People
Our group brings together experimental and computational approaches to brain development.
Current members
Christian Mayer
Max Planck Research Group Leader
Elena Dvoretskova
Senior Scientist
Transcription factor partnerships; chromatin regulators in autism risk
Ann Rose Bright
Postdoctoral researcher
Timing and stability of neuronal fate
Connor Lynch
Doctoral researcher
Developmental origins of prefrontal circuit connectivity
Florian Neuhaus
Doctoral researcher
Enhancer activity and neuronal identity
Seline Partsch
Master's student
Working with Ann Rose Bright on reversible CRISPR interference
About Christian Mayer, principal investigator →
Working together
We support researchers in developing their own ideas and scientific independence through weekly individual meetings with the PI and regular lab discussions. We alternate research updates with journal clubs and document shared practices for authorship and data handling in our lab wiki.
Ilaria Vitali (2022) and Ann Rose Bright (2026) received the institute’s Young Scientist Award for their postdoctoral research in the group.
Explore our current research · Joining the lab
The group over the years
Moments from lab life since 2018, including retreats, outings and time together in Martinsried. Photos are arranged from newest to oldest. Scroll to explore earlier years and select a photo to enlarge it.
2026 
2025 
2024 2 photos 
2023 
2022 
2021 
2020 
2018
Alumni
Former members of the group have continued their careers in research, industry and scientific support roles.
| Name | Role in the lab | Subsequent position |
|---|---|---|
| Anirudh Narayanan Balaraman | Master’s student | |
| Yigit Koray Babal | Visiting PhD student, Erasmus+ | Postdoctoral researcher, Karolinska Institutet |
| Mohamed A. Saad Boghdady | Bachelor’s student | |
| Elif Dönmez | Master’s student | |
| Chao Feng | Doctoral researcher | Laboratory technician |
| Andrea Fratton | Master’s student | PhD, Helmholtz Munich |
| Felicia Haxel | Master’s student | |
| May Ho | Doctoral researcher | Data specialist, industry |
| Josué S. Ibarra Molinas | Intern | PhD |
| Yana Kotlyarenko | Doctoral researcher | Industry |
| Theresa Lamprecht | Laboratory technician trainee | Industry |
| Huda Makhoul | Lab rotation | PhD, Helmholtz Munich |
| Alister James Orozco | Visiting scientist, Fulbright Fellow | Technician, UCSF |
| Sigla Deniz Ozaydin | Master’s student | |
| Avani Rawal | Technical support and lab management | PhD, Würzburg |
| Deepak Kumar Sundaramoorthy | Master’s student | PhD, ETH Zürich |
| Ece Türkmenoğlu | Master’s student | PhD, Berlin |
| Ilaria Vitali | Postdoctoral researcher | SNF, science management |
| Alexander Zorn | Intern | MPI of Biochemistry |
External group member
Rachel Bandler (Yale University) is an external member of the group and works with us on prefrontal circuit connectivity.