e.g. the identification of novel binding sites, optimization of ligand selectivity, functional characterization of variants, or structure prediction.

The Harkany Lab at the Medical University of Vienna pursues experimental research on fundamental mechanisms that drive the molecular design of the mammalian brain during fetal and postnatal development, including studies on cellular diversity and intercellular signaling systems. We strive to understand how maternal life-choices during pregnancy -- including drug seeking, diet, and stress -- modify fetal development, potentially impacting the offspring for their life-time. We address these key questions by intersecting molecular, cellular, and circuit neuroscience in invertebrate and vertebrate model systems, and human subjects. The breadth of our methodological repertoire has helped us to resolve some of the most challenging and exciting questions of modern Neuroscience.

Building on computational and experimental neuroscience, we explore how the brain processes affective information - ultimately to understand how neural circuits, genes and experience shape the emotional self.

For patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, there is a gap between biomedical research and the application of its discoveries. Together with the GSRD consortium, we explore the genetic foundations of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) using whole-genome sequencing to develop precise treatment approaches.

Our research examines the molecular mechanisms underlying endocannabinoid and neuropeptide signaling systems in hypothalamic and cortical brain circuit formation in health and disease.

We are studying how cortical networks of distinct GABAergic neurons and pyramidal cells cooperate in time to generate cognitive behavior.

We study the dynamics of local field potentials and the spike timing of cortical, hippocampal and subcortical neuronal populations, to understand their contribution to circuit operations and behavior in rodents.

Our lab investigates how neuropeptides shape synaptic circuits on molecular, electrophysiological and behavioral level.

Our main research interest is the unprecedented cellular heterogeneity of the brain, its achievement during development and its conversion into functional circuitry, with a particular focus on how environmental and metabolic factors can influence brain cell composition, identities, and functions.

We study the neurotransmitter receptors for GABA and Acetylcholine aiming to understand, which receptor subtypes actually exist, where they are distributed in the brain, and how they can be modulated pharmacologically.

Lipids are fascinating molecules and integral to forming the core structure of brain tissue. Our research explores how specific lipids influence innate immunity and the reactivity of various brain cell types, aiming to uncover how dysfunction in lipid metabolism could contribute to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.