« Personen

CURRENT POSITION

from 01/2020	Researcher, Group Leader, Research Group “Synapto-Oscillopathies” Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
06/2022-09/2022	Parental Leave (Elternzeit)

 
EDUCATION / PREVIOUS POSITIONS

10/2014-12/2019	Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Genetics & Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Oliver Stork
04/2009-09/2014	PhD Student and Research Associate, Humboldt University and Free University of Berlin, Charité Medical Faculty, Germany PhD Thesis: “Role of hippocampal network activities in stress- and fear-related processes”, Dr. rer nat. (04.09.2015) Grade: summa cum laude, Advisor: Prof. Dr. Uwe Heinemann
11/2008-03/2009	Guest Student, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New     Zealand, Prof. Dr. David K. Bilkey; Training on in vivo tetrode recordings and data analysis
10/2008	Guest Student, Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for the Biology of Memory, Tröndheim, Norway, Prof. Edvard Moser and Prof. May-Britt Moser; Training on in vivo tetrode recordings and data analysis
09/2006-06/2008	Master Course International Graduate Program-Medical Neurosciences, Humboldt University, Charité Medical Faculty, Berlin-Germany Master Thesis: “Effects of Nicotine on Memory-Related Hippocampal Network Oscillations in Vitro”, MSc in Medical Neurosciences (16.05.2008) Grade: 1.5 (85%), Advisor: Prof. Dr. Uwe Heinemann
09/2002-06/2006	Undergraduate studies of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul-Turkey - BSc (21.06.2006) GPA: 3.33 out of 4.00 possible

 
RESEARCH FOCUS
I have been studying cellular and circuit-level changes in animal models of fear and anxiety via combining different approaches including electrophysiology, behaviour and pharmacogenetics (DREADDs). My current research focuses on identification of physiological and pathological alterations in the hippocampal activity patterns and their relation to modulation of hippocampal engrams in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. I am also interested in the impact of environmental factors and their interactions with immune system in mediation of affective behaviour.
 
GRANTS

01/2020-12/2022

Principal Investigator - NeuroNetwork: “A Neuronetwork for functional analysis of the engram connectome"; Subproject: "Bottom-up modulation of hippocampal engrams via sustained amygdalar activity" (Funded by the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and the „European Regional Development Fund“ (ERDF 2014-2020); Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, grant ID: ZS/2016/04/78113) - € 155,710 (€ 465,000 total funding)

06/2018- 01/2020

Postdoctoral Fellowship CBBS ScienceCampus -"Elucidating the role of ventral hippocampal network oscillations in fear memory persistence" (Funded by the Leibniz Association, grant ID: SAS-2015-LIN-LWC) - € 80,000

 
AWARDS

10/2022	CBBS Best Paper Award 2021: “Çaliskan G, et al., Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis leads to activation of microglia and impairment of cholinergic gamma oscillations in the hippocampus. Brain Behav Immun. 2021 Oct 18;99:203-217”
11/2021	Selected to attend the Cajal course on Optogenetics, chemogenetics and biosensors for cellular and circuit neuroscience Bordeaux School of Neuroscience in Bordeaux, France, on 22 November - 10 December 2021
07/2021	Travel Award, The 44th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society 2021 in Kobe Convention Center, July 28-31, 2021
04/2017	Travel Award, IBRO-PERC, The Brain Prize and FENS Stipend, the Spring Brain Conference 2017, Learning, Memory and Synaptic Plasticity, Rungstedgaard, Denmark
11/2016	Travel Award, German Neuroscience Society-Leopoldina, „Brains in vivo and in silico: from Synapses and Circuits to Brain-Inspired Technologies" in Jerusalem, Israel
07/2016	FENS /IBRO Travel Award, Copenhagen, Denmark
10/2015	Travel Award, FENS Featured Regional Meeting, Thessaloniki, Greece
04/2009-06/2011	Doctoral PhD stipend, Graduate School Learning and Memory (GRK 1123), Humboldt University and Free University of Berlin, Charité Medical Faculty, Germany
07/2007	Travel Award, Onassis Foundation Science Lecture Series, Lectures in Biology devoted to "Channels and Channelopathies", Crete, Greece

