Dr. Virginie M?ller

Biography

I am a senior postdoctoral researcher in Neuroscience at the University of Regensburg, Germany. I specialize in rodent behaviour to investigate how stress and sex differences shape the brain mechanisms underlying emotion, reward, and motivation. With a background spanning France, the USA, and Germany, I combine behavioural, molecular, and neurophysiological approaches to understand neuronal circuit modulation relevant to psychiatric disorders. I am also deeply committed to teaching and mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists. Currently, I am pursuing my habilitation focused on the neuronal and behavioural correlates of competing reward-related behaviours and their modulation by social stressors.

Current Research Project

My ongoing research explores how oxytocin signalling modulates motivational choice between social and food rewards in male mice, especially under varying internal states such as hunger and social stress. Using a combination of behavioural assays, chemogenetics, and neuroanatomical techniques, I aim to elucidate the neuronal circuits and molecular pathways that enable the brain to prioritize competing needs, a key process disrupted in many psychiatric conditions.