Uwe Mayer

• 2019: Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN), II fascia, settore fisiologia (05/D1)
• 2012: Dr. rer. nat. University of Bielefeld, Germany. (Adv. Prof. H-J Bischof)
• 2008: M.Sc. (Systems Biology of Brain and Behaviour), University of Bielefeld, Germany.
• 2006: B.Sc. (Biology), University of Bielefeld, Germany.
• 2001: Biological Technical Assistant (State-certified BTA), CSB, Bielefeld, Germany.

• 2021 - present: Assistant Professor (RTDb), CIMeC, University of Trento, Italy
• 2017 - 2021: Assistant Professor (RTDa), CIMeC, University of Trento, Italy
• 2013 - 2017: Postdoc, CIMeC, University of Trento, Italy  (P.I. Prof. G. Vallortigara),
• 2012 - 2013: Postdoc, University of Bielefeld, Germany (P.I. Prof. J. Engelmann).

• Cognition, Evolution and Behaviour
• Neurobiology of comparative cognition
• Animal physiology and comparative neuroanatomy

The 'Neurobiology of Comparative Cognition' group at CIMEC (Center of Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy) is focusing on different functions of avian hippocampus, neuronal mechanisms of social interactions and some aspects of birds' visual system.  By using birds as animal models, our goal is to provide missing informations needed for the comparative study of vertebrate brain evolution and thus to contribute to the understanding of general principles of the nervous system that are not readily apparent from studies on mammals alone.

• German Neuroscience Society (NWG)
• German Zoological Society (DZG)
• International Society for Neuroethology (ISN)
• Società Italiana Di Etologia (SIE)

Poster prizes

• 2022: Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U. (2022) ‘Active exploration of an environment drives the activation of the anterior hippocampus of domestic chicks.’ Prize for the best poster at the Avian Cognition and Neuroscience Conference, Bochum, Germany
• 2022: Kobylkov D, Mayer U, Zanon M, Vallortigara G (2022) ‘Number neurons in the nidopallium of young domestic chicks’ Prize for the second best poster at the Avian Cognition and Neuroscience Conference, Bochum, Germany
• 2020: Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. (2020) ‘‘Selective activation of the right hippocampus during navigation by spatial cues in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus).', Prize for the best poster at the DS DAY 2020, Rovereto, Italy.
• 2019: Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. (2019) 'The effect of eye occlusion on the hippocampal representation of environmental novelty in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus).', Prize for the best poster at the DS DAY 2019, Rovereto, Italy.
• 2012: Mayer U, Bischof (2012). ‘Brain Activation Pattern Depending on the Strategy Chosen by Zebra Finches to Solve an Orientation Task’ Prize for the best poster in the division of neurobiology at the 104th annual meeting of the German Zoological Society (DZG), Saarbrücken 2011.

Selected talks:

• 2023 Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
• 2022 Societa Italiana di Etologia Conference, University of Padova, Italy
• 2022 Avian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
• 2022 Biologisches Kolloquium, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
• 2021 ‘Sound Communication and Behaviour Group’, SDU, Odense, Denmark.
• 2019 RIN Conference on Animal Navigation, London, United Kingdom.
• 2018 ‘TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan’, Technical University Munich, Germany.
• 2017  Biopsychology Department (Prof. Güntürkün Lab), Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
• 2017 ‘International Conference of Neuroscience’, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
• 2017 ‘Annual Meeting of the German Zoological Society (DZG)’, Bielefeld, Germany.
• 2015 ‘Mini Symposium on Laterality’, CIMeC, Rovereto, Italy.
• 2011 ‘Neuroethology Satellite Symposium at the Meeting of the German Zoological Society (DZG)’, Saarbrücken, Germany.

