Professor reveals secrets of brain plasticity: This is how astrocytes control flexibility!

Professor reveals secrets of brain plasticity: This is how astrocytes control flexibility!

Prof. Dr. Ruth Beckervordersandforth-Bonk has started her new role as Heisenberg Professor of Molecular Neuropathology at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). FAU is one of the 15 largest and most research-intensive universities in Germany and offers more than 270 degree programs. With over 6,000 employees and more than 39,000 students, it is an important center for research and teaching in Germany.

Beckervordersandforth-Bonk, who previously earned her doctorate at the University of Mainz, pursues central questions about brain plasticity in her research. Her focus is on identifying cellular and molecular mechanisms by which astrocytes – a type of glial cell – control plasticity in the adult brain. This finding contradicts the traditional understanding that brain plasticity is primarily determined by neurons.

Research priorities

The main component of Beckervordersandforth-Bonk's research is to find out how astrocytes regulate brain plasticity in a healthy state and what changes can occur in disease. These questions are particularly relevant because it has recently been found that the adult brain is also plastic in response to various environmental influences. Studies at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development have shown that structural changes in the brain can be observed as new skills are acquired, with initial increases in brain volume followed by decreases. An inverted U-shaped trajectory describes the dynamics of these changes and poses a challenge to traditional study designs that mostly assume linear progression.

Beckervordersandforth-Bonk began her career with a diploma in biology at the University of Münster, with a focus on neuroscience. After her studies, she worked at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, where she focused on neural stem cells and brain plasticity and has been building her own research group at FAU since 2013.

Personal background

In her private life, the researcher has a passion for cooking and the ability to find sleep anywhere. Her childhood dream of pursuing biology was inspired by her mother, a biology teacher. She has many inspiring scientists who have shaped her path, but no single role model. Her favorite place at FAU is the Meilwald, and she shows interest in cultural events such as the International Comic Salon in Erlangen, which will take place in 2026.

Beckervordersandforth-Bonk's special wish is to visit Nazaré in Portugal to see the impressive giant waves - but without surfing them. She describes her own curiosity and enthusiasm as well as humor as the most useful tools in her professorial career.

The research direction of Beckervordersandforth-Bonk and her group has the potential to fundamentally change our understanding of neuroplasticity and could provide groundbreaking insights into how the human brain works. The results of their work could have far-reaching implications for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Further information about the research group of Prof. Dr. Ruth Beckervordersandforth-Bonk can be found on the FAU website, where detailed insights into her ongoing projects and goals are offered here.