New SNFS Starting Grants

New SNFS Starting Grants

Dr Alison Montagrin  received a SNSF starting grant for her project entitled :  Neural mechanisms anchoring goal-relevant habits in spatio-temporal memory

Summary:

Habits allow us to navigate life efficiently by freeing up mental resources. They enable us to perform many daily actions automatically, such as locking the door before leaving home. Even when these actions are automatic, we can still remember when they occurred, for example, distinguishing locking the door today from yesterday. This shows that habits are linked to spatio-temporal memory. My project investigates how the brain keeps track of when and where actions occur during habit formation and disruption. Understanding how habits are integrated into memory systems is crucial for both basic and clinical research, as it reveals how pathological processes (e.g., in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) can transform beneficial habits into maladaptive ones

Dr Monika Riegel obtained an SNSF starting grant for her project entitled : How do stress hormones and sex hormones affect time perception and temporal memory in females?

Summary: 

Forming lasting memories of stressful events is essential for survival. However, when stressful experiences are poorly segmented in time, they can generalize, making the world constantly threatening. This mechanism is implicated in major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Critically, females are twice as likely as males to develop these disorders. Yet, most research has focused on males, overlooking the complex interplay between stress and sex hormones. This project investigates how stress and sex hormones interact to shape time perception and temporal memory in females. The results will inform females’ mental health and guide sex- and hormone-specific interventions.