GRK 2660:  Neural mechanisms of (mal)adaptive approach and avoidance behaviour

• Subject Area: Neurosciences ; Psychology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 433490190

Approach and avoidance (AA) represent fundamental motivated behaviours that allow organisms to seek rewarding stimuli and evade potential threats. They are deeply rooted in evolution and highly conserved across species. While they constitute essential components of adaptive functioning, dysregulation of AA systems is closely linked to a range of clinical symptoms including neurological and mental health conditions. Based on the successful translational characterization of AA in the first funding period, the Research Training Group (RTG) aims to further advance our understanding of the modulation, plasticity and malleability of these processes in the second funding period. To this end, the RTG brings together scientists with psychological, psychiatric, and neurobiological backgrounds, investigating AA modulation and plasticity across multiple descriptive and analytical levels. The research framework is divided into three project areas focusing on (A) the neuromodulation of AA behaviour under physiological conditions and potential intervention strategies for pathological states, (B) neural plasticity mechanisms from psychological-behavioural and clinical perspectives, (C) the influence of social context factors on AA behaviour and underlying neural circuits. Each project area emphasizes the translation of findings from basic research to clinical applications and across species from mice to humans. Building on the successful structures established during the first funding period, the RTG team includes established experts and ambitious early-career researchers, combining scientific and supervisory expertise with highly innovative approaches. The qualification program is designed to address the growing need for researchers who can think across disciplinary boundaries, are familiar with a broad array of research methodologies and capable of critically assessing them and possess the skills necessary to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. In line with this vision, the RTG focuses on scientific excellence, while also offering comprehensive training in research methodology and essential transferable skills. The program seeks to continue our successful approach to train a new generation of scientists equipped with cutting-edge expertise in their respective research areas, as well as a broad, integrative understanding of the wider neuroscience landscape. This interdisciplinary experience and expertise enable PhD students to translate basic molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms to human conditions and clinical applications, laying a strong foundation for careers in both academic and non-academic sectors.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Matthias Gamer
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Katja Bertsch, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Robert Blum; Professor Dr. Lorenz Deserno; Professorin Dr. Mona Garvert; Professorin Dr. Grit Hein; Professorin Dr. Andrea Kübler; Dr. Stephanie Lefebvre; Professorin Dr. Andrea Reiter; Professor Dr. Philip Tovote; Professorin Dr. Carmen Villmann; Professor Dr. Sebastian Walther; Dr. Maximillian Jonas Wessel