Prof. Dr. Mikael Simons

Information processing in complex organisms requires fast nerve transmission in both the peripheral and central nervous system. This is accomplished by the ensheathment of axons with myelin that confines the action potential to the node of Ranvier to allow saltatory nerve impulse transmission. Our goal is to unravel the basic cellular and molecular processes of myelination and to understand how they are applied in the nervous system in vivo.

Myelin disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, are among the most prevalent and disabling diseases in young adults. In multiple sclerosis, regeneration of demyelinated lesions can occur. However, on average only ~20% of the lesions display signs of regeneration. We are studying how damaged tissue undergoes regrowth or renewal, leading to restoration of nervous system function. Our goal is to understand why myelin repair fails in multiple sclerosis and to develop regenerative medicines for the nervous system.

Neurons require glia for their function. Despite their essential role, we know little about how glia contribute to nervous system development and homeostasis. We are therefore exploring glial cell biology and neuron-glia interactions in the normal and diseased brain. 

Our group uses primarily mice and zebrafish as model systems.  Using a combination of genetics and imaging, we explore fundamental aspects of glial cell biology in vivo. We complement our studies by mechanistic studies in cell culture and by in-vitro reconstitution.

We are interested in understanding cell and tissue architecture. Our analyses therefore include ultrastructural reconstruction of CNS tissue using a range of electron (including high pressure freeze TEM, FIB-SEM, ATUM-based array imaging) as well as light microscopy techniques .