We are delighted to share exciting news that iBehave PI, Dr. Sabine Krabbe, neuroscientist and principal investigator at the DZNE, has been awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council. The grant comes with funding of approximately two million euros over five years to support her research on how neuropeptides — key chemical messengers in the brain — influence our ability to cope with fear and stress.

Dr. Krabbe's project investigates how the brain learns from emotionally charged experiences and adapts to challenges, a process vital for mental health. Her work focuses on the amygdala, a region in the brain that regulates emotional responses, particularly those related to anxiety. Through a combination of behavioral studies and high-resolution imaging in mice, her team will explore how neuropeptides modulate brain circuits over time and shape fear-related behavior.

“Understanding how the brain learns to deal with threats is not only fascinating from a scientific perspective, but also essential for developing better treatments for anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions,” says Dr. Krabbe.

The research also has broader implications: since neuropeptides play a key role in brain plasticity — the ability to change and form new connections — the findings could also be relevant for understanding diseases like Alzheimer’s.

With this ERC funding, Dr. Krabbe’s lab continues to push the boundaries of systems neuroscience, revealing how molecular messengers orchestrate complex behaviors and potentially unlocking new strategies for promoting mental health and brain resilience.

Photo of Dr. Sabine Krabbe. Source: DZNE / Frommann

Press Contact:
Dr. Sarah Imtiaz
Scientific Coordinator of iBehave Network
E-mail: sarah.imtiaz@ukbonn.de

About iBehave Network:
The iBehave Network is a collaborative research initiative focused on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. Bringing together experts from various disciplines, iBehave integrates cutting-edge neuroscience, advanced computational modeling, and innovative behavioral studies to explore how the brain processes information and drives behavior. Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the network fosters collaboration across leading research institutions to advance our understanding of brain function and to translate these insights into therapeutic applications for neurological and psychiatric disorders.