Roeper Lab

Understanding the diversity of dopamine neurons

Group Leader

Prof. Dr. med. Jochen Roeper

Director, Institute of Neurophysiology
Director, Center of Physiology

+49-(0)69-6301-84091
+49-(0)69-6301-84092 (Personal Assistant’s line)
roeper@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Biosketch

Bibliography

What we do

Scientific Focus

The group focusses on the physiology and pathophysiology of the dopaminergic midbrain system, which is involved in key brain functions like voluntary movement, motivation and cogition. The dopaminergic system is involved in major brain disorders like Parkinson diseases, Schizophrenia or ADHD.

We study the mechanisms and chronic plasticity of ion channels and electrical activity generated by different subtypes of dopaminergic midbrain neurons and their role of function and dysfunction in the brain.

Methods

We mainly use in vitro and in vivo patch-clamp and microelectrode recordings in mouse brain combined with neuroanatomical tracing, stereology, immunohistochemistry and transgenic as well as neurotoxicological models.

Members

Pascal Vogel
PhD

Post-doctoral researcher
+49-(0)69-6301-84108
pvogel@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Johannes Boehm
cand. med.

MD/PhD program
s7373529@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Richard Egger-Mackrodt

MD/PhD program
r.egger@med.uni-frankfurt.de

Niklas Hammer-Bahador

MD/PhD program
nhammer@med.uni-frankfurt.de

Marle Jahnke
cand. med.

MD/PhD program
s1535915@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Yingning Lu
cand. med.

MD/PhD program
s9254314@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Johanna Mankel
cand. med.

MD/PhD program
mankelj@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Nick Schaar
cand. med.

MD/PhD program
s1275395@stud.uni-frankfurt.de

Daniela Freitag

MD/PhD program
d.freitag@med.uni-frankfurt.de

Tabea Ziouziou

MD/PhD program
t.ziouziou@med.uni-frankfurt.de

  • Publications (selected)

    1. Motor-to-Limbic Design of Direct Synaptic Communication between Dopamine Neurons in the Midbrain. Hammer-Bahador N, Tian G, Fischer B, Stojanovic S, Beier K, Roeper J. J Neurosci. 2026;46(21)
    2. KChIP4a is a Biophysical Amplifier of Inhibition in Atypical Dopamine Neurons and Controls Learning from Negative Prediction Errors. Costa KM, Hammer-Bahador N, Knowlton C, Schwenk J, Müller T, Schulte D, Fakler B, Canavier CC, Roeper J. J Neurosci. 2026;46(19)
    3. Rebound bursting selectively enables fast dynamics in dopamine midbrain neurons projecting to the dorso-lateral striatum. Stojanovic S, Knowlton CJ, Egger-Mackrodt R, Mankel J, Shin J, Lammel S, Canavier CC, Roeper J. J Neurosci. 2025;45(44):e0361252025
    4. Recovery of the full in vivo firing range in post-lesion surviving DA SN neurons associated with Kv4.3-mediated pacemaker plasticity. Kovacheva L, Shin J, Zaldivar-Diez J, Mankel J, Farassat N, Costa KM, Thakur P, Obeso JA, Roeper J. Elife 2025;14:e104037
    5. Optogenetic action potentials and intrinsic pacemaker interplay in retrogradely identified midbrain dopamine neurons. Hammer N, Vogel P, Lee S, Roeper J. Eur J Neurosci. 2024;59(6):1311-1331
    6. α-Synuclein-induced Kv4 channelopathy in mouse vagal motoneurons drives nonmotor parkinsonian symptoms. Chiu WH, Kovacheva L, Musgrove RE, Arien-Zakay H, Koprich JB, Brotchie JM, Yaka R, Ben-Zvi D, Hanani M, Roeper J, Goldberg JA. Sci Adv. 2021 Mar 10;7(11):eabd3994
    7. In vivo patch-clamp recordings reveal distinct subthreshold signatures and threshold dynamics of midbrain dopamine neurons. Otomo K, Perkins J, Kulkarni A, Stojanovic S, Roeper J, Paladini CA. Nat Commun. 2020 Dec 8;11(1):6286
    8. Inhibition of histone deacetylation rescues phenotype in a mouse model of Birk-Barel intellectual disability syndrome. Cooper A, Butto T, Hammer N, Jagannath S, Fend-Guella DL, Akhtar J, Radyushkin K, Lesage F, Winter J, Strand S, Roeper J, Zechner U, Schweiger S. Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 24;11(1):480
    9. Impaired recruitment of dopamine neurons during working memory in mice with striatal D2 receptor overexpression. Duvarci S, Simpson E, Schneider G, Kandel E, Roeper J* and Sigurdsson T*. Nature Comm. 2018;9:2822. *Shared senior authors
    10. Mutant α-Synuclein Overexpression Induces Stressless Pacemaking in Vagal Motoneurons at Risk in Parkinson’s Disease. Lasser-Katz E, Simchovitz A, Chiu WH, Oertel WH, Sharon R, Soreq H, Roeper J and Goldberg JA. J Neurosci. 2017 Jan 4;37(1):47-57
    11. Increased dopamine D2 receptor activity in the striatum alters the firing pattern of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Krabbe S, Duda J, Schiemann J, Poetschke C, Schneider G, Kandel ER, Liss B, Roeper J* and Simpson EH*. PNAS. 2015 Mar 24;112(12):E1498-506. Epub 2015 Feb 9. *Shared senior authors
    12. Mutant α-synuclein enhances firing frequencies in dopamine substantia nigra neurons by oxidative impairment of A-type potassium channels. Subramaniam M, Althof D, Gispert S, Schwenk J, Auburger G, Kulik A, Fakler B, Roeper J. J Neurosci. 2014 Oct 8;34(41):13586-99. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI. 5069-13 2014
    13. Regional diversity and developmental dynamics of the AMPA-receptor proteome in the mammalian brain. Schwenk J, Baehrens D, Haupt A, Bildl W, Boudkkazi S, Roeper J, Fakler B, Schulte U. Neuron. 2014 Oct 1;84(1):41-54. Epub 2014 Sep 18.
    14. K-ATP channels in dopamine substantia nigra neurons control bursting and novelty-induced exploration. Schiemann J, Schlaudraff F, Klose V, Bingmer M, Seino S, Magill PJ, Zaghloul KA, Schneider G, Liss B, Roeper J. Nat Neurosci. 2012 Sep;15(9):1272-80. Epub 2012 Aug 19
    15. Projection-specific modulation of dopamine neuron synapses by aversive and rewarding stimuli. Lammel S, Ion DI, Roeper J, Malenka RC. Neuron. 2011 Jun 9;70(5):855-62. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.03.025
    16. Unique properties of mesoprefrontal neurons within a dual mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. Lammel S, Hetzel A, Häckel O, Jones I, Liss B, Roeper J. Neuron. 2008 Mar 13;57(5):760-73. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.01.022
    17. K-ATP channels promote the differential degeneration of dopaminergic midbrain neurons. Liss B, Haeckel O, Wildmann J, Miki T, Seino S, Roeper J. Nat Neurosci. 2005 Dec;8(12):1742-51. Epub 2005 Nov 20
    18. ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the hypothalamus are essential for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Miki T, Liss B, Minami K, Shiuchi T, Saraya A, Kashima Y, Horiuchi M, Ashcroft F, Minokoshi Y, Roeper J, Seino S. Nat Neurosci. 2001 May;4(5):507-12
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