Lukas Steuernagel starts new research group

Research group ‘Neurogenomics’ investigates the hypothalamus using bioinformatic methods

The Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research has a new research group: Since the beginning of the year, Lukas Steuernagel investigates the hypothalamus using bioinformatic methods. The aim of his research is to draw a comprehensive picture of the cells in the hypothalamus, the central control centre for metabolism in the brain.

The hypothalamus not only controls our sleep and breathing, but also signals whether we are thirsty or hungry. Despite the enormous importance of this brain region, there are still gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled.

During his doctoral studies, Steuernagel used data from single-cell analyses of hypothalamic cells. He integrated many different studies with gene expression data, making them comparable, and was thus able to identify which cell types are found in the hypothalamus.

‘As a research group leader, I can pursue my research results on a completely different level,’ says Steuernagel. Among other things, he plans to investigate which cell is located at exactly which site in the hypothalamus in order to create a 3D cell atlas of the hypothalamus. ’This research is very relevant for drug development. It is important to know which neurons express which receptors and whether they can be reached by drugs at all.’

After a short stay at the University of Cambridge in the UK, Steuernagel started his group almost immediately after completing his doctorate at the beginning of the year. ‘Jens Brüning offered me the position shortly before I defended my PhD. I'm very happy to have a lot of support at the institute. Not only do my colleagues always have an open ear for me, but the administration is also very supportive when it comes to administrative issues,’ says Steuernagel.