Contact information
Malte Kaller
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER
I am neuroscientist interested in brain plasticity, myelin and the bigger picture. My current work focuses on the role of myelin plasticity in learning and behaviour change.
Myelin sheaths in the vertebrate nervous system enable faster impulse propagation, while myelinating glial cells provide vital support to axons. Once considered a static insulator, converging evidence now suggests that myelin in the central nervous system can be dynamically regulated by neuronal activity and continues to participate in nervous system plasticity beyond development. While the link between experience and myelination gains increased recognition, it is still unclear what role such adaptive myelination plays in facilitating and shaping behaviour. I am using transgenic model systems of learning in combination with MRI and histology to investigate the underlying cellular mechanisms of white-matter structural plasticity and their potential role in learning.
I am also interested in seeing the aesthetic value of the images and data take for my research (examples below), as communicating the beauty and art in the scientific view can built many bridges.
Myelinating Co-cultures with iPSC-derived sensory neurons
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(c)Malte Kaller
Recent publications
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Oligodendrocyte dynamics dictate cognitive performance outcomes of working memory training in mice.
Journal article
Shimizu T. et al, (2023), Nat Commun, 14
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Ablation of oligodendrogenesis in adult mice alters brain microstructure and activity independently of behavioural deficits
Preprint
Kaller M. et al, (2023)
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Myelin plasticity and behaviour-connecting the dots.
Journal article
Kaller MS. et al, (2017), Curr Opin Neurobiol, 47, 86 - 92
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Co-cultures with stem cell-derived human sensory neurons reveal regulators of peripheral myelination.
Journal article
Clark AJ. et al, (2017), Brain, 140, 898 - 913