Lauritzen Lab
Research in this laboratory concentrates on the neural and astrocytic mechanisms of local vascular regulation. Our basic research circles around blood flow control and blood-brain barrier properties under normal physiological conditions.
Research in this laboratory concentrates on the neural and astrocytic mechanisms of local vascular regulation. Our basic research circles around blood flow control and blood-brain barrier properties under normal physiological conditions. In addition, we study aging, stroke and fast calcium waves that most commonly occur in disease states. These waves exist as astroglial calcium waves (AGCW) that can be perceived as spatially restricted calcium rises in groups of astrocytes normally only 100 µm across and as cortical spreading depolarization waves (CSD) that involve both neurons and glia and propagate along the entire cortical mantle. Fast calcium waves are mechanistically involved in brain ageing, migraine, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hematoma and traumatic brain injury.
Calcium imaging - dye injection in vivo
In order to study the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms we use different methodologies that give information on different variables and scales. We use laser speckle contrast imaging to examine blood flow at the network level while we use two-photon microscopy to examine blood flow and permeability of single capillaries and penetrating arterioles. In order to examine cellular regulation of blood flow we examine calcium dynamics in astrocytes and neurons, cell body and fine processes by use of organic or genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicators. We use multi electrode arrays to examine synaptic currents and oxygen electrodes to calculate brain energy metabolism. We also work to develop new methodologies that permit us to study the dynamics of cell organelles, i.e. conformational changes in organelles in relation to synaptic activity and in disease states. This is likely to reveal new disease mechanisms and new treatments based on an improved understanding of disease pathophysiology. These developments promise to take two-photon microscopy one step further and may represent a way to obtain unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution in examination of the neurovascular unit and subcellular events in neurons and astrocytes in health and disease.
- Grubb, S. & Lauritzen, M. Deep sleep drives brain fluid oscillations. Science 366, 572-573 (2019).
- Kucharz K, Lauritzen M. NMDA receptor-dependent endoplasmic reticulum fission-fusion accompanies rises in synaptic activity and cortical spreading depolarization waves. Brain 2018, in the press.
- Lind BL, Jessen SB, Lønstrup M, Charlène J, Bonvento G, Lauritzen M. Fast Ca2+ responses in astrocyte end-feet and neurovascular coupling in mice. Glia. 2017 Oct 23. doi: 10.1002/glia.23246.
- Thomsen K, Yokota T, Hasan-Olive MM, Sherazi N, Fakouri NM, Desler C, Regnell CE, Larsen S, Rasmussen LJ, Dela F, Bergersen LH, Lauritzen M. Initial brain aging: heterogeneity of mitochondrial size is associated with decline in complex I-linked respiration in cortex and hippocampus. Neurobiol Aging. 2017 Aug 12. pii: S0197-4580(17)30259-2. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.08.004.
- Jessen SB, Mathiesen C, Lind BL, Lauritzen M. Interneuron deficit associates attenuated network synchronization to mismatch of energy supply and demand in aging mouse brains. Cereb Cortex 2017, 27(1): 646-659.
- Khennouf L, Gesslein B, Lind BL, van den Maagdenberg AM, Lauritzen M. Activity-dependent calcium, oxygen and vascular responses in a mouse model of familial hemiplegic migraine type 1. Ann Neurol. 2016 Aug;80(2):219-32.
- Jessen SB, Brazhe A, Lind BL, Mathiesen C, Thomsen K, Jensen K, Lauritzen M:. GABAA Receptor-Mediated Bidirectional Control of Synaptic Activity, Intracellular Ca2+, Cerebral Blood Flow, and Oxygen Consumption in Mouse Somatosensory Cortex In Vivo. Cereb Cortex 2015;25:2594-2609.
- Ayata C, Lauritzen M. Spreading Depression, Spreading Depolarizations, and the Cerebral Vasculature. Physiol Rev. 2015, 95:953-93.
- Hall CN, Reynell C, Gesslein B, Hamilton NB, Mishra A, Sutherland BA, O'Farrell FM, Buchan AM, Lauritzen M**, Attwell D**. Capillary pericytes regulate cerebral blood flow in health and disease. Nature 2014;508:55-60. **Co-corresponding authors
- Lind BL, Brazhe AR, Jessen SB, Tan FC, Lauritzen M. Rapid stimulus-evoked astrocyte Ca2+ elevations and hemodynamic responses in mouse somatosensory cortex in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Nov 11. 26;110(48):E4678-87.
