Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Markus Aswendt
Department of Neurology
University Hospital Frankfurt
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7
D-60590 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49 69 6301-7428
Email: aswendt@med.uni-frankfurt.de
Visitor address:
Neuroscience Center
Haus 89, 3.OG
Heinrich-Hoffmann Str. 7
D-60528 Frankfurt am Main
Scientific Focus
My research focuses on innovative methods to identify and visualize regenerative processes in experimental stroke using in vivo MRI, behavioral testing, and microscopy. By integrating these modalities, I aim to uncover mechanisms of post-stroke recovery from the cellular scale up to whole-brain networks, and to explore new neuromodulation-based strategies for probing these mechanisms. I also contribute to open-science and standardization efforts by creating tools for automated, atlas-based MRI processing and reproducible research data management workflows.
Methods
2. Experimental stroke models (MCAO, photothrombosis, and internal capsule stroke)
2. Sensorimotor testing and kinematic analysis
3. Gene expression analysis, histology and fluorescence microscopy
5. Neuromodulation (optogenetics, chemogenetics, transcranial direct current stimulation)
6. Software and tools for image analysis and research data management
Selected Publications
Stokowska A, Aswendt M, Zucha D, Lohmann S, Wieters F, Morán Suarez J, Atkins AL, Li Y, Miteva M, Lewin J, Wiedermann D, Diedenhofen M, Torinsson Naluai Å, Abaffy P, Valihrach L, Kubista M, Hoehn M, Pekny M, Pekna M. Complement C3a treatment accelerates recovery after stroke via modulation of astrocyte reactivity and cortical connectivity. J Clin Invest. 2023 May 15;133(10):e162253. doi: 10.1172/JCI162253. PMID: 36995772; PMCID: PMC10178843.
Blaschke SJ, Vlachakis S, Pallast N, Walter HL, Volz LJ, Wiedermann D, Fink GR, Hoehn M, Aswendt M, Schroeter M, Rueger MA. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Reverses Stroke-Induced Network Alterations in Mice. Stroke. 2023 Aug;54(8):2145-2155. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.042808. Epub 2023 Jun 28. PMID: 37377015.
Pallast N, Wieters F, Nill M, Fink GR, Aswendt M. Graph theoretical quantification of white matter reorganization after cortical stroke in mice. Neuroimage. 2020 Aug 15;217:116873. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116873. Epub 2020 May 5. PMID: 32380139.
Goubran M, Leuze C, Hsueh B, Aswendt M, Ye L, Tian Q, Cheng MY, Crow A, Steinberg GK, McNab JA, Deisseroth K, Zeineh M. Multimodal image registration and connectivity analysis for integration of connectomic data from microscopy to MRI. Nat Commun. 2019 Dec 3;10(1):5504. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13374-0. PMID: 31796741; PMCID: PMC6890789.
Ito M, Aswendt M, Lee AG, Ishizaka S, Cao Z, Wang EH, Levy SL, Smerin DL, McNab JA, Zeineh M, Leuze C, Goubran M, Cheng MY, Steinberg GK. RNA-Sequencing Analysis Revealed a Distinct Motor Cortex Transcriptome in Spontaneously Recovered Mice After Stroke. Stroke. 2018 Sep;49(9):2191-2199. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.021508. PMID: 30354987; PMCID: PMC6205731.