Genomics of Stress Disorders
Research
Our lab investigates the cellular and genomic mechanisms of psychiatric disorders, with a primary focus on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a devastating condition triggered by severe psychological trauma, affecting approximately 4% of the global population, a figure projected to rise amid ongoing global instability. Despite its profound impact, the molecular and genetic drivers remain poorly understood, leading to a critical lack of effective treatments.
A significant gap in our knowledge is the role of glial cells in PTSD pathology. Despite constituting roughly half of the brain's cellular makeup, the contribution of glia remains vastly understudied. Our lab investigates the interplay between glia and neurons, examining how their dysfunction contributes to the progression of PTSD.
To address this, our research follows three interconnected aims:
Identify cellular and genomic perturbations in PTSD. Using single-nuclei transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling of post-mortem human brain samples, we pinpoint cell-type-specific molecular changes to reveal promising therapeutic targets.
Develop refined animal models of PTSD. To overcome the limitations of current models, we develop new animal models that better recapitulate the heterogeneity of human PTSD, streamlining the validation of discovered targets.
Validate PTSD targets in vivo. We manipulate identified targets within our models to determine their potential to alleviate PTSD pathology.
Our ultimate goal is to discover and validate novel therapeutic targets, paving the way for more effective and individualized treatment strategies for PTSD.
Technical Toolkit
Human post-mortem brain tissue analysis
Single-nuclei transcriptomics and epigenetics
Robotic wet-lab automation
Large-scale genomic bioinformatics
In vivo behavioral profiling
In vivo genomic target manipulation
Unsere Vision
Die posttraumatische Belastungsstörung (PTBS) entwickelt sich bei Menschen, die schwere psychische Traumata erlebt haben, wie etwa nach Gewalt oder Krieg. Da wir noch nicht genau verstehen, was im Gehirn auf der Ebene von Zellen und Genen bei einer PTBS passiert, bleiben viele aktuelle Behandlungsmethoden unwirksam.
Unser Ziel ist es, diese Wissenslücke zu schließen. Mithilfe der Einzelzell-Genomik untersuchen wir tausende einzelne Gehirnzellen des Menschen, um genau zu bestimmen, welche Gene und Zellen an der Pathologie der PTBS beteiligt sind. Dies erlaubt uns, konkrete biologische Targets zu finden, die den Zustand auslösen und die man mit Medikamenten beeinflussen kann.
Um zu prüfen, ob ein solcher Einfluss tatsächlich bei der Behandlung hilft, entwickeln wir neue, präzisere Tiermodelle, die die Komplexität des menschlichen Zustands besser widerspiegeln.
Unsere Zielsetzung ist es, neue Targets der PTBS zu finden und zu bestätigen, die die Grundlage für personalisierte und wirksame Behandlungsmethoden bilden.
Publications
| Günther D.M.*, Batiuk, M. Y.*, De Oliveira R.V.J., Petukhov V., Wunderle T., Buchholz C.J., Fries P., Khodosevich K. Single-cell atlas uncovers layer 4 heterogeneity and functional gradients in rhesus macaque visual cortex. Nat. Commun. (accepted, 2026). https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.11.584345 |
| Coda D.M., Watt L., Glauser G., Batiuk, M. Y., Burns A.M., Stahl C.L., Wong L.Y., Gräff J. Cell type and locus-specific epigenetic editing of memory expression. Nat. Genet. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02368-y |
| Batiuk, M. Y.*, Tyler T.*, Dragicevic K., Mei S., Rydbirk R., Petukhov V., Deviatiiarov R., Sedmak D., Frank E., Feher V., Habek N., Hu Q., Igolkina A., Roszik L., Pfisterer U., Garcia-Gonzalez D., Petanjek Z., Adorjan I., Kharchenko P.V., Khodosevich K. Upper cortical layer-driven network impairment in schizophrenia. Sci. Adv. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn8367 |
| Batiuk, M. Y.*, Martirosyan A.*, Wahis J., de Vin F., Marneffe C., Kusserow C., Koeppen J., Viana J.F., Oliveira J.F., Voet T., Ponting C.P., Belgard T.G., Holt M.G. Identification of region-specific astrocyte subtypes at single cell resolution. Nat. Commun. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-14198-8 |
| Pfisterer U., Petukhov V., Demharter S., Meichsner J., Thompson J.J., Batiuk, M. Y., Asenjo Martinez A., Vasistha N.A., Thakur A., Mikkelsen J., Adorjan I., Pinborg L.H., Pers T.H., von Engelhardt J., Kharchenko P.V., Khodosevich K. Identification of epilepsy-associated neuronal subtypes and gene expression underlying epileptogenesis. Nat. Commun. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18752-7 |
| Batiuk, M. Y.*, de Vin F.*, Duqué S.I., Li C., Saito T., Saido T., Fiers M., Belgard T.G., Holt M.G. An immunoaffinity-based method for isolating ultrapure adult astrocytes based on ATP1B2 targeting by the ACSA-2 antibody. J. Biol. Chem. (2017). https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M116.765313 |
| * equal contribution |
Media coverage
| Heidelberg University Hospital Newsroom: https://www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/newsroom/en/erc-starting-grant-awarded-for-research-into-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ |
| Informationsdienst Wissenschaft: https://idw-online.de/en/news875453 |
| Gesundheitsindustrie Baden-Württemberg: https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/erc-starting-grant-awarded-research-post-traumatic-stress-disorder |
| DeutschesGesundheitsPortal: https://www.deutschesgesundheitsportal.de/2026/08/05/erc-starting-grant-fuer-forschung-zu-posttraumatischer-belastungsstoerung/ |
| MedWiss Online: https://www.medwiss.de/2026/08/05/erc-starting-grant-fuer-forschung-zu-posttraumatischer-belastungsstoerung/ |
Funding
