Mayer Lab
Our lab investigates neurotransmitter dynamics in real-time during social and cognitive processes in health and disease. We further aim to understand the factors that render individuals either resilient or susceptible to neuropsychiatric disorders.
The goal of the Mayer Lab is to understand how neurotransmitter systems influence each other in real-time to orchestrate social behaviors and cognitive function, and how this delicate interaction is disrupted during pathological conditions.
The lab is especially interested in the molecular machinery that shapes the availability of the monoamines dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT). 5-HT and DA are implicated in social behaviors, reward, learning and motivation and perturbations to both systems are observed in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders.
Consequently, a detailed understanding of pre- and postsynaptic receptors and proteins that mediate the synthesis and reuptake of DA and 5-HT may pave the way towards the development of improved therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, using genetic behavioral models, the lab aims to identify factors that predispose individuals to the development of affective disorders.
Education
2013- MSc Molecular Biotechnology, FH Campus Wien, Vienna, Austria
2017 – PhD Molecular Drug Targets (MolTag), Molecular Signal Transduction – Medical University of Vienna, Austria
Academic Positions
09/2025-present:
Assistant Professor/Group Leader, Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
04/2023-08/2025:
Postdoc Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
01/2023—03/2023:
Research Assistant Professor, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, USA
04/2018-01/2023:
Postdoc, Dept. of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, USA
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute at Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, USA
06/2017-01/2018:
Postdoc, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
06/2013-04/2017:
PhD Student, Institute of Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
We employ a wide range of in vitro and ex vivo methods to investigate various aspects of neurotransmission on the molecular and cellular level, complemented with in vivo approaches to monitor how neurotransmitter dynamics modulate neurochemistry and behavior in real time in freely moving mice.
a) In vitro/ ex vivo methods
- Biochemistry: Protein expression/quantification, (Co-)immunoprecipitation, biotinylation, immunohistochemistry in heterologous and native expression systems
- Molecular biology: PCR, mutagenesis, protein expression in heterologous and primary cell types
- Molecular pharmacology: radiotracer and fluorescence based uptake and efflux assays, radioligand binding
- Live-cell imaging of fluorescent sensors and tracers
b) In vivo methods
- Rodent behavior, e.g. operant behavior, novel object recognition, social interaction…
- Stereotaxic intracranial canulation, microinjection, optogenetic implantation
- Fiber photometry: genetically encoded fluorescent sensors, e.g. for dopamine and serotonin
- Opto- and chemogenetics
- In vivo pharmacology
Mayer FP, Stewart A, Varman DR, Moritz AE, Foster JD, Owens AW, Areal LB, Gowrishankar R, Velez M, Wickham K, Phelps H, Katamish R, Rabil M, Jayanthi LD, Vaughan RA, Daws LC, Blakely RD, Ramamoorthy S. Kappa opioid receptor antagonism restores phosphorylation, trafficking and behavior induced by a disease-associated dopamine transporter variant. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 Oct;30(10):4651-4664. doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03055-4.
Clauss NJ*, Mayer FP*, Owens WA, Vitela M, Clarke KM, Bowman MA, Horton RE, Gründemann D, Schmid D, Holy M, Gould GG, Koek W, Sitte HH, Daws LC. Ethanol inhibits dopamine uptake via organic cation transporter 3: Implications for ethanol and cocaine co-abuse. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Jul;28(7):2934-2945. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02064-5
*=co-first authors
Mayer FP*%, Niello M*, Cintulova D, Sideromenos S, Maier J, Li Y, Bulling S, Kudlacek O, Schicker K, Iwamoto H, Deng F, Wan J, Holy M, Katamish R, Sandtner W, Li Y, Pollak DD, Blakely RD, Mihovilovic MD, Baumann MH, Sitte HH%. Serotonin-releasing agents with reduced off-target effects. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;28(2):722-732. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01843-w
*=co-first authors
%=corresponding authors
Stewart A, Mayer FP, Gowrishankar R, Davis GL, Areal LB, Gresch PJ, Katamish RM, Peart R, Stilley SE, Spiess K, Rabil MJ, Diljohn FA, Wiggins AE, Vaughan RA, Hahn MK, Blakely RD. Behaviorally penetrant, anomalous dopamine efflux exposes sex and circuit dependent regulation of dopamine transporters. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Dec;27(12):4869-4880. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01773-7.
Mayer FP, Schmid D, Owens WA, Gould GG, Apuschkin M, Kudlacek O, Salzer I, Boehm S, Chiba P, Williams PH, Wu HH, Gether U, Koek W, Daws LC, Sitte HH. An unsuspected role for organic cation transporter 3 in the actions of amphetamine. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Nov;43(12):2408-2417. doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0053-5
Mayer FP, Wimmer L, Dillon-Carter O, Partilla JS, Burchardt NV, Mihovilovic MD, Baumann MH, Sitte HH. Phase I metabolites of mephedrone display biological activity as substrates at monoamine transporters. Br J Pharmacol. 2016 Sep;173(17):2657-68. doi: 10.1111/bph.13547.
Lab members
| Name | Title | Job responsibilities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Job responsibilities | |
| Felix Paul Anton Mayer | Assistant Professor | Mayer Lab |
|
| Jonathan Luca Korn | PhD Fellow |
|