معرفی
Prof. Denis Burdakov is a Full Professor at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, leading the Neurobehavioural Dynamics Lab. He previously held tenured positions at the University of Cambridge (Associate Professor of Pharmacology) and King's College London (Professor and Chair of Systems Neuroscience), with additional appointments at UCL and UFRGS, Brazil.
- Education: BA (2001) and PhD (2004) in medicine, physiology, and biophysics from Oxford University
His research investigates the neural basis of intelligence and adaptive behavior, focusing on how hypothalamic circuits process environmental and internal signals to regulate actions, appetite, and arousal. Key work involves orexin/hypocretin neurons, utilizing optogenetics, chemogenetics, and computational modeling to study sensorimotor algorithms in uncertain environments and their implications for neurological and metabolic disorders.
The lab has produced influential publications in journals like Nature Neuroscience and PNAS, with recent studies on orexin neuron roles in voluntary exercise, glucose tracking, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders. Collaborations span AI, robotics, and translational neuroscience.
Scientific Awards
- ERC Starting Grant
- HFSP Young Investigator Award
- Grants from SNSF, MRC, BBSRC, HHMI, The Royal Society, and Diabetes UK
Burdakov trains future research leaders, with alumni including Christin Kosse (ETH Zürich), Mahesh Karnani (VU Amsterdam), and Rhiannan Williams (Boehringer Ingelheim). The lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, combining genetic tools, real-time neural dynamics, and computational analysis.