 
TEACHING AND MENTORING
Graduate Neuroscience Courses:
Three Lectures, two practical courses, a writing course and a seminar series in MSc Integrative Neuroscience Program:

from 04/2022	Lecture on "Neuromodulation and Neuropeptides"
from 11/2021	Co-supervision of a writing course for master thesis project proposal - “Neural Signalling”
from 11/2021	Lecture on "Dendritic Integration"
from 11/2018	Lecture on "Synaptic plasticity"
from 10/2016	Co-supervision of a practical course on Genetic models
from 04/2015	Lecture on "Cellular mechanisms of network oscillations in the brain"
from 06/2015	Seminar Series
from 01/2015	Lead supervision of a course on recording and analysis of electrophysiological data

Mentoring:
Currently direct supervision of 2 MSc, 1 PhD student and co-supervision of 2 PhD Students.
Supervision of several lab rotations (~1 month) and long-term internships (4-to-9 months) of BSc and MSc students (13 in total) and 2 MSc Theses.
 
ORGANIZATION OF CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIA

03/2021	ISYNC: International SynAGE conference on healthy ageing (Organization of scientific sessions)
09/2019	MCB-Brain Plasticity International Conference (Organization committee- Postdocs in Magdeburg Science Community, funded by CBBS)
11/2010	Berlin Brain Days (Invitation of Nobel Laureate Prof. Edvard Moser)
04/2009	Berlin Brain Days (Invitation of Prof. Gábor Támás)

 
INVITED SEMINARS AND TALKS

12/2022	Blitz Talk, SynAGE Retreat, Wanzleben, Germany
10/2022	“CBBS Paper of the year 2021", CBBS General Assembly, Magdeburg, Germany
09/2022	Invited Talk, Multi lab retreat/symposium CoSMOs 2022, Prague, Czech Republic
05/2022	5th Conference on the Functional Architecture of Memory - Blitz Talk, Magdeburg, Germany
05/2022	"GC-I³ Paper of the year 2021" Symposium, Magdeburg, Germany
02/2022	Invited CBBS – Ring Lecture, Magdeburg, Germany
03/2021	Invited Seminar Series – Mikulovic / Remy Lab - Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
08/2020	Invited Lecture Series - RTG 2413 - SynAGE
09/2019	Session chair and talk, MCB-Brain Plasticity International Conference, Magdeburg, Germany
03/2019	Replacement talk, Proteins and Circuits in Memory, Copenhagen, Denmark
12/2018	Invited Seminar, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
10/2018	Invited Seminar, Junior Researcher Journal Club, Magdeburg, Germany
05/2018	Invited Lecture Series – ABINEP Graduate School
03/2017	37th European Winter Conference on Brain Research, Les Arcs 1800, France

 
MEMBERSHIPS IN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

from 01/2016	Federation of European Neurosciences (FENS)
from 01/2016	German Neuroscience Society

 
REVIEWING/EDITING ACTIVITIES

from 2023 from 2022 from 2023 from 2023	Grant Reviewer, Italian Ministry of University and Research Grant Reviewer, The German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) Reviewer, Cell Reports Reviewer, Journal of Neurochemistry
from 2022	Reviewer, Translational Neurodegeneration
from 2022	Reviewer, Molecular Neurobiology
from 2022	Reviewer, Neuropsychopharmacology
from 2022	Reviewer, Journal of Neuroimmunology
from 2021	Reviewer, Hippocampus
from 2021	Reviewer, Neural Regeneration Research
from 2021	Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience
from 2021	Reviewer, Bioengineered-TAND
from 2021	Reviewer, Cells-MDPI
from 2020	Reviewer, Scientific Reports
from 2020	Reviewer, Brain Research Bulletin
from 2020	Reviewer, Psychoneuroendocrinology
from 2020	Guest Associate Editor, Frontiers in Neural Circuits - Research Topic
from 2020	Reviewer, International Journal of Molecular Sciences
from 2020	Reviewer, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
from 2019	Reviewer, Cerebral Cortex
from 2019	Reviewer, Neuropharmacology
from 2018	Reviewer, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
from 2018	Reviewer, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
from 2015	Reviewer, Stress- The International Journal on the Biology of Stress

