Sten Grillner, Ph.D.

Research Focus

The forebrain control of goal-directed motion  from ion channels to behavior

Our main aim is to unravel the cellular bases of motor behavior with a focus on the mechanisms underlying selection of behavior and the neural bases of in particular goal-directed locomotion and related steering, orienting and eye movements. The role of the basal ganglia, habenulae and tectum are in focus, while we have previously elucidated the brainstemspinal cord microcircuits underlying locomotion. This in turn requires a detailed knowledge of which nerve cells take part, how they talk to each other through synaptic interaction and an understanding of the intrinsic function of these networks.

The properties of different classes of nerve cells within the networks can vary greatly and are determined by the palette of ion channels expressed and also other gene products. Moreover, the properties of the different neurons can be modified by different monoaminergic, peptidergic and other G-protein-mediated receptor that act to fine-tune cellular or synaptic properties of the different network neurons.

The operation of the networks at a millisecond level is due to glutamate, glycine and GABA synaptic transmission.

Essentially, our research extends from ion channels and synapses to network mechanisms and behavior utilizing a multitude of techniques from patch clamp and cellular imaging to multi-scale modelling, tracing and immuno­histochemical techniques and studies of behavior. We utilize preferentially the lamprey as model organism, which also has proved important from an evolutionary perspective.

We have shown that the circuits in the basal ganglia, habenulae, tectum and the brainstemspinal cord have been conserved throughout vertebrate phylogeny to a very unexpected degree.

The projects are supported by Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish Research Council (M and NT) and the EU.

Group Members

• Peter Wallén, associate professor
• Brita Robertson, laboratory coordinator
• Alexander Kozlov, research engineer
• Andreas Kardamakis, postdoc
• Lorenza Capantini, postdoc
• Arndt von Twickel, postdoc
• Carolina Thörn-Perez, postdoc
• Elham Jalalvand, PhD student
• Iris Sylvander, secretary

Selected Publications