Klas Kullander

Professor at Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology; Research programme: Genomics and Neurobiology; Research group Klas Kullander

Mobile phone:: +46 70 846 75 24
E-mail:: klas.kullander@igp.uu.se
Visiting address:: BMC
Husargatan 3
751 23 UPPSALA
Postal address:: IGP / BMC
Box 815
751 08 Uppsala

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Academic merits:: PhD, Associate Professor
CV:: Download CV

Short presentation

Klas Kullander is devoted to understand neuronal circuitries in the brain and spinal cord. He started the unit of developmental genetics in 2004 with the aim of building a creative and interactive environment with state of the art methodologies for doing the best possible analysis of nervous system function.

Biography

PhD in Medicine: Uppsala University 1997-05-22, Thesis title: Evolutionary and structure-function studies of neurotrophins, supervisor Prof. Ted Ebendal

Postdoctoral traning: EMBL, Heidelberg 1998-01-15 to 2001-12-30, In the laboratory of Prof. Rüdiger Klein

Associate Professor: Neuroscience, Uppsala University, 2005

Professor: Developmental Genetics, Uppsala University, 2010

Research

Functional neuronal networks

Neuronal networks control various behaviors ranging from reflexive movements to advanced cognitive functions. The smallest functional unit, the nerve cell, connects to other nerve cells during development to form neuronal networks. Our research focuses on neuronal network function, to find genetic identities for nerve cells and to define their role in neuronal circuits.

Two limiting factors in the disentanglement of neural circuit function are the identification of defined populations of interneurons and the use of reproducible behaviors. Thus, sharp genetic tools in combination with in vitro and in vivo measurements of network activity and behavior are instrumental. We apply novel and advanced methods, including virus-based tracing, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and in-vivo imaging of neural activity. We strive towards state-of-the-art interrogation of neuronal circuits, supported by facilities for behavior and viral delivery of optogenetic and monosynaptic tracing tools.