Christian Mayer

Dr. Christian Mayer is a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Martinsried, Germany, where he heads the Neurogenomics research group. He is affiliated with the Graduate School of Systemic Neuroscience (GSN) and the International Max Planck Research School. His laboratory is embedded within a collaborative research campus that includes multiple Max Planck Institutes, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Technical University of Munich, and Helmholtz Zentrum.

Dr. Mayer's research focuses on understanding the complex mechanisms controlling brain development, with particular emphasis on inhibitory neurons that use GABA as a neurotransmitter. His work spans multiple key areas:

• Neuronal Development and Diversity: Investigating how progenitor cells develop into specific neuron types
• Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation: Studying how genomic enhancers influence GABAergic neuron development
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research: Examining high-risk proteins for ASD
• Technological Innovation: Developing novel methods like barcode lineage tracing and CRISPR perturbation sequencing

Analysis of Dr. Mayer's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on single-cell approaches to understand neuronal diversity and development. His work increasingly integrates spatial transcriptomics with lineage tracing to map how cellular identity emerges during brain development. There's a clear progression from basic developmental studies toward understanding neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder, with a growing emphasis on the relationship between genetic risk factors and functional outcomes in neural circuits.

Scientific recognition includes:

• EMBO Young Investigator (2023)
• ERC Starting Grant (2018)
• EMBO Long-Term Fellowship (2012)
• Ph.D. prize for biochemistry and neurobiology (2011)

Dr. Mayer maintains active collaborations with leading neuroscience institutions worldwide and supervises multiple graduate students and postdocs. His lab has secured significant funding including the ERC Starting Grant, supporting research on neuronal development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Current projects include studies on inhibitory neuron development using advanced single-cell genomics techniques and brain organoid models.

The Mayer Lab operates as a multidisciplinary team combining expertise in molecular biology, single-cell genomics, epigenetics, bioinformatics, and brain organoid culture. They are embedded within the collaborative neuroscience ecosystem of the Max Planck campus in Martinsried, facilitating close interactions with complementary research groups studying neural circuits, behavior, and computational neuroscience.