- Mathiesen C, Caesar K, Thomsen K, Hoogland TM, Witgen BM, Brazhe A, Lauritzen M. Activity-dependent Increases in Local Oxygen Consumption Correlate with Postsynaptic Currents in the Mouse Cerebellum In Vivo. Journal of Neuroscience. 14; 31(50):18327-37, 2011.
- Attwell D, Buchan AM, Charpak S, Lauritzen M, MacVicar BA, Newman EA. Glial and neuronal control of brain blood flow. Nature. 2010, 468:232-243.
Wikipedia
Education
1988: Dr.Med., University of Copenhagen, DK
1978: MD, University of Copenhagen, DK
Positions
2007-: Professor of Translational Neurobiology, University of Copenhagen, DK
1998-: Professor of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Copenhagen, DK
1994-: Head and Consultant, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, DK
Professional affiliations and activities
2016-: International Scientific Advisory Board Member for IBS Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
2014-: Director of the Lundbeck Foundation Research Initiative on Brain Barriers and Drug Delivery, University of Copenhagen, DK
2010-2016: Member of the Research Strategy Faculty Committee, University of Copenhagen, DK
2009-2018: Editor-in-chief, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
2009-2014: Member of Transatlantic Network of Excellence funded by Fondation Leducq
2009-: Member of Board of Directors, Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, DK
2009-: International Scientific Advisory Board Member for Max-Planck Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Leipzig, Germany
2008-2014: International Scientific Advisory Board Member, Max-Planck Institute for Neurology, Cologne, Germany
2008-2010: Editorial Board, Neuroimage
2007: Member of Board of Directors, Committee for Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Copenhagen, Capital region of Denmark
2006-2009: Editorial Board, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
2004 & 2006: Chair: Gordon Research Conference on ‘Brain Energy Metabolism and Blood Flow’
2004: Visiting Professor, Humboldt University, Germany
2003-2007: Chairman of Strategic Brain Research Program at University of Copenhagen, DK
2003-: Founding member of the steering committee for COSBID, a large multi-centre study of the importance of brain injury depolarization for the outcome of patients with trauma, haemorrhage and stroke (www.cosbid.org)
2000-2005: Director, International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism
2000-2005: Editorial Board, Clinical Neurophysiology
1998: Review Board for grant applications numerous times for Bi-national Science Foundation (USA – Israel), Third World Academy of Science; Grant Academy of Czech Republic; The Migraine Trust, UK; Welcome Foundation, UK; Suisse Research Grant Agency; Medical Research Council, UK; Royal Society, UK; German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft); Canadian, Butch and Belgian funding agencies.
1998: Member/Chair for Committees assessing 12 full professorships at University of Copenhagen, DK
1998: Member of Committees or panels recommending professor- or directorships at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Texas; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY; University of Maryland, MD; Harvard University, Massachusetts; UCSD, San Diego; Max-Planck Institute for the Max-Planck Society; University of Calgary, Canada
Honors and awards
2017: Member of Academia Europaea
2016: Niels A. Lassen Prize
2004: Humboldt Research Award in Medicine (Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Germany).
1992: Arnold Friedman Distinguished Clinician/Researcher Award (American Headache Association)
In the Lauritzen lab we perform our studies using a wide range of techniques:
- Calcium imaging
- Two-photon imaging microscopy
- Blood vessel imaging
- In vivo brain studies
- Oxygen measurements
- Electrophysiology
- Laser-Doppler flowmetry
- Laser-speckle imaging
- Whisker stimulation
- Optogenetics
- Virus injections of genetically encoded calcium indicators
Lab members
| Name | Title | Job responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Job responsibilities | |
| Petrovskaia, Aleksandra | PhD Fellow | Lauritzen Lab |
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| Benedek, Krisztina | Guest Researcher | Lauritzen Lab |
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| Kucharz, Krzysztof | Associate Professor | Lauritzen lab |
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| Lauritzen, Martin | Professor | Lauritzen lab |
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| Shenton, Nelly | Guest Researcher | Lauritzen Lab |
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| Kutuzov, Nikolay | Assistant Professor | Lauritzen Lab |
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| Zhang, Xiao | Postdoc | Cai Lab, Lauritzen Lab |
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