Poster presentations at conferences:

• Kobylkov D, Mayer U, Zanon M, Vallortigara G (2023). Number neurons in the nidopallium of young domestic chicks. CogEvo 2023, Rovereto, Italy. 
• Protti-Sanchez F, Mayer U, Rowland HM  (2023). Naive domestic chicks show an innate avoidance of red foods and a preference for the shape of green frogs. CogEvo 2023, Rovereto, Italy. 
• Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U (2023). Active exploration of an environment drives the activation of the anterior hippocampus of domestic chicks. CogEvo 2023, Rovereto, Italy. 
• Morandi-Raikova A, Vallortigara G, Mayer U (2023). The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). CogEvo 2023, Rovereto, Italy. 
• Protti-Sánchez F, Mayer U and Rowland (2023). In paired preference tests, domestic chicks innately choose the colour green over red and the shape of a frog over a sphere when both stimuli are green.  Behaviour 2023 Conference, Bielefeld, Germany.
• Morandi-Raikova A, Vallortigara G, Mayer U (2022). The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Italian Society of Ethology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 
• Sellitti F P, Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U (2022). Time course of c-Fos expression in domestic chicks. European Student Conference on Behaviour and Cognition, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
• Cumplido-Mayoral A, Morandi-Raikova A, Mayer U (2022). Neural basis of neophobia in domestic chicks. European Student Conference on Behaviour and Cognition, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy. 
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U (2022). Active exploration of an environment drives the activation of the anterior hippocampus of domestic chicks. Avian Cognition and Neuroscience Conference, Bochum, Germany. 
• Kobylkov D, Mayer U, Zanon M, Vallortigara G (2022). Number neurons in the nidopallium of young domestic chicks.' Avian Cognition and Neuroscience Conference, Bochum, Germany.
• Morandi-Raikova A and Mayer U (2021).  Selective activation of the right hippocampus during navigation by spatial cues in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Doctoral Student Day, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
• Morandi-Raikova A and Mayer U (2020). The effect of monocular occlusion on hippocampus c-Fos expression in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Doctoral Student Day, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
• Protti-Sánchez F, Mayer U and Rowland (2020). Behavioural responses to umami and bitter taste in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus) . Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
• Costalunga G, Mayer U (2019). Asymmetric integration of visual inputs from both eyes by single neurons in the left and right forebrain of domestic chicks. CogEvo 2019, Rovereto Workshop on Cognition and Evolution, Rovereto, Italy.
• Corrales Parada CD, Mayer U. Neural basis of familiar and unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks. 6th European student conference on behavior and cognition, Padova.
• Corrales Parada CD, Mayer U. Neural basis of familiar and unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks. HBP Workshop: neurobiology for non specialists, Innsbruck, Austria.
• Corrales Parada CD, Mayer U. Neural basis of familiar and unfamiliar conspecific recognition in domestic chicks. CogEvo 2019, Rovereto Workshop on Cognition and Evolution, Rovereto, Italy.
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. (2019) 'The effect of eye occlusion on the hippocampal representation of environmental novelty in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus).' CogEvo 2019, Rovereto Workshop on Cognition and Evolution, Rovereto, Italy.
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). CogEvo 2019, Rovereto Workshop on Cognition and Evolution, Rovereto, Italy.
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. (2019) The effect of eye occlusion on the hippocampal representation of environmental novelty in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Rovereto Workshop on Concepts, Actions, and Objects: Functional and Neural Perspectives, Rovereto, Italy.
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). 10th RIN Conference on Animal Navigation, London, UK.
• Morandi Raikova A, Mayer U. The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Avian Cognitive Neuroscience 2018, Ruhr University, Bochum.
• Rosa Salva O, Mayer U and Giorgio Vallortigara. Innate social predispositions for animate motion and their neural correlates in newly-hatched chicks (Gallus gallus). DZG Meeting 2017, Bielefeld, Germany.
• Mayer U, Bhushan R, Vallortigara G, Lee SA. Representation of environmental shape in the hippocampal formation of domestic chicks. Cogevo 2016, Rovereto, Italy.
• Morbioli F,  Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Septal response to the motion of an alive conspecific in visually naive chicks (Gallus gallus). Cogevo 2016, Rovereto, Italy.
• Mayer U, Bhushan R, Vallortigara G, Lee SA. Representation of environmental shape in the hippocampal formation of domestic chicks. iNAV 2016 - Bad Gastein, Austria.
