Anja Horn-Bochtler

Anja Horn-Bochtler is a Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Faculty of Medicine, where she serves as a Senior Scientist leading the Oculomotor Research Group in Department I of the Anatomical Institute. Her work focuses on the neuroanatomy of eye movements, particularly the sensory innervation of extraocular muscles and the chemical signature of oculomotor neurons.

Her primary research areas include neuroanatomy, oculomotor control, and eye movement disorders. She investigates the role of palisade endings in extraocular muscles and the chemical properties of neurons in the brainstem related to eye movements. Her work employs immunocytochemical methods on human tissue to understand conditions like strabismus, congenital nystagmus, and disorders such as PSP and NP-C.

Her recent publications (2018-2021) emphasize the molecular and biochemical organization of extraocular motoneurons and the sensory innervation of eye muscles. Key themes include the role of calretinin in palisade endings, neurotransmitter and ion channel profiles in oculomotor nuclei, and comparative studies of human and primate brainstem structures. Her work bridges basic neuroanatomy with clinical applications for eye movement disorders.

She has advised at least one graduate student,

• Ümit Suat Mayadali

. Her research is supported by the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), of which she is a full member.

Professor Horn-Bochtler leads the Oculomotor Research Group within the Anatomical Institute at LMU. The group utilizes immunocytochemical methods on human paraffin sections to study the unique neuroanatomy of eye movement control systems, with a focus on translating findings to clinical eye movement disorders.