Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology - Institute of Pharmacy
geisler-stefanie.html - geisler-stefanie.html
Zooming into the mouse brain- From cytoarchitecture to synaptic connections: Triple immunofluorescence labelings of mouse brain sagittal sections with neuronal markers Ctip2 (red) and Tbr1 (green) and Hoechst to counterstain nuclei (blue). The inset depicts pre- and postsynaptic contacts between cultured hippocampal neurons transfected with mCherry or eGFP (pseudocolored in yellow and magenta).
Cover image The Journal of Neuroscience (Geisler et al., 2019, J Neurosci. 39:2581-2605).
Voltage-gated calcium channels (CaVs) provide the primary mechanism for activity-regulated Ca2+ influx into CNS neurons and thus drive fundamental neuronal functions, including synaptic plasticity, cell excitability and gene expression. Not surprisingly, dysfunction of CaVs is associated with numerous syndromes, such as autism, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. The ultimate goal of my research is to make a strong contribution in resolving the role of neuronal voltage-gated calcium channels and their accessory subunits (Stac, α2δ) in normal and diseased brain function. For my studies I am employing a multidisciplinary approach, including primary cell cultures (mouse chromaffin cells, GABAergic medium spiny neurons), electrophysiology (heterologous expression systems, primary cultures, brain slices), and fluorescence microscopy.
Short curriculum
November 2022 to present: Postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Petronel Tuluc; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck.
June 2022 to December 2022: Postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Edenhofer, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Innsbruck.
July 2019 to May 2022: Postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Petronel Tuluc; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck.
2015-2019: Doctoral studies (PhD) in the Department of Physiology in the laboratory of Dr. Gerald J. Obermair; Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.
2012-2015: BMA (technical assistant) in the Department of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.
2009-2012: Master of Science in Animal Biology; University of Salzburg, Austria.
2006-2009: Bachelor studies in natural sciences; University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Scientific awards/sholarships/research funding
2023 Travel Award for the Biophysical Society 67th Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA.
2022 Travel Award for the International Symposium on Chromaffin Cell Biology (ISCCB), Hamburg, Germany
2021 Tyrolean Science Fund (TWF).
2021 Funding from Lower Austria (NFB). Co-applicant with G.J. Obermair (Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences) and R. Shigemoto (IST Austria).
2021 Early stage funding, University of Innsbruck.
2021 Krems Cooperation Research Award - Best thesis award.
2020 Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA) - Best thesis award.
2017 Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA) - Travel grant.
2017 Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA) & MUI Biooptics Facility - Best picture awards.
2015 Austrian Neuroscience Association (ANA) - Travel grant.
2012 Scholarship for funding of my master thesis, University of Salzburg.
2010 Merit scholarship for outstanding academic achievement, University of Salzburg.
List of publications
Ablinger C, Eibl C, Geisler SM, Campiglio M, Stephens GJ, Missler M, Obermair GJ. α2δ-4 and Cachd1 Proteins Are Regulators of Presynaptic Functions. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 ;23(17):9885. doi: 10.3390/ijms23179885.
Tuluc P, Theiner T, Jacobo-Piqueras N, Geisler SM (2021). Role of High Voltage-Gated Ca2+ Channel Subunits in Pancreatic β-Cell Insulin Release. From Structure to Function. Cells 2021, Vol. 10, Page 2004 10, 2004. doi:10.3390/CELLS10082004.
Schöpf CL, Ablinger C*, Geisler SM*, Stanika RI*, Campiglio M, Kaufmann WA, Nimmervoll B, Schlick B, Brockhaus J, Missler M, Shigemoto R, Obermair GJ (2021). Presynaptic α2δ subunits are key organizers of glutamatergic synapses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 118, e1920827118. doi:10.1073/pnas.1920827118.* equal contribution
Geisler SM, Benedetti A, Schöpf CL, Schwarzer C, Stefanova N, Schwartz A, Obermair GJ (2021). Phenotypic Characterization and Brain Structure Analysis of Calcium Channel Subunit α2δ-2 Mutant (Ducky) and α2δ Double Knockout Mice. Front. Synaptic Neurosci. 13. doi:10.3389/fnsyn.2021.634412.
El Ghaleb Y, Schneeberger PE, Fernández-Quintero ML, Geisler SM, Pelizzari S, Polstra AM, van Hagen JM, Denecke J, Campiglio M, Liedl KR, Stevens CA, Person RE, Rentas S, Marsh ED, Conlin LK, Tuluc P, Kutsche K, Flucher BE (2021). CACNA1I gain-of-function mutations differentially affect channel gating and cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain. doi:10.1093/brain/awab101.
Ablinger C, Geisler SM, Stanika RI, Klein CT, Obermair GJ (2020). Neuronal α2δ proteins and brain disorders. Pflugers Arch. Eur. J. Physiol. 472, 845–863. doi:10.1007/s00424-020-02420-2.
Geisler S, Schöpf CL, Stanika R, Kalb M, Campiglio M, Repetto D, Traxler L, Missler M, Obermair GJ (2019). Presynaptic α2δ-2 Calcium Channel Subunits Regulate Postsynaptic GABAA Receptor Abundance and Axonal Wiring. J. Neurosci. 39, 2581–2605. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2234-18.2019. [Journal Cover Image, Featured article]
Geisler S*, Schopf CL*, Obermair GJ (2015). Emerging evidence for specific neuronal functions of auxiliary calcium channel alpha(2)delta subunits. Gen Physiol Biophys 34, 105–118. doi:10.4149/gpb_2014037. * equal contribution
Daschil N, Geisler S, Obermair GJ, Humpel C (2014). Short- and long-term treatment of mouse cortical primary astrocytes with beta-amyloid differentially regulates the mRNA expression of L-type calcium channels. Pharmacology 93:24–31. doi: 10.1159/000357383.