 
LANGUAGES

Turkish	Native proficiency
English	Full professional proficiency
German	Limited professional proficiency (~B2)

 
RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS

From 2009	FELASA certificate, the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations
From 2016	Security officer at the Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
From 2017	Deputy Head of two Animal experimentation projects (Tierversuchsvorhabens nach § 8 Abs. 1 des Tierschutzgesetzes)
From 2020	Member of an appointment committee for Professorship at the Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
From 2021	First Aid officer at the Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
From 2021	Project Leader Qualification (Projektleiterkurs nach § 28 Abs. 2 der Gentechnik-Sicherheitsverordnung)

 
PUBLICATIONS
Number of Papers in peer-reviewed journals: 28 (15 first or shared first authorships; 1 last/senior authorship)
(Citations=557, h-index=14, Based on Scopus database; Date: 12.08.2023, full publication list available via: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36937488100)
 
Preprints:
32: Blondiaux A, Jia S, Annamneedi A, Çalışkan G, Schulze J, Montenegro-Venegas C, Wykes RC, Fejtova A, Walker MC, Stork O, Gundelfinger ED, Dityatev A, Seidenbecher CI. (2023) Neural Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Signatures in Genetic and Acquired Mouse Models of Epilepsy. bioRxiv 2023.04.19.537468. doi: 10.1101/2023.04.19.537468
 
31: Raza SA, Klinger K, del Ángel M, Demiray YE, Çaliskan G, Kreutz MR, Stork O (2022) Fear engrams and NPYergic circuit in the dorsal dentate gyrus determine remote fear memory generalization. bioRxiv 2022.04.26.489543; doi: 10.1101/2022.04.26.489543
 
30: Pollali E, Hollnagel J-O, Çaliskan G^# (2022) Hippocampal gamma-band oscillopathy in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome. bioRxiv 2021.04.24.441239; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.24.441239. ^# Senior/Corresponding Author
 
Editorials:
29: Çaliskan G^#, Mikulovic S^# and Girardeau G^# (2022) Editorial: Functional Aspects of Mesoscopic Brain Oscillations: Insights From in vivo and in vitro Studies. Front. Neural Circuits 16:960157. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2022.96015. ^#Corresponding Author
 
Published papers in peer-reviewed journals:

28: Çalışkan G, Demiray YE, Stork O. Comparison of three common inbred mouse strains reveals substantial differences in hippocampal GABAergic interneuron populations and in vitro network oscillations. Eur J Neurosci. 2023 Aug 7. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16112. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37550182. ^# Corresponding Author

27: Ulrich M, Pollali E, Çalışkan G, Stork O, Albrecht A. Sex differences in anxiety and threat avoidance in GAD65 knock-out mice. Neurobiol Dis. 2023 Jul;183:106165. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106165. Epub 2023 May 23. PMID: 37230180.

26: Albrecht A, Müller I, Weiglein A, Pollali E, Çaliskan G, Stork O. Choosing memory retrieval strategies: A critical role for inhibition in the dentate gyrus. Neurobiol Stress. 2022 Jul 31;20:100474. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100474. PMID: 35958670; PMCID: PMC9357949.
 
25: Brandner S, Schroeter S, Çalışkan G, Salar S, Kobow K, Coras R, Blümcke I, Hamer H, Schwarz M, Buchfelder M, Maslarova A. Glucocorticoid modulation of synaptic plasticity in the human temporal cortex of epilepsy patients: Does chronic stress contribute to memory impairment? Epilepsia. 2022 Jan;63(1):209-221. doi: 10.1111/epi.17107. Epub 2021 Oct 23. PMID: 34687218.
 
