Research Areas

The main scientific questions addressed in our lab are: What are the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the typical activity states of thalamic neurons during sleep and arousal? And why do physiological sleep oscillations (like spindling) in some patients suffering from absence epilepsy change into pathophysiological spike-and-wave discharges? To answer these questions, I am combining electrophysiological (patch clamp, extracellular recording), molecular biological (RT-PCR, in situ hybridization), immunological (immunohistochemisitry, Western blot), imaging (Ca2+ imaging), and computational modelling techniques.

Fig.: Electrophysiological setup suitable for patch clamp experiments in brain slices.

Selected Publications

T. Broicher, H.-J. Bidmon, B. Kamuf, P. Coulon, A. Gorji, H.-C. Pape,  E.-J. Speckmann & T. Budde (2010). Thalamic afferent activation of supragranular layers in auditory cortex in vitro: a voltage sensitive dye study. Neurosci. 165: 371-85.

V. Rankovic, P. Ehling, P. Coulon, P. Landgraf, M. R. Kreutz, T. Munsch* & T. Budde* (2010). Intracellular Ca2+ release-dependent inactivation of Ca2+ currents in thalamocortical relay neurons. Europ. J. Neurosci 31: 439–449. *equal contribution

S. Bittner, N. Bobak, A. M. Herrmann, K. Göbel, P. Meuth, K. G. Höhn, M.-P. Stenner, T. Budde, H. Wiendl* & S. G. Meuth* (2010). The potassium channel K2P5.1 (TASK2) as a new target for multiple sclerosis. Annals of Neurology 68: 58-69. *equal contribution

N. Decher*, A. K. Streit*, M. Rapedius, M. F. Netter, S. Marzian, P. Ehling, G. Schlichthörl, T. Craan, V. Renigunta, A. Köhler, R. C. Dodel, R. Navarro-Pollanco, R. Preisig-Müller, G. Klebe, T. Budde, T. Baukrowitz & J. Daut (2010). RNA editing modulates the binding of drugs and highly unsaturated fatty acids to the open pore of Kv potassium channels. EMBO J. 29: 2101-13. *equal contribution

P. Ehling*, S. Bittner*, N. Bobak, T. Schwarz, H. Wiendl, T. Budde, C. Kleinschnitz & S. G. Meuth (2010). Two pore domain potassium channels in cerebral ischemia: a focus on K2P9.1 (TASK3, KCNK9). Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine 2: 14. *equal contribution

D. Hagenfeld, T. Schulz, P. Ehling, T. Budde, U. Schumacher & P. Prehm (2010). Depolarisation of the membrane potential by hyaluronan. J. Cell. Biochem 111: 858-864.

Academic CV