Benakis Lab | ISD Research

Research Focus

The gut microbiome has been reproducibly demonstrated to play a pivotal role in brain health and brain disease. Recent experimental and clinical studies suggest that stroke outcome is substantially impacted by the composition of the gut microbiome, which acts as a key modulator of immunity and metabolism (Benakis et al., Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 2020; Benakis et al., Nat. Med. 2016). The research focus of our lab is to understand the bidirectional link between the gut microbiome and the brain after stroke. This research paradigm will enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve recovery in stroke patients.

Gut-to-brain communication may occur via the production of metabolites from gut-resident bacteria. Indeed, there is accumulating evidence showing that metabolites derived from the microbiome influence brain diseases by regulating intestinal immune-cell function. The key objective of our research group is to investigate whether metabolites produced by gut bacteria can influence stroke-induced neuroinflammation, as well as post-stroke comorbidities such as chronic neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, depression, and pain.

To reach this goal, we use a combination of metabolomics, metagenomics, flow cytometry analysis, single-cell sorting, and in-vitro immune cell culture, as well as mouse models (photo-convertible transgenic mice, humanized-fecal microbiota transplantation mice, probiotics/postbiotics) to elucidate the mechanisms involved in microbiome-gut-brain interactions.

^Visual:^{©Laura Diaz Marugan, PhD}

Team

Corinne Benakis, Principal Investigator

I received my master’s in Biochemistry from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. I then moved to Australia for a master’s program at Queensland University, where I first became interested in the molecular basis of neuronal communication. In 2011, I earned my PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Lausanne under the supervision of Dr. Lorenz Hirt, Professor of Neurology. I specifically studied the role of a neuroprotective compound – a JNK inhibitor – on microglia activation and peripheral inflammation after stroke. I then joined the laboratory of Prof. Costantino Iadecola at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York as a postdoctoral fellow –funded by the Swiss National Research Foundation – where my work highlighted for the first time the role of gut microbiota and intestinal immune cells in stroke. In July 2016, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Arthur Liesz at the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) in Munich, with a Marie-Curie Sklodowska-Curie European fellowship to develop my own research topic on the specific role of gut metabolites, specifically tryptophan metabolites, in immune cell polarization in the context of brain injury. In April 2020, I founded my own research group at the ISD – with a DFG grant – investigating the critical role of the gut microbiome in stroke. I have a passion for communicating science using powerful visuals, and in my free time I like nothing better than to travel the world in search of new culinary experiences.

Rosa Delgado, PhD Candidate

After finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy in Madrid, I discovered the fascinating world of neuroscience while doing an internship in the laboratory of Dr. Emery Brown in Boston. For my master’s thesis, I investigated the communication between vasculature and neurogenesis under the supervision of Dr. Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar. I am currently a PhD candidate in the lab of Dr. Benakis, where I am studying the role of gut microbiota-derived metabolites on chronic inflammation after stroke. If you don’t see me in the lab, I’m probably outside in the fresh air, doing sports, or traveling around Europe!

Adam Sorbie, Postdoctoral Researcher

I received my Master’s degree in Infection Biology from the University of Glasgow in 2016. During this time, I developed a keen interest in microbiota research which led me to pursue a PhD in the laboratory of Professor Dirk Haller, studying the role of the microbiota and metabolome in colorectal cancer. Despite my background as a wet-lab biologist, I developed a passion for computational biology while working on my PhD. My current research interests reflect this and are centred around the interactions of microbiota and host metabolites and their influence on disease. I am also interested how we can integrate different data types and spatiotemporal sampling designs to better understand these interactions. In 2021, I joined the Benakis lab where I will utilise bioinformatic and machine learning tools to investigate and characterise microbes and metabolites modulating stroke outcome. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, travelling and playing guitar.

Alexandria Ruggles, PhD Candidate

After completing my Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, I was selected to join, Teach for America, where I earned a Master’s in Education and taught science for 4 years. I developed a passion for breaking down complex concepts in a way that is easy for people of all ages to understand. Although I had a passion for teaching, I was eager to dive into research. I was accepted to complete a second Master’s to study Nutrition and Biomedicine at the Technical University of Munich. After taking a course about the microbiome, I knew that this was a field I wanted to explore on a deeper level. I joined the Benakis team in April 2022 and I am now investigating the lung niche after stroke. In my free time, I am often hiking or skiing in the mountains or jumping into the Isar!

Thomas Saller, Lab Technician

Originally from Landshut, Germany, I studied biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich and graduated with a master degree. Shortly after that, I first went to industry and worked for several biotech companies. And now here, as lab technician, I am glad to get also training and apply many interesting techniques as well as my daily tasks to take care for organization and orders and support the group in all that way.

Beside work, I enjoy to be outside in nature, running, traveling and photography.

Vinciane Allicar, Master Student

I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedicine at Karolinska Institutet, in Stockholm. During that time, I took an immediate interest in the world of neurological age-related diseases and immunology. For my bachelor’s thesis, I had the chance to delve into the complex world of dendritic cells in the lab of Assoc. Prof. Su I-Hsin at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where I investigated the specific role of protein Talin-1 following fungi infection. Currently I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Biology at the Technische Universität München, during which I joined the AG Benakis lab in May 2023. At the moment, I am learning specific skills for stroke research such as how to perform the fMCAo stroke model, in parallel to assisting in daily experiments. I plan to continue at the lab with my master’s thesis with a focus on microglia and the gut-brain axis. In my free time you will most likely find me reading at a café or exploring the beautiful Bavarian nature.

Mujeeb Adedokun, PhD Candidate

I hold a Bachelor of Technology in Anatomy from LAUTECH and a Masters degree in Human Anatomy from ABUAD, Nigeria. I am a passionate neuroscientist dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the human brain. My research journey, from exploring the neurological impact of diabetes complications during my undergraduate years to investigating the gut-brain axis in antibiotic abuse and the intervention of naturally occurring substances during my master's degree, reflects my commitment to understanding and addressing neurological disorders. I am currently a PhD candidate at Dr. Corinne Benakis's lab, where I am understanding the microbial influence on brain barrier function in cerebral ischemia. Outside of the lab, I enjoy watching football, reading, playing with friends, traveling, and visiting new places.

The PI

Corinne Benakis, Principal investigator

My research interest focuses on understanding the role of the microbiome in stroke, with a focus on intestinal immune function and microbial metabolites.

I am fascinated by the interaction of these two highly complex super-organisms: the gut microbiome and the brain, particularly how commensal bacteria regulate the immune response and influence stroke outcome. I believe that a better understanding of how the gut interacts with the brain may provide new therapeutic avenues to protect the brain after stroke.

The scientific goal of my lab is to better understand how the gut microbiome may influence stroke outcome and post-stroke comorbidities, including motor dysfunction, chronic pain such as visceral pain, cognitive decline and depression which impair critically the quality of life. Modulation of the microbiome – specially microbial metabolites – by dietary interventions may have strong therapeutic implications in stroke.

Current academic positions

2020-now Independent group leader, Institute for Stroke and Dementia (ISD), Ludwig Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU), Germany

2016-2020 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship, Laboratory of Dr. Liesz, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Germany

2012-2016 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship, Laboratory of Prof. Iadecola and Prof. Anrather, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA

2007-2011 PhD in Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prof. Hirt, Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Switzerland

2006-2007 Master internship in Neuroscience, Laboratory of Prof. Meunier, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia

1999-2005 Master in Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland