Laboratory of Prof. Johannes Gräff ‐ EPFL

Quantifying the memory trace

Close-up view of the hippocampus, a brain area important for learning and memory.

A rejuvenated neuron

Pyramidal engram neuron in the prefrontal cortex, the brain area sorting remote memories.

Memory’s diversity

Deciphering each single cell’s contribution to memory encoding.

Prof. Johannes Gräff

Associate Professor at the Brain Mind Institute & Director of the Doctoral Program in Neurosciences (EDNE)

Ultrastructure of the engram

Electron microscopy image of a neuron activated by learning.

Research focus

With their Janus-faced property of being at once dynamic and stable, we hypothesize that epigenetic mechanisms harbor the potential to better explain the molecular processes that govern learning, memory and memory loss. Our particular interests in the lab are memory consolidation/reconsolidation, Alzheimer’s disease, and long-lasting traumatic memories.

News

Congratulations, Dr. Yip!

12.09.24EPFL

After having trailblazed the first brain-wide rendering of epigenetically defined engram cells, Tony successfully defended his PhD yesterday!

How epigenetics influence memory formation

26.07.24Research

In an important study for understanding how memories are made, EPFL scientists show that the flexibility of chromatin – packaged DNA inside the cell – plays a crucial role in “deciding” which neurons are involved in forming a specific memory.

Engrams: A Window into the Memory Trace

19.07.24EPFL

Johannes Gräff and Steve Ramirez have gathered some of the leading experts in the field who have generously contributed with a chapter of what has become the first ever book on engram biology!