Jakob Østergaard Thuesen embarks on a PhD in Anna Klawonn's group
What if, instead of starting with what goes wrong in the brain during depression, we looked at what happens when the brain successfully maintains a healthy mood?
That is the starting point for Jakob Østergaard Thuesen’s new PhD project in Anna Klawonn’s group at DAN-DRITE. Here, he will investigate how neural circuits in a part of the brain called the lateral septum contribute to healthy mood regulation – and what these circuits can tell us about resilience.
From mapping circuits to understanding mood
The question builds naturally on the work Jakob has already been doing in the group. As a Master’s student, he has focused on mapping neural circuits in the mouse brain, particularly the connections to and from the lateral septum. Using viral tracing and computational analyses, including deep neural networks and machine learning, he has mapped the inputs and outputs of the lateral septum across the entire mouse brain. He has also used whole-brain c-Fos analysis following natural reward and investigated the activity of enkephalin-expressing neurons in the lateral septum during acute sickness and recovery.
Now, as he moves from being a Master’s student to a PhD student in the same group, he will build on this foundation while turning his attention towards the dynamics of these circuits. Using in vivo fiber photometry, together with optogenetics and chemogenetics, he will investigate how activity in the lateral septum is linked to mood and whether these circuits play a role in the brain’s ability to maintain resilience.
Starting with a healthy brain
Rather than focusing on what goes wrong during mood disorders, Jakob wants to approach mood regulation from the perspective of a healthy brain:
“Rather than asking the question, ‘What system is malfunctioning during mood disorders such as depression?’, I want to approach it from the other direction and ask, ‘How does the healthy brain signal resilience and prevent mood disorders from occurring?’”
In other words, the project asks what keeps the brain functioning well in the first place – rather than only investigating what happens when those mechanisms fail.
Where the research leads
The move into a PhD also gives Jakob the opportunity to immerse himself fully in the project and broaden his skills as a neuroscientist.
“I am really looking forward to being able to fully dedicate my time to my project. I am also excited to expand my skillset as a neuroscientist and learn new methods, such as in vivo fiber photometry.”
For now, the project provides a clear direction – but there is plenty still to discover.
“Most of all, I am looking forward to seeing where the project takes me and what we can learn about the neural mechanisms underlying resilience,” says Jakob.