Team

Prof. Dr. Dr. Anna-Sophia Wahl

I studied Medicine and Biology (as a minor as part of the MD/PhD Program) at Heidelberg University, Columbia University (New York) and the University of Bern. After finishing my MD thesis (Dr. med.) at the Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Heidelberg University, I obtained a PhD in neuroscience with Prof. Martin Schwab at the Brain Research Institute, ETH and University of Zurich. After a postdoc phase and residential training in neurology (University Hospital Zurich) and psychiatry (Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg University), I started a junior group as a Branco Weiss Fellow and recipient of a Wrangell Fellowship in the Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics (head: Prof. Fritjof Helmchen) in 2019. Since 2021 I am a board certified psychiatrist and since 2022 I am a professor of neuroanatomy at LMU Munich with a dual affiliation as PI at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), LMU University Hospital, building my own lab at the ISD.

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Deniz Ergene, PhD student

Born and raised in Munich. I obtained my B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and M.Sc. in Mechatronics and Robotics and the Technical University of Munich (TUM). My master’s thesis was about the application of brain-inspired algorithms for object classification and tracking in event-camera data. I then worked as a research assistant in neurorobotics at TUM for two years. Since October 2023, I am pursuing a PhD at the Wahl Lab, where I am investigating the role of the pre-motor cortex and thalamocortical pathways during the restoration of motor function after large strokes in the primary motor cortex.

Shahrzad Ilbeigi, Lab technician

Originally from Iran, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Biology and pursued a Master’s degree in Human Genetics, focusing on cancer genetics, particularly in breast cancer research. My master’s thesis delved into the clinical significance of two estrogen receptor signaling targeted long non-coding RNAs in invasive ductal breast carcinoma, utilizing quantitative analysis methods. Graduating from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, I immediately started a position as a research assistant for two years. Subsequently, my journey led me to Munich, where my current research goal is to unravel molecular mechanisms of neuronal repair and rewiring post stroke.

Maximilian Petzi, PhD student

I grew up in the Bavarian Forest and did a Bachelor’s in Physics in Regensburg and a Master’s in Data Science in Chemnitz. Through machine learning, I got interested in the network-level information processing and dynamics of the brain. In my current PhD I am working on clarifying the role of inhibitory interneurons in post-stroke network recovery in the hippocampal cornu ammonis 1. 

Jacob Töpfner, MD student

As a paramedic, I often witnessed acute strokes and worked with many patients suffering from long-term disability after it. For my medical degree I am now working on novel transplantation methods for stroke repair. 

Noel Pointner, MD student

I was born in Stuttgart but moved to Munich seven years ago. After completing the German high school diploma, I began to study medicine in the fall of 2021. Ever since, I am fascinated by the complex structure of the human body, motivating me to become an anatomy tutor and share my enthusiasm with others. Following my first state examination, I was accepted by the funding program for research and teaching and got the chance to conduct my doctoral thesis at the ISD. I am delighted to be part of the Wahl-lab, where I investigate the role of the premotor cortex and thalamus during stroke rehabilitation. 

Miriam Schnitzler, MD student