Research

Alexey Chervonnyy receives PhD Scholarship from Hector Fellow Academy

Portrait picture of Alexey Chervonnyy next to the logo of the Hector Fellow Academy

Alexey Chervonnyy has been awarded a PhD Scholarship from the Hector Fellow Academy. The scholarship, awarded after a multi-stage selection process, will fund a three-year research project at the C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research in Düsseldorf under the supervision of Hector Fellow Katrin Amunts. Chervonnyy will investigate the structure of the human hypothalamus, a part of the brain that plays a key role in regulating neuroendocrine, behavioural and autonomic processes essential to life, such as circadian rhythms, metabolic processes, sleep and body temperature.

“It is a great honour for me to be part of this prestigious programme,” says Chervonnyy, “and I also understand that it comes with a responsibility – which I am more than happy to accept.”

Alexey Chervonnyy has carried out an MSc in Translational Neuroscience at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and holds a Diploma in Clinical Psychology from Lomonosov Moscow State University. “Alexey is an exceptionally bright student, who has proven his skills and his commitment throughout his MSc studies,” says Katrin Amunts.

During his doctoral research, Chervonnyy will employ an advanced deep-learning mapping tool to analyse the cytoarchitecture of the hypothalamus – the distribution, density and morphology of cells. He will generate a high-resolution, 3D-reconstructed histological model of hypothalamic nuclei as well as probabilistic maps that reflect interindividual variability of brain areas.

The produced maps will be integrated into the Julich Brain Atlas and made publicly available via the Human Brain Project’s research infrastructure EBRAINS. The Julich Brain Atlas has become a modern-day reference map of the brain for the neuroimaging community and its high-precision data serves clinical researchers to improve medical interventions.

“I am very excited to start this important project and work together with Prof. Katrin Amunts – a leading expert in the field of neuroscience,” says Chervonnyy. “The Hector Fellow Academy creates a bridge between generations fostering exchange between young scientists and senior researchers,” he adds.

In addition to funding the doctoral research, the Hector Fellow Academy is offering young researchers various training programmes to improve communication and management skills, which Chervonnyy stresses will have a great impact on his future career.

Press Contact

Dr. Lisa Vincenz-Donnelly
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1)
Tel.: +49 2461 61-9335
E-Mail: l.vincenz-donnelly@fz-juelich.de