Christian Mayer is an Independent Max Planck Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Munich. After earning his Dr. rer. nat. in biology from the University of Hamburg in 2011, he completed postdoctoral training with Gordon Fishell at New York University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. During this time, he also collaborated with Rahul Satija on single-cell genomic approaches as a guest scientist at the New York Genome Center.

The goal of the Mayer laboratory is to uncover how transcriptional and chromatin-based mechanisms regulate the generation of neuronal diversity in the mammalian brain. By studying interactions between transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements, the laboratory investigates the layers of regulation that influence how lineage-specific gene expression is established during embryonic brain development. To address these questions, the team employs advanced methodologies, including single-cell transcriptomics, genome editing and clonal lineage tracing.

The work of the Mayer laboratory has important implications for several neurodevelopmental disorders, including conditions that arise from disruptions in neuronal diversity and gene regulation. By shedding light on the genetic and epigenetic processes that govern brain development, his research offers insights into these disorders and contributes to broader knowledge of how neural diversity emerges and how it is altered in disease.

Mayer has been recognized with honors such as the European Research Council Starting Grant and the EMBO Young Investigator Award. His work continues to advance our understanding of brain development and inspire innovative approaches to addressing neurodevelopmental disorders and related conditions.