Research Interests

Our ability to perceive and shape the world is determined by the neural circuits in our brains. These circuits form during development—but, contrary to traditional assumptions, it is becoming clear that they can also form anew in the adult brain. How is this possible, and what can the new circuits do? Pursuing these questions leads to a still more fundamental one: how brain circuits are maintained throughout life.

Our research takes up these questions by studying rewiring in the adult brain. We investigate the molecular mechanisms that reactivate axon growth in adult neurons—a critical first step in circuit formation—and characterize the new circuits and their effects on brain function. Building on this, we are examining the mechanisms that preserve the integrity of neural circuits across the lifespan, and how their failure may contribute to brain disease and aging.

Recent publications:

Seng C, Tamás B, Kaur R, Luo W, Földy C (2026) Molecular Signatures of Id2- and Ascl4-Induced Wiring of Adult Hippocampal Neurons. The Journal of Neuroscience. 46(7):e0015252026.Link

Luo W, Egger M, Cruz-Ochoa N, Tse A, Maloveczky G, Tamás B, Lukacsovich D, Seng C, Amrein I, Lukacsovich T, Wolfer D, Földy C (2024) Activation of feedforward wiring in adult hippocampal neurons by the basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor Ascl4. PNAS Nexus. 3(5):pgae174Link

Egger M, Luo W, Cruz-Ochoa N, Lukacsovich D, Varga C, Que L, Maloveczky G, Winterer J, Kaur R, Lukacsovich T, Földy C (2023) Commissural dentate granule cell projections and their rapid formation in the adult brain. PNAS Nexus, 2(4):pgad088. Link

Luo W, Cruz-Ochoa NA, Seng C, Egger M, Lukacsovich D, Lukacsovich T, Földy C (2022) Pcdh11x controls target specification of mossy fiber sprouting. Frontiers in Neuroscience 16:888362. Link

Seng C, Luo W, Földy C (2022) Circuit formation in the adult brain. European Journal of Neuroscience, 56(3):4187-4213. (Review) Link

Luo W, Egger M, Domonkos A, Que L, Lukacsovich D, Cruz-Ochoa NA, Szőcs S, Seng C, Arszovszki A, Sipos E, Amrein I, Winterer J, Lukacsovich T, Szabadics J, Wolfer DP, Varga C, Földy C. (2021) Recurrent rewiring of the adult hippocampal mossy fiber system by a single transcriptional regulator, Id2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 118(40):e2108239118. Link

Different types of neurons produce different patterns of brain activity and behavior. Cell type classification schemes have given us detailed insights into how this might work at the circuit level. Transcriptomic approaches, such as single-cell RNAseq, patch RNAseq, and spatial transcriptomics, are expanding this framework, particularly with respect to the molecular characterization of the different neuronal types. We characterize the transcriptomic profile of neurons in different brain regions, developmental stages, circadian times, and behavioral states.

Recent publications:

King A, Garcia C, Blanton C, Chen A, Ahmad A, Lukacsovich D, Földy C, Makita T, Anderson GR (2026) Endothelial Adgrl2 Expression and Alternative Splicing Controls the Cerebrovasculature. The Journal of Neuroscience. 46(16):e0019262026. Link

Gazit Shimoni N, Tose AJ, Seng C, Jin Y, Lukacsovich T, Yang H, Verharen JPH, Liu C, Tanios M, Hu E, Read J, Tang LW, Lim BK, Tian L, Földy C, Lammel S (2025) Changes in neurotensin signalling drive hedonic devaluation in obesity. Nature. 641(8065):1238-1247.Link

Zichó K, Balog BZ, Sebestény RZ, Brunner J, Takács V, Barth AM, Seng C, Orosz Á, Aliczki M, Sebők H, Mikics E, Földy C, Szabadics J, Nyiri G (2025) Identification of the subventricular tegmental nucleus as brainstem reward center. Science. 387(6732):eadr2191.Link

