معرفی
Steffen B.E. Wolff is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He leads the Wolff Lab, which investigates the neural mechanisms underlying complex motor skill learning in rats. His research focuses on distributed neuronal networks, particularly the Basal Ganglia, Motor Cortex, and Thalamus, using interdisciplinary approaches including optogenetics and advanced neural recording techniques.
Education: BSc (2005, Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg), MSc (2007, Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg), PhD (2013, Neurobiology, Friedrich Miescher Institute & University of Basel), and postdoctoral training (2014–2021, Neuroscience, Harvard University).
Research Interests: Motor learning processes, neural circuit dynamics, fear learning mechanisms, and the role of inhibitory circuits in behavior. Key projects include studying how cortical and thalamic inputs to the striatum govern motor skill execution and analyzing fear extinction pathways in the amygdala.
Scientific Awards: Recipient of the Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award and BRF Seed Grant. His work has been published in high-impact journals such as Science Advances, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature.
Lab Activities: The Wolff Lab develops innovative methods for long-term neural activity monitoring and employs micro-CT imaging for precise brain lesion analysis. Current studies explore the stability of motor system neurons and the impact of genetic variants in epilepsy models.
