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Hire Dr. Maia D.

United States

USD 80 /hr

Neuroscientist | Patch Clamp Electrophysiologist | Ion Channel & Synaptic Physiology | IHC | Optogenetics | Parkinson's

Profile Summary

I am a PhD-trained neuroscientist with over a decade of experience investigating the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying neurological disorders, with deep expertise in patch clamp electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, and translational models of different neurological diseases. My research career has spanned several world-class institutions across the U.S. and Europe, including: • Northwestern University (USA) – current postdoctoral work on substantia nigra dopaminergic neuron subtypes and their differential vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease, supported by funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. • University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) – explored glutamatergic input specificity (VGLUT1/2) to thalamic-striatal and cortico-striatal circuits using slice physiology and cell culture. • University of Münster (Germany) – PhD research on HCN channels and thalamocortical dysrhythmia, using both in vitro patch clamp and in vivo EEG techniques. • University of Geneva (Switzerland) and Ilia State University (Georgia) – early training in human sleep recording and analysis. Core Expertise and Skills • Basal ganglia and thalamocortical circuitry • Neurodegeneration models (Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy) • Whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology, current and voltage clamp (brain slices, primary neurons) • Biomarker discovery and histological validation • Cell culture, immunostaining, image analysis (confocal) • Data analysis using SPSS, GraphPad Prism, Image J, pCLAMP, Origin • Project management, manuscript writing, grant preparation Current Focus I’m especially interested in translational neuroscience, biomarker validation, and gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative diseases. I bring not only technical expertise but also cross-cultural collaboration experience and scientific communication skills. I am open to consulting opportunities, protocol development, experimental design, data analysis, and collaborative writing projects, especially those related to electrophysiology, IHC, neurodegeneration, or preclinical translational research.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Neuroscience
• ☆ Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology
• ☆ Neurophysiology
• ☆ Neuroanatomy
• ☆ Immunohistochemistry

Services

• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Research Scientific and Technical Research

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Image Analysis, Data Visualization

Work Experience

Senior Postdoctoral Researcher

Northwestern University

March 2022 - February 2025

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of California San Francisco

March 2020 - February 2022

Education

PhD

University of Münster, Germany

January 2012 - December 2016

Certifications

• Clinical Trials Operations

  John Hopkins University

  https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/specialization/certificate/ONIO0518VSD4

  July 2024 - August 2025

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Chaudhary R, Albrecht S, Datunashvili M, Cerina M, Lüttjohann A, Han Y, Narayanan V, Chetkovich DM, Ruck T, Kuhlmann T, et al.(2022). Modulation of pacemaker channel function in a model of thalamocortical hyperexcitability by demyelination and cytokines . Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991).

Li H, Datunashvili M, Reyes RC, Voglmaier SM(2022). Inositol hexakisphosphate kinases differentially regulate trafficking of vesicular glutamate transporters 1 and 2 . Frontiers in cellular neuroscience.

Wachsmuth L, Datunashvili M, Kemper K, Albers F, Lambers H, Lüttjohann A, Kreitz S, Budde T, Faber C(2021). Retrosplenial Cortex Contributes to Network Changes during Seizures in the GAERS Absence Epilepsy Rat Model . Cerebral cortex communications.

Schreiber JA, Schepmann D, Frehland B, Thum S, Datunashvili M, Budde T, Hollmann M, Strutz-Seebohm N, W&#252;nsch B, Seebohm G(2019). A common mechanism allows selective targeting of GluN2B subunit-containing <i>N</i>-methyl-D-aspartate receptors . Communications biology.

van Alst TM, Wachsmuth L, Datunashvili M, Albers F, Just N, Budde T, Faber C(2019). Anesthesia differentially modulates neuronal and vascular contributions to the BOLD signal . NeuroImage.

Walter AL, Bartsch JC, Datunashvili M, Blaesse P, Lange MD, Pape HC(2018). Physiological Profile of Neuropeptide Y-Expressing Neurons in Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis in Mice: State of High Excitability . Frontiers in cellular neuroscience.

Datunashvili M, Chaudhary R, Zobeiri M, L&#252;ttjohann A, Mergia E, Baumann A, Balfanz S, Budde B, van Luijtelaar G, Pape HC, et al.(2018). Modulation of Hyperpolarization-Activated Inward Current and Thalamic Activity Modes by Different Cyclic Nucleotides . Frontiers in cellular neuroscience.

Zobeiri M, Chaudhary R, Datunashvili M, Heuermann RJ, L&#252;ttjohann A, Narayanan V, Balfanz S, Meuth P, Chetkovich DM, Pape HC, et al.(2017). Modulation of thalamocortical oscillations by TRIP8b, an auxiliary subunit for HCN channels . Brain structure & function.

Leist M, Rinn&#233; S, Datunashvili M, Aissaoui A, Pape HC, Decher N, Meuth SG, Budde T(2017). Acetylcholine-dependent upregulation of TASK-1 channels in thalamic interneurons by a smooth muscle-like signalling pathway . The Journal of physiology.

Sakhelashvili I, Eliozishvili M, Basishvili T, Datunashvili M, Oniani N, Cervena K, Darchia N(2016). Sleep-wake patterns and sleep quality in urban Georgia . Translational neuroscience.