Curriculum Vitae - Sophie Steculorum

Education and Professional Experience

• Since January 2017
  Max Planck Research Group Leader, Head of group “Neurocircuit Wiring and Function”, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany 
  Principal investigator, Cluster of Excellence: Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), Cologne, Germany

• 2012-2016
  Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Prof. Jens Brüning, Max Planck Institute for Metabolism, Cologne, Germany 

• 2008-2011
  Ph.D. in Neurobiology under the supervision of Dr. Sebastien Bouret, University of Lille 2, Inserm U837 (Lille, France) and University of Southern California, The Saban Research Institute, Developmental Neuroscience Program (Los Angeles, USA)

• 2006-2008
  M.Sc. degree in Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Lille 2, France

• 2003-2006
  B.Sc. degree in Cellular Biology and Physiology, University of Artois, France

Prizes and Award

• 2018
  ERC Starting Grant (Proposal name: PRiSM)
  SNE Prize 2018
  FENS EJN Young Investigator Prize 2018

• 2017
  Peter Hans Hofschneider Prize 2017

• 2016
  Nikon Young Scientist award (German Society for Cell Biology) 

• 2012-2014
  CECAD Senior Postdoctoral Grant

• 2013-2015
  Alexander von Humboldt fellowship

Selected Publications

• Ruud J, Steculorum SM & Brüning. (2017) Neuronal control of peripheral insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. Nature Communications, 4;8:15259
• Steculorum SM, Timper K, Engström Ruud L, Evers N, Paeger L, Bremser S, Kloppenburg P & Brüning JC. Inhibition of P2Y6-signaling in AgRP-neurons reduces food intake and improves systemic insulin sensitivity in obesity. Cell Reports, 18(7):1587-1597.
• Timper K, Denson JL, Steculorum SM, Hellinger C, Engström Ruud L, Wunderlich CM, Rose-John S, Wunderlich FT & Brüning JC. IL-6 improves energy and glucose homeostasis in obesity via enhanced central IL-6 trans-signaling. Cell Reports, 11;19(2):267-280.
• Steculorum SM*, Ruud J*, Karakasilioti I, Backes H, Engström Ruud L, Timper K, Hess M, Tsaousidou E, Mauer J, Vogt MC, Paeger L, Bremser S, Klein AC, Morgan DA, Frommolt P, Brinkkötter PT, Hammerschmidt P, Benzing T, Rahmouni K, Wunderlich FT, Kloppenburg P & Brüning JC. AgRP-neurons control systemic insulin sensitivity via myostatin-expression in brown-adipose tissue. Cell, 24;165(1):125-38. * Equal contributions.
• Steculorum SM, Paeger L, Bremser S, Evers N, Hinze Y, Idzko M, Kloppenburg P & Brüning JC. Hypothalamic UDP increases in obesity and promotes feeding via P2Y6-dependent activation of AgRP-neurons. Cell, 10;162(6):1404-17.
• Steculorum SM, Collden G, Coupe B, Croizier S, Lockie S, Andrews ZB, Jarosch F, Klussmann S, & Bouret SG. Neonatal ghrelin programs development of hypothalamic feeding circuits. Journal of Clinical Investigations, 125(2):846-58.
• Vogt MC, Paeger L, Hess S, Steculorum SM, Awazawa M, Hampel B, Neupert S, Nicholls HT, Mauer J, Hausen AC, Predel R, Kloppenburg P, Horvath TL & Brüning JC. Neonatal insulin action impairs hypothalamic neurocircuit formation in response to maternal high-fat feeding. Cell, 156(3):495-509.
• Steculorum SM & Bouret SG. Maternal diabetes compromises the organization of hypothalamic feeding circuits and impairs leptin sensitivity in offspring. Endocrinology, 152(11):4171-9.