Dies Academicus 2025: Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation Prize awarded to LIR scientist

This year's Dies Academicus took place on June 25, 2025, during which the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz annually honors outstanding achievements by scientists in the early stages of their careers.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation Prize was awarded to Dr. Saleh Altahini for his dissertation titled “Optimizing functional calcium imaging analysis enables the discovery of cortical microcircuit dysfunction in mice exposed to anti-NMDA receptor antibodies”.

Dr. Altahini investigated the long-term effects that transient antibody exposure during pregnancy can have on neuronal networks in the brain of offspring. The results show that even a brief exposure to certain pathogenic antibodies in the womb can result in permanent changes in the child's neuronal networks. These are changes that can still be measured in the adult age of the animals. The results provide relevant information on how certain mental disorders can arise and could provide significant long-term support in the development of appropriate treatment options and prevention approaches.

Dr. Altahini carried out the underlying research work as a member of the RG Stroh. Dr. Altahini is now working as a postdoc at the Institute of Physiology I at Münster University Hospital under Prof. Dr. Albrecht Stroh. It is an enrichment for the LIR that Dr. Altahini continues to be associated with the Institute as a guest researcher.