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Current Position
 
01/2020 – Present                   Project leader, Department of Genetics and Molecular      Neurobiology,         Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg. CBBS LSA Fellows
 
Education / Previous Positions
02/2018 – 12/2019                  Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg.
03/2012 - 01/2018                   PhD Student, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg.
PhD thesis: “Role of HIPP cells in the dentate gyrus           during fear memory formation”
Dr. rer nat. (14.02.2018) Grade: summa cum laude 
12/2011                                   MSc (Molecular Biology), University of Skövde, Sweden.
                                               Master Thesis in Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg with Leibniz Master Scholarship.
Mater thesis: ‘‘Epigenetics and analysis of GABAergic interneurons in fear memory’’
(Grade, very good)
01/2009                                   Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Pakistan
                                                (Grade, CGPA 3.24 out of 4.0)
Grants
LSA Fellow Project: Role of local-circuit neurons in the formation and over-generalization of remote fear memory. Center for behavioral brain sciences
 
10 Top publications subject to international Peer Review
1.     Bayraktar G, Yuanxiang P, Confettura AD, Gomes GM, Raza SA, Stork O, Tajima S, Suetake I, Karpova A, Yildirim F, Kreutz MR. (2020) Synaptic control of DNA methylation involves activity-dependent degradation of DNMT3A1 in the nucleus. Neuropsychopharmacology. Epub ahead of print. doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-0780-2.
 
2.     Çaliskan G, Raza SA, Demiray YE, Kul E, Sandhu KV, Stork O. (2019) Depletion of dietary phytoestrogens reduces hippocampal plasticity and contextual fear memory stability in adult male mouse. Nutritonal Neuroscience, Epub ahead of print Dec 9:1-12. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2019.1698826.

3.     Andres-Alonso M, Ammar MR, Butnaru I, Gomes GM, Acuña Sanhueza G, Raman R, Yuanxiang P, Borgmeyer M, Lopez-Rojas J, Raza SA, Brice N, Hausrat TJ, Macharadze T, Diaz-Gonzalez S, Carlton M, Failla AV, Stork O, Schweizer M, Gundelfinger ED,  Kneussel M, Spilker C, Karpova A, Kreutz MR. (2019) SIPA1L2 controls trafficking and local signaling of TrkB-containing amphisomes at presynaptic terminals. Nature Communications 10(1):5448. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13224-z.
 
4.     Mikhaylova M, Bär J, van Bommel B, Schätzle P, YuanXiang P, Raman R, Hradsky J, Konietzny A, Loktionov EY, Reddy PP, Lopez-Rojas J, Spilker C, Kobler O, Raza SA, Stork O, Hoogenraad CC, Kreutz MR. (2018) Caldendrin Directly Couples Postsynaptic Calcium Signals to Actin Remodeling in Dendritic Spines. Neuron  97(5):1110-1125.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.01.046.

5.     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. (2017) HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background context memory salience. Nature Communications  8(1):189. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-00205-3
 
6.     Çaliskan G, Müller I, Semtner M, Winkelmann A, Raza AS, Hollnagel JO, Rösler A, Heinemann U, Stork O, Meier JC. (2016) Identification of Parvalbumin Interneurons as Cellular Substrate of Fear Memory Persistence. Cerebral Cortex 26(5):2325-40. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhw001
 
 
Teaching experience
Jan. 2013-Present                   Lecture-102 Basic Molecular and Cell Biology
Practical-102 Basic Molecular and Cell Biology
Lecture-111 Molecular and Cellular Biology
Practical-201 Genetic Models
Integrative Neuroscience M.Sc. Program.
Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg
Poster presentations
·       Regulation of hippocampal GABAergic functions by epigenetic factors and traumatic stress. XIII. Magdeburg International Neurobiological Symposium ‘‘Learning and Memory: Cellular and Systemic Views’’, February, 23-26, 2015, Magdeburg, Germany
·       HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background memory salience. Molecular and Cellular Brain Meeting, September 4-6, 2017, Magdeburg, Germany
·       HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background memory salience. 47^th European Brain and Behavior Society Meeting, September 8-11, 2017, Bilbao, Spain
·       HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background memory salience. Keynote Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology. State of the Brain: Genetic Dissection of Brain Circuits and Behavior in Health and Disease, January 14-18, 2018, Keystone, Colorado, USA
·       HIPP neurons in the dentate gyrus mediate the cholinergic modulation of background memory salience. 11^th FENS Forum of Neuroscience, July 7-11, 2018, Berlin, Germany
·       Depletion of dietary phytoestrogens reduces hippocampal plasticity and contextual fear memory stability in adult male mouse. FENS virtual forum, July 2020
Awards
·       Leibniz Master’s Scholarship for Master thesis work (2011)
·       Best poster award – First place in 47^th European Brain and Behavior Society Meeting, September 8-11, 2017, Bilbao, Spain
·       CBBS (Center for behavioral brain sciences) ‘Best Paper of the Year Award’ for Raza et al., 2016 (2018)
Reviewer for
Journals                                  Scientific Reports
                                                Neuropharmacology                                         
Societies
German Neuroscience Society (nwg)
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
Languages
                                                Urdu (native)
                                                English (Proficient)
                                                German (B2)

My current research focuses on brain circuits involved in different forms of memories in rodents. Specifically, with the combination of state-of-the-art methods including viral tracing, engram tagging, in vivo pharmacology, pharmacogenetics and rodent behaviors, I am focusing on how the local GABAergic interneuron control and fine tune the local as well of remote brain circuits in long term fear memory.

Stereotaxy
mice behavior
IHC
invivo pharmacology
brain circuit dissection
engram studies