Dr. Jean Laurens, head of Laurens – Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience ESI Frankfurt

„How does the brain control the body? And how do diseases, age, or brain injuries affect these abilities? That's what we're working on in my Lab.“

Dr. Jean Laurens, Group Leader
jean.laurens[at]esi-frankfurt.de
+49 69 96769 301

Research Topics at Laurens Lab at ESI

How do we sense our own motion, and how do we orient ourselves when moving in 3D space? Researchers at the Laurens Lab study these questions by combining mathematical modeling and extracellular neuronal recordings in behaving Marmoset monkeys.

Some of the Labs current research projects are:

Three-dimensional navigation: the researchers study how head-direction cells in the limbic system (the ‘neuronal compass’) encode the 3D orientation of the head.
Sensory signals for spatial navigation: the Laurens Lab studies how the brain integrates self-motion signals with visual landmarks to maintain spatial orientation.
Self-motion sensation: The researchers study how the brain merges multiple sensory signals from the inner ear, vision and proprioception, together with motor commands, to create a sense of self-motion that underlies spatial cognition, gaze stabilization and postural control.

Laurens lab playing marmoset on board – Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience ESI Frankfurt

The researchers at the Laurens Lab develop new techniques for the planning and ethical conduct of experiments on animals, for improving the 3Rs (Reduce, Replace, Refine), and promoting a culture of care and respect for the animals.