MUELLER LAB

Our lab uses zebrafish as a model to study cortical and basal forebrain structures critical for the expression of emotion, socio-emotional, and reproductive behaviors. In particular, we want to study how signaling molecules and gene regulatory networks orchestrate forebrain development and how spatiotemporal shifts (heterochronies) of developmental events can alter the evolution of the brain. This way, we also want to understand how compromised development can lead to aberrant emotional behavior as present in human affective disorders like schizophrenia, spectrum autism- and fear and anxiety disorders.