• Mayer U, Chiandetti C, Boschetti E, Trainito C, Vallortigara G. Hippocampal formation involvement in encoding quantities in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus) revealed by c-Fos as neuronal activity marker. CAOs 2016 - Rovereto Workshop on Concepts, Actions, and Objects, Rovereto, Italy.
• Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Morbioli F, Vallortigara G. Septal Response to the First Exposure to the Motion of an Alive Conspecific In Naive Domestic Chicks. ECCN 2016 - 8th European Conference on Comparative Neurobiology, Munich, Germany.
• Rosa Salva O, Mayer U and Giorgio Vallortigara. Brain activity in chicks exposed to a predisposed or a non-predisposed social stimulus: an immediate early gene expression study. ECCN 2016 - 8th European Conference on Comparative Neurobiology, Munich, Germany.
• Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Grassi M, Regolin L, Vallortigara G. Higher activity in the right septum of chicks (Gallus gallus) exposed to elementary motion cues related to animacy perception. The XII International Congress for Neuroethology: (ICN) – March 30 - April 3, 2016 – Montevideo, Uruguay.
• Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Dorigatti S, Vallortigara G. Lateral Septum responds to the first exposure to a live social partner in naive domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). EBBS - European Brain and Behaviour Society Joint Meeting 2015, Verona, Italy.
• Lorenzi E, Rosa Salva O, Mayer U, Grassi M, Regolin L, Vallortigara G. Neural correlates of animate motion predispositions in chicks (Gallus gallus). SIE 2015 - XXVI Convegno Nazionale della Società Italiana di Etologia, Parma, Italy.
• Boschetti E, Mayer U, Trainito C, Chiandetti C, Vallortigara G. Neuronal basis of numerical cognition in the domestic chick (Gallus gallus). Trieste Symposium on Perception and Cognition 2015, Italy.
• Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Lateral Septum in visually naïve chicks responds to animacy. Neuroethology: Behavior, Evolution and Neurobiology (GRS) – June 27-28,2015 – Lucca (Barga), Italy.
• Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Septum in visually naïve chicks responds to animacy. workshop - INSECT models of BEHAVIOUR – 4th September, 2015 – Rovereto (TN), Italy.
• Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Lateral septum responds to self-propelled motion in naïve chicks. EBBS - European Brain and Behaviour Society joint meeting – September 12-15, 2015 – Verona, Italy.
• Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. A neuronal activity marker c-Fos reveals higher activity in septum of chicks exposed to animacy motion cues. Trieste Symposium on Perception and Cognition (TSPC) – November 13, 2015 – Trieste, Italy
• Bhushan R, Mayer U, Vallortigara G, Lee SA. Environmental novelty and c-Fos activation in the avian hippocampus. Conference/Course: Aging Brain, Torino, 2015, Italy.
• Bhushan R, Mayer U, Vallortigara G, Lee SA. Environmental novelty and c-Fos activation in the avian hippocampus. Donders Discussions 2015, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
• Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Social predisposition in chicks and their neuronal correlates as revealed by immediate early gene expression. Cogevo 2014, Rovereto, Italy.
• Gianni E, Mayer U, Lee SA, Vallortigara G. Behavioral and neural correlates of reorientation by boundaries and features. Cogevo 2014, Rovereto, Italy.
• Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Unlearned social predisposition in chicks and their neuronal correlates as revealed by immediate early gene expression. ISIS, Conference 2014 - Berlin, Germany.
• Mayer U, Rosa Salva O, Vallortigara G. Different brain activity, measured by immediate early genes (IEGs) expression, in chicks exposed to a predisposed or a non-predisposed social stimulus. 11th international congress of neuroethology 2014, Saporo, Japan.

Peer-Reviewer for:

• Nature Communications
• Animal Cognition
• Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences
• Journal of Comparative Neurology
• Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
• Neuroscience
• Brain Structure and Function
• Behavioral Brain Research
• Brain Research
• Brain Sciences
• Learning & Behavior
• Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
• Neuroscience Letters
• Journal of Physiology Paris
• PLoS ONE
• Scientific Reports
• Frontiers in Physiology
• Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience
• Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
• Behavioural Processes
• Symmetry
• PeerJ
• Laterality
• Journal of Experimental Zoology
• Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
• iScience
• Animals
• Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci
• Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research

Editorial activity

• Since 2019: Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience: editorial board member in the section Learning and Memory
• Since 2020: Frontier in Physiology: editorial board member in the section in the section Avian Physiology