Not just all in the mind

Even as a child, nature was an important element in Dr. Daniel Kluger’s life, and one which brought him happiness and an inner balance. “There are photos showing me at the age of 18 months, utterly content and staring at the mountains in the French Alps,” he says. Being at one with nature, with the body and the mind in balance: this interplay fascinates him just as much today as it did in the past. Understanding how the brain functions is Kluger’s vocation. At the Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis at the Faculty of Medicine, he is investigating the interplay between brain activity and diverse dynamic processes in the body. Doing research as a career wasn’t planned. “During my psychology studies I was sitting in a lecture being given by Prof. Ulrich Mußhoff. He was talking about the complex development of the brain – and the spark was ignited in me right away,” Kluger (35) remembers. “That was the turning point for me. I wanted to be a researcher and not a psychotherapist.”

Things have gone well for him as a researcher. In September he received a Starting Grant from the European Research Council. The grant, worth 1.5 million euros, will enable Kluger to set up his own research group. “There are a lot of rhythmic processes in the body such as breathing or the heartbeat. They not only fulfil vital functions for our survival but also influence neural processing in the brain, thus modulating human behaviour,” he explains. This interplay between the brain and the body is something he wants to understand and elaborate in connection with various neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy or anxiety disorders. “The close links between mental and physical health show us that our thoughts aren’t just all in the mind but are part of our body’s dynamic system, inseparable from it.”

Kluger is very pleased and grateful that he can now set up his research group based on his own ideas. “It was due to a lucky coincidence that I submitted an application to the European Research Council,” he comments. He was encouraged to do so, he says, by a professor from Maastricht whom he met at a conference in Italy. “She said I should send her my research exposé and my CV, quite informally.” This he did – and she encouraged him to submit an application.

For Kluger, there are many reasons why the brain is the most fascinating organ in the human body. Two examples: the brain has around 90 billion cells, and the neural pathways in the brain of an adult have an overall length of about 5.8 million kilometres – which corresponds to 145 times the Earth's circumference. “This knowledge alone often exceeds the powers of our imagination,” he says. “That’s why I can’t imagine anything more fascinating than trying to discover as much as possible about this organ.” At the Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis there is a magnetoencephalograph (MEG for short) for Kluger to work with. A total of 275 sensors – and over 1,000 measuring points per second in each sensor – measure the activity of the brain both spatially and temporally at a high resolution. “Using the MEG, we can measure things we couldn’t previously,” he comments. “We’re now able to explain everyday situations better – for example, why we briefly hold our breath when shooting an arrow in archery or breathe out when lifting a heavy weight.“

Being able to stand in a lab and observe, in real time, how the brain functions is the driving force for Kluger in his work – especially if one day his basic research is put into practice to help patients to become healthy again. Just as important for him is the work-life balance in his research team. For this purpose, his team has drawn up a “lab manual” laying down rules for long-term wellbeing. “It’s a kind of philosophy which we live by here,” he explains. Among other things, the manual sets out how a working environment characterised by mutual respect can be achieved and maintained.

One aspect which undoubtedly applies to many fields of research – but especially for research into the brain – is that every answer throws up many new questions. It’s just like hiking or trekking: after every mountain comes a new peak to climb. “I like climbing mountains – both literally and figuratively – when you make real progress.”

Dr. Kathrin Kottke

This article is from the brochure "Twelve months, twelve people", published in February 2025.

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