Research interest: I am particularly interested in deciphering the role of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorder or epilepsies and their pharmacological modulation as a potential therapeutic intervention. For my studies I employ molecular (cloning, generation of stable cell lines), electrophysiological (heterologous expression systems, brain slices), immunohistochemical and pharmacological methods.
2001 – 2006 Commercial academy with focus on information technology, Villach, Austria
2006 – 2012 Diploma Program in Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
2012 – 2017 PhD Program Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck, Austria (external member of the FWF-funded excellence PhD program “Molecular Cell Biology and Oncology (MCBO)”)
2017 – 2019 Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
2019 – present University assistant, Erika-Cremer habilitation fellowship of the University of Innsbruck, Austria
Scientific awards / Fellowships / Research funding
2019 Habilitation fellowship of the Erika-Cremer excellence program of the University of Insbruck
2019 Poster & Travel Award (FASEB The Ion Channel Regulation Conference: Molecules to Disease, Lisbon)
2018 Tyrolean Science Fund (TWF) for the study of subtype-selective Inhibitors of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels
2017 Price by the Principality of Liechtenstein for scientific research at the University of Innsbruck
2017 Jubiläumsfonds by the University of Innsbruck and the Medical University of Innsbruck for sponsorship of scientific cooperation projects
2015 PHOENIX Pharmazie Wissenschaftspreis for the publication “Pyrimidine-2,4,6-triones are a new class of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel activators”, Nat Commun. 2014 Jun 19;5:3897
2015 MCBO Best paper Award 2015
List of publications
De novo CACAN1D Ca2+ channelopathies: Clinical phenotypes and molecular mechanism
Ortner NJ, Kaserer T, Copeland JN, Striessnig J
Pflugers Arch. 2020 Jun 24. doi: 10.1007/s00424-020-02418-w. Online ahead of print.
Ca2+ channel blockers
Striessnig J, Ortner NJ
In: Offermanns S., Rosenthal W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Molecular Pharmacology. Springer, Cham; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21573-6_34-1
Biophysical classification of a CACNA1D de novo mutation as a high-risk mutation for a severe neurodevelopmental disorder.
Hofer NT, Tuluc P, Ortner NJ, Nikonishyna YV, Fernándes-Quintero ML, Liedl KR, Flucher BE, Cox H, Striessnig J.
Mol Autism. 2020 Jan 8;11:4. doi: 10.1186/s13229-019-0310-4. eCollection 2020.
Ortner NJ, Pinggera A, Hofer NT, Siller A, Brandt N, Raffeiner A, Vilusic K, Lang I, Blum K, Obermair GJ, Stefan E, Engel J, Striessnig J.
Pflugers Arch. 2020 Jan;472(1):3-25. doi: 10.1007/s00424-019-02338-4. Epub 2019 Dec 17.
STAC proteins associate to the IQ domain of CaV1.2 and inhibit calcium-dependent inactivation.
Campiglio M, Costé de Bagneaux P, Ortner NJ, Tuluc P, Van Petegem F, Flucher BE.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Feb 6;115(6):1376-1381. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1715997115. Epub 2018 Jan 23.
Lower affinity of isradipine for L-type Ca2+ channels during substantia nigra dopamine neuron-like activity: implications for neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease.
Ortner NJ, Bock G, Dougalis A, Kharitonova M, Duda J, Hess S, Tuluc P, Pomberger T, Stefanova N, Pitterl F, Ciossek T, Oberacher H, Draheim H, Kloppenburg P, Liss B, Striessnig J.