24: Çaliskan G^#, French T, Enrile Lacalle S, Del Angel M, Steffen J, Heimesaat MM, Rita Dunay I, Stork O. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis leads to activation of microglia and impairment of cholinergic gamma oscillations in the hippocampus. Brain Behav Immun. 2021 Oct 18;99:203-217. ^# Corresponding Author
 
23: Madencioglu DA, Çaliskan G, Yuanxiang P, Rehberg K, Demiray YE, Kul E, Engler A, Hayani H, Bergado-Acosta JR, Kummer A, Müller I, Song I, Dityatev A, Kähne T, Kreutz MR, Stork O. Transgenic modeling of Ndr2 gene amplification reveals disturbance of hippocampus circuitry and function. iScience. 2021 Jul 19;24(8):102868.
 
22: Annamneedi A, Del Angel M, Gundelfinger ED, Stork O, Çaliskan G^#. The Presynaptic Scaffold Protein Bassoon in Forebrain Excitatory Neurons Mediates Hippocampal Circuit Maturation: Potential Involvement of TrkB Signalling. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jul 26;22(15):7944.
^# Senior/Corresponding Author
 
21: Çaliskan G, Müller A, Albrecht A. Long-Term Impact of Early-Life Stress on Hippocampal Plasticity: Spotlight on Astrocytes. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(14):E4999. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/ijms21144999
 
20: Çaliskan G^#, Raza SA, Demiray YE, Kul E, Sandhu KV, Stork O. Depletion of dietary phytoestrogens reduces hippocampal plasticity and contextual fear memory stability in adult male mouse. Nutr Neurosci. 2019 Dec 9:1-12. ^# Corresponding Author
 
19: Ivens S*, Çaliskan G*, Papageorgiou I, Cesetti T, Malich A, Kann O, Heinemann U, Stork O, Albrecht A. Persistent increase in ventral hippocampal long-term potentiation by juvenile stress: A role for astrocytic glutamine synthetase. Glia. 2019 Dec;67(12):2279-2293. * Equal Contribution
 
18: Çaliskan G^#, Stork O. Hippocampal network oscillations at the interplay between innate anxiety and learned fear. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019. Jan;236(1):321-338. ^# Corresponding Author
 
17: Annamneedi A*, Caliskan G*, Müller S, Montag D, Budinger E, Angenstein F, Fejtova A, Tischmeyer W, Gundelfinger ED, Stork O. Ablation of the presynaptic organizer Bassoon in excitatory neurons retards dentate gyrus maturation and enhances learning performance. Brain Struct Funct. 2018 Sep;223(7):3423-3445. * Equal Contribution
 
16: Çaliskan G^#, Stork O. Hippocampal network oscillations as mediators of behavioural metaplasticity: Insights from emotional learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2018 Oct;154:37-53.
^# Corresponding Author
 
15: Raza SA, Albrecht A, Çaliskan G, Müller B, Demiray YE, Ludewig S, Meis S, Faber N, Hartig R, Schraven B, Lessmann V, Schwegler H, Stork O. HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background context memory salience. Nat Commun. 2017 Aug 4;8(1):189.
 
14: Albrecht A, Müller I, Ardi Z, Çaliskan G, Gruber D, Ivens S, Segal M, Behr J, Heinemann U, Stork O, Richter-Levin G. Neurobiological consequences of juvenile stress: A GABAergic perspective on risk and resilience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Mar;74(Pt A):21-43.
 
13: Klaft ZJ, Hollnagel JO, Salar S, Caliskan G, Schulz SB, Schneider UC, Horn P, Koch A, Holtkamp M, Gabriel S, Gerevich Z, Heinemann U. Adenosine A1 receptor-mediated suppression of carbamazepine-resistant seizure-like events in human neocortical slices. Epilepsia. 2016 Apr 18.
 
12: Albrecht A, Ivens S, Papageorgiou I, Çaliskan G, Saiepour N, Brueck W, Richter-Levin G, Heinemann U, Stork O. Shifts in excitatory/ inhibitory balance by juvenile stress: A role for neuron-astrocyte interaction in the dentate gyrus. Glia.  2016 Jun;64(6):911-22.
 
11: Çaliskan G, Müller I, Semtner M, Winkelmann A, Sporbert A, Raza A, Hollnagel J, Rösler A, Heinemann U, Stork O, Meier JC. Identification of Parvalbumin Interneurons as Cellular Substrate of Fear Memory Persistence. Cereb Cortex. 2016 May;26(5):2325-40.
 
