Experimental and Molecular Psychiatry
Faculty of Medicine
Zentrum für klinische Forschung (ZKF)
Ruhr University Bochum
Universitätsstr. 150
44801 Bochum
Room:
ZKF 2.050
Phone:
+49 (0)234 32-28035
Email:
nadja.freund@rub.de
Psychiatric disorders arise from the complex interaction of genetic predispositions and environmental influences. The overarching goal of our research is to model these contributing factors in animals and to investigate their impact on brain function and behavior. Our experimental approaches encompass exposure to stress during critical developmental periods, maternal immune activation, and targeted neural circuit manipulation using viral vector–based techniques. We conduct extensive behavioral assessments covering domains such as anxiety, social interaction, reward processing, and cognition to identify depressive-like, mania-like, and schizophrenia-like phenotypes. A major focus of our work lies in the detailed analysis of brain tissue using immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, and related techniques to uncover cellular and molecular alterations underlying behavioral changes. In addition, we investigate peripheral markers in various tissues, such as blood and gut, to explore systemic correlates of brain dysfunction. Through these integrative animal models, our group seeks to advance the understanding of psychiatric disorders by linking specific behavioral alterations to defined neural circuits and molecular pathways. Ultimately, our work aims to inform the development of improved therapeutic interventions, refined diagnostic criteria, and early detection strategies for psychiatric diseases.
Isparta, S., Ocklenburg, S., Siniscalchi, M., Goursot, C., Ryan, C. L., Doucette, T. A., Reinhardt, P. R., Gosse, R., Çıldır, Ö. Ş., d'Ingeo, S., Freund, N., Güntürkün, O., & Demirbas, Y. S. (2025). Lateralized sleeping positions in domestic cats. Current Biology : CB, 35(21), 5392–5393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.068
Mundorf, A., & Freund, N. (2024). Effects of Early Stress Exposure on Anxiety-like Behavior and MORC1 Expression in Rats. Biomolecules, 14(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121587
Abraham, M., Mundorf, A., Brodmann, K., & Freund, N. (2022). Unraveling the mystery of white matter in depression: A translational perspective on recent advances. Brain and Behavior, 12(7), e2629. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2629
Beyer, D. K. E., Horn, L., Klinker, N., & Freund, N. (2021). Risky decision-making following prefrontal D1 receptor manipulation. Translational Neuroscience, 12(1), 432–443. https://doi.org/10.1515/tnsci-2020-0187
Manns, M., Basbasse, Y. E., Freund, N., & Ocklenburg, S. (2021). Paw preferences in mice and rats: Meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 127, 593–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.05.011
Mundorf, A., Schmitz, J., Hünten, K., Fraenz, C., Schlüter, C., Genç, E., Ocklenburg, S., & Freund, N. (2021). Morc1 methylation and BDI are associated with microstructural features of the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. Journal of Affective Disorders, 282, 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.056
Wegrzyn, D., Manitz, M.P., Kostka, M., Freund, N., Juckel, G., & Faissner, A. (2021). Poly I:C-induced maternal immune challenge reduces perineuronal net area and raises spontaneous network activity of hippocampal neurons in vitro. The European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(12), 3920–3941. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14934
Bölükbas, I., Mundorf, A., & Freund, N. (2020). Maternal separation in rats induces neurobiological and behavioral changes on the maternal side. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 22431. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80087-6
Freund, N., Jordan, C. J., Lukkes, J. L., Norman, K. J., & Andersen, S. L. (2019). Juvenile exposure to methylphenidate and guanfacine in rats: Effects on early delay discounting and later cocaine-taking behavior. Psychopharmacology, 236(2), 685–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5096-0
Freund, N., Thompson, B. S., Sonntag, K., Meda, S., & Andersen, S. L. (2016). When the party is over: Depressive-like states in rats following termination of cortical D1 receptor overexpression. Psychopharmacology, 233(7), 1191–1201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-4200-y
IGSN/RDN, Heike Engelberg
Copyright © SHN 2026
Last update: Mar 25, 2026
