Kloppenburg, Peter - assoc. RG 11

The nervous system continuously integrates information about the internal physiological state and the external environment to generate adaptive behavioral and physiological responses. Understanding how neural circuits process and integrate this information is essential for deciphering the mechanisms that maintain homeostasis and for identifying therapeutic strategies for metabolic and neurological disorders.

Research Focus

Our research focuses on the cellular and circuit mechanisms that regulate neuronal function, plasticity, and homeostasis. In particular, we investigate the neural mechanisms through which hypothalamic circuits regulate physiological homeostasis, including energy balance, food intake, energy expenditure, and sleep. These homeostatic functions are tightly interconnected and require the continuous integration of metabolic, hormonal, sensory, and environmental signals.

A central goal of our work is to understand how the physiological properties of individual neurons contribute to the function of complex neuronal networks. We are especially interested in the biophysical mechanisms that determine neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission, and neuromodulation, and how these properties change during aging, in response to environmental challenges, or in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

By linking molecular and cellular mechanisms to systems-level function, we aim to identify the processes that enable neural circuits to maintain physiological homeostasis and to understand how their dysfunction contributes to disease.

Experimental Approaches

Our studies span multiple levels of biological organization. At the systems level, we analyze how neural circuits integrate information about nutritional status and other physiological variables to coordinate adaptive physiological and behavioral responses. At the cellular level, we study the mechanisms that regulate neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission, and plasticity, with particular emphasis on the actions of neuromodulators and metabolic signals. At the subcellular level, we investigate how intracellular signaling pathways are organized within neurons and how multiple neuromodulatory systems converge to regulate neuronal function. Understanding the spatial and functional compartmentalization of signaling pathways is essential for explaining how neurons process complex information and generate specific physiological outputs.

To address these questions, we combine electrophysiology, optical imaging, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and neuroanatomical approaches. By integrating these methods, we seek to uncover fundamental principles of neural circuit function and adaptation and to provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of energy homeostasis and the pathophysiology of metabolic and neurological disorders.

For more information, please check Kloppenburg Group. 

• Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)
• Institute of Zoology
• CECAD Research Center