Pierre-Ferrer S, Collins B, Lukacsovich D, Wen S, Cai Y, Winterer J, Yan J, Pedersen L, Földy C, Brown SA (2024) A phosphate transporter in VIPergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus gates locomotor activity during the light/dark transition in mice. Cell Reports. 43(5):114220.Link

Campbell BFN, Cruz-Ochoa N, Otomo K, Lukacsovich D, Espinosa P, Abegg A, Luo W, Bellone C, Földy C, Tyagarajan SK (2024) Gephyrin phosphorylation facilitates sexually dimorphic development and function of parvalbumin interneurons in the mouse hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02517-5. Epub ahead of print.Link

Beerens S, Winterer J, Lukacsovich D, Földy C*, Wozny C* (2022) Transcriptomically-guided pharmacological experiments in neocortical and hippocampal NPY-positive GABAergic interneurons. eNeuro. 9(2):ENEURO.0005-22.2022.  (*Corresponding author) Link

Boxer EE, Seng C, Lukacsovich D, Kim J, Schwartz S, Kennedy MJ, Földy C, Aoto J (2021) Neurexin-3 defines synapse- and sex-dependent diversity of GABAergic inhibition in ventral subiculum. Cell Reports, 37(10):110098. Link

Que L*, Lukacsovich D*, Luo, W, Földy C (2021) Transcriptional and morphological profiling of parvalbumin interneuron subpopulations in the mouse hippocampus. Nature Communications, 12(1):108. (*Equal contributions) Link

Sticco MJ, Peña Palomino PA, Lukacsovich D, Thompson BL, Földy C, Ressl S, Martinelli DC (2021) C1QL3 promotes cell-cell adhesion by mediating complex formation FASEB J, 35(1):e21194. Link

Collins B, Pierre-Ferrer S, Muheim C, Lukacsovich D, Cai Y, Spinnler A, Gutierrez Herrera C, Wen S, Winterer J, Belle MDC, Piggins HD, Hastings M, Loudon A, Yan J, Földy C, Adamantidis A, Brown SA (2020) Circadian VIPergic neurons of the suprachiasmatic nuclei sculpt the sleep-wake cycle. Neuron, 108(3):486-499. Link

Oláh VJ, Lukacsovich D, Winterer J, Arszovszki A, Lőrincz A, Nusser Z, Földy C, Szabadics J (2020) Functional specification of CCK+ interneurons by alternative isoforms of Kv4.3 auxiliary subunits. Elife, 9:e58515. Link

Steinberg EE, Gore F, Heifets BD, Taylor MD, Norville ZC, Beier KT, Földy C, Lerner TN, Luo L, Deisseroth K, Malenka RC (2020) Amygdala-midbrain connections modulate appetitive and aversive learning. Neuron, 106(6):1026-1043.e9. Link

Cerniauskas I, Winterer J, de Jong JW, Lukacsovich D, Yang H, Khan F, Peck JR, Obayashi SK, Lilascharoen V, Lim BK, Földy C*, Lammel S* (2019) Chronic stress induces activity, synaptic and transcriptional remodeling of the lateral habenula associated with deficits in motivated behaviors. Neuron, 104(5):899-915.e8. (*Corresponding author) Link

Winterer J*, Lukacsovich D*, Que L, Sartori AM, Luo W, Földy C (2019) Single-cell RNAseq characterization of anatomically-identified OLM interneurons in different transgenic mouse lines. European Journal of Neuroscience, 50(11):3750-3771. (*Equal contributions) Link

Lukacsovich D*, Winterer J*, Que L, Luo W, Lukacsovich T, Földy C (2019) Single-cell RNAseq reveals developmental origins and ontogenetic stability of neurexin alternative splicing profiles, Cell Reports, 27(13):3752–3759.  (*Equal contributions) Link

Que L, Winterer J, Földy C (2019) Deep survey of GABAergic interneurons: Emerging insights from gene-isoform transcriptomics. Front Mol Neurosci, 12:115. Link