10: Gruber D, Gilling K, Albrecht A, Bartsch JC, Çaliskan G, Richter-Levin G, Stork O, Heinemann U, Behr J. 5-HT receptor-mediated modulation of granule cell inhibition after stress recovers after a second exposure to stress in adulthood. Neuroscience. 2015 May 7;293:67-79.
 
9: Çaliskan G, Albrecht A, Hollnagel JO, Rösler A, Richter-Levin G, Heinemann U, Stork O. Long-term changes in the CA3 associative network of fear-conditioned mice. Stress. 2015;18(2):188-97.
 
8: Çaliskan G, Schulz SB, Gruber D, Behr J, Heinemann U, Gerevich Z. Corticosterone and corticotropin-releasing factor acutely facilitate gamma oscillations in the hippocampus in vitro. Eur J Neurosci. 2015 Jan;41(1):31-44.
 
7: Müller I, Çaliskan G, Stork O. The GAD65 knock out mouse - a model for GABAergic processes in fear- and stress-induced psychopathology. Genes Brain Behav. 2015 Jan;14(1):37-45.
 
6: Winkelmann A, Maggio N, Eller J, Caliskan G, Semtner M, Häussler U, Jüttner R, Dugladze T, Smolinsky B, Kowalczyk S, Chronowska E, Schwarz G, Rathjen FG, Rechavi G, Haas CA, Kulik A, Gloveli T, Heinemann U, Meier JC. Changes in neural network homeostasis trigger neuropsychiatric symptoms. J Clin Invest. 2014 Feb;124(2):696-711.
 
5: Caliskan G, Albrecht A. Noradrenergic interactions via autonomic nervous system: a promising target for extinction-based exposure therapy? J Neurophysiol. 2013 Dec;110(11):2507-10.
 
4: Albrecht A*, Çaliskan G*, Oitzl MS, Heinemann U, Stork O. Long-lasting increase of corticosterone after fear memory reactivation: anxiolytic effects and network activity modulation in the ventral hippocampus. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2013 Feb;38(3):386-94. * Equal Contribution
 
3: Fano S*, Çaliskan G*, Heinemann U. Differential effects of blockade of ERG channels on gamma oscillations and excitability in rat hippocampal slices. Eur J  Neurosci. 2012 Dec;36(12):3628-35. * Equal Contribution
 
2: Fano S, Caliskan G, Behrens CJ, Heinemann U. Histaminergic modulation of acetylcholine-induced oscillations in rat hippocampus. Neuroreport. 2011 Aug 3;22(11):520-4.
 
1: Liotta A*, Caliskan G*, ul Haq R, Hollnagel JO, Rösler A, Heinemann U, Behrens CJ. Partial disinhibition is required for transition of stimulus-induced sharp wave-ripple complexes into recurrent epileptiform discharges in rat hippocampal slices. J Neurophysiol. 2011 Jan;105(1):172-87.
* Equal Contribution
 
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PARTNERS
 

Prof. Michael T. Heneka	c/o Klinik für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen und Gerontopsychiatrie, Bonn
Prof. Hermona Soreq	The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Dr. Katarzyna Winek	Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
Dr. Sanja Bauer-Mikulovic	Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg
Prof. Ildiko Dunay	Institut für Inflammation und Neurodegeneration, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
Prof. Eckart Gundelfinger	Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg
Prof. Anne Albrecht	Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg
Dr. Anna Maslarova	Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Neurochirurgie, Erlangen

I have been studying cellular and circuit-level changes in animal models of fear and anxiety via combining different approaches including electrophysiology, behaviour and pharmacogenetics (DREADDs). My current research focuses on identification of physiological and pathological alterations in the hippocampal activity patterns and their relation to modulation of hippocampal engrams in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. I am also interested in the impact of environmental factors and their interactions with immune system in mediation of affective behaviour.

In vitro / in vivo electrophysiology
Stereotaxy
Rodent Behavior
Immunohistochemistry