Martin Munz

Assistant Professor
Ph.D., McGill University


Laboratory: 7-50 Medical Sciences Building
Email address: mmunz@ualberta.ca

Laboratory Website 

Research Interests / Academic Activities

During embryonic development many millions (mouse) or billions (human) of neurons start to connect and communicate with each other to form the brain’s neuronal circuits. The Munz lab is interested in how neuronal circuits form, how the resulting brain circuits function and how development and function are altered in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. We are particularly interested in neuronal circuits of cortex – an area of the brain that is thought to be important for sensory perception, cognition, and other high-order functions.

To study the development of neuronal circuits, we recently invented a methodology that allows us to image neuronal activity and morphology at single cell resolution in the living mouse embryo. We use this and other technologies such as multi-photon microscopy, molecular biology, electrophysiology and different gene delivery methods, such as viruses, electroporation and mouse genetics.


Select Publications


  1. Munz, M.*, Bharioke, A.*, Kosche, G., Moreno-Juan, V., Brignall, A., Rodrigues, T.M., Graff-Meyer, A., Ulmer, T., Haeuselmann, S., Pavlinic, D., et al. (2023). Pyramidal neurons form active, transient, multilayered circuits perturbed by autism-associated mutations at the inception of neocortex. Cell08.31.506080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.025 .

Short description:

Using in vivo imaging of embryonic cortex, shows that layer 5 pyramidal neurons form two distinct multi-layered, active circuit motifs during embryonic development that switch after E15.5, the first of which constitutes a new circuit motif at the inception of the neocortex. Furthermore, the perturbation of autism-associated genes interferes with the switch in both circuit organization and activity.

  1. Munz*, D. Gobert*, A. Schohl, J. Poquérusse, K. Podgorski, P. Spratt, E. S. Ruthazer, Rapid Hebbian axonal remodeling mediated by visual stimulation. Science. 344, 904–909 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1251593.

Short description:

Hebbian plasticity is thought to drive circuit remodeling in the central nervous system. We developed an experimental approach to watch Hebbian plasticity of neuronal axons in vivo at high temporal resolution. Although the key predictions of Hebbian developmental plasticity were upheld, we found that changes in axonal growth due to Hebbian plasticity is very fast and can be observed already 10 minutes after the stimuli.

  1. Bharioke*, Munz*, A. Brignall*, G. Kosche, M. Eizinger, N. Ledergerber, D. Hillier, B. Gross-Scherf, K. Conzelmann, E. Macé, B. Roska, General anesthesia globally synchronizes activity selectively in layer 5 cortical neurons. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.03.032

Short description:

All general anesthesia, by definition, leads to the loss of consciousness. We found that activity of layer 5 pyramidal neurons synchronizes globally under different anesthetics, while other cortical cell types show no consistent increase in synchrony. Further, we showed changes in layer 5 synchrony coincide with the loss and recovery of consciousness and that basal, but not apical, layer 5 dendrites are in synchrony with somas.

  1. Cowan, C.S., Renner, M., De Gennaro, M., Gross-Scherf, B., Goldblum, D., Hou, Y., Munz, M., Rodrigues, T.M., Krol, J., Szikra, T., et al. (2020). Cell Types of the Human Retina and Its Organoids at Single-Cell Resolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.013

Short description:

We generated light-sensitive, multilayered human retinal organoids with functional synapses and performed single cell sequencing from both light-responsive human retinas and retinal organoids. We found that organoid cell types converge to adult peripheral retinal cell types and retinal diseases can be linked to human retinal and retinal organoid cell types.

  1. Munz, M., Brecht, M., and Wolfe, J. (2010). Active touch during shrew prey capture. Behav. Neurosci. 4, 191. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00191.

Short description:

How does the Etruscan shrew, which is the smallest mammal, hunt crickets? We used very small, light reflective tags and high-speed videography to track whisker motion during cricket hunting and capture. We showed that Etruscan shrews actively whisk at ~14 Hz while searching. Upon contacting the cricket, whisking amplitude decreases and shrews protracted their whiskers as they begin to hunt the cricket.


Laboratory Members

Laboratory Lead
Araya Ungpakawa