Professional experience

Since 2023 Scientific coordinator of the Cluster of Excellence initiative “NaviSense”, University of Oldenburg

2022 Assistant scientific coordinator of the Research Training Group 1885 “Molecular Basis of Sensory Biology”, University of Oldenburg

2019-2024 Doctoral researcher at Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, AG Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation (supervisor: Dr. Dominik Heyers)

Topic of the PhD thesis: The avian magnetic senses – sensors, neuronal pathways and multisensory integration (funded by SFB 1372 “Magnetoreception and Navigation in Vertebrates”)

Education

2017-2019 M.Sc. Developmental, Neural and Behavioral Biology at Georg-August-University Göttingen

Thesis at Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, AG Molecular and Translational Neurology (group leader: Prof. Dr. med. M. W. Sereda)

Topic: The glial metabolic support in peripheral nerves in Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 1A

2014-2017 B.Sc. Biology at University of Oldenburg

Thesis at Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, AG Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation (group leader: Prof. Dr. H. Mouritsen)

Topic: Magnetic field-induced neuronal activation in the hippocampal formation of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Publications

Seth PK*, Heyers D*, Satish B*, Mendoza E, Haase K, Borowsky L, Musielak I, Koch KW, Feederle R, Scharff C, Dedek K, Mouritsen H (2025) AAV-mediated transduction of songbird retina. Frontiers in Physiology 16, 1549585. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1549585 *Authors contributed equally to this work.

Sirmpilatze N*, Felder A*, Abdulazhanova D*, Schwigon L, Haase K, Musielak I, Margrie TW, Mouritsen H, Heyers D, Tyson AL, Weiler S (2025) Mapping the magnetoreceptive brain: A 3D digital atlas of the migratory bird Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). bioRxiv 2025-03. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.04.641293 *Authors contributed equally to this work.

Leberecht B*, Wong SY*, Satish B, Döge S, Hindman J, Venkatraman L, Apte S, Haase K, Musielak I, Dautaj G, Solov’yov IA, Winklhofer M, Mouritsen H, Hore PJ (2023) Upper bound for broadband radiofrequency field disruption of magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120(28), e2301153120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2301153120 *Authors contributed equally to this work.

Curdt F, Haase K, Ziegenbalg L, Greb H, Heyers D, Winklhofer M (2022) Prussian blue technique is prone to yield false negative results in magnetoreception research. Scientific Reports 12, 8803. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12398-9 

Haase K, Musielak I, Warmuth-Moles L, Leberecht B, Zolotareva A, Mouritsen H, Heyers D (2022) In search for the avian trigeminal magnetic sensor: Distribution of peripheral and central terminals of ophthalmic sensory neurons in the night-migratory Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 16, 853401. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2022.853401 

Heyers D, Musielak I, Haase K, Herold C, Bolte P, Güntürkün O, Mouritsen H (2022) Morphology, biochemistry and connectivity of Cluster N and the hippocampal formation in a migratory bird. Brain Structure and Function 227, 2731-2749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-022-02566-y 

Leberecht B, Kobylkov D, Karwinkel T, Döge S, Burnus L, Wong SY, Apte S, Haase K, Musielak I, Chetverikova R, Dautaj G, Bassetto M, Winklhofer M, Hore PJ, Mouritsen H (2022) Broadband 75-85 MHz radiofrequency fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds consistent with a flavin-based radical pair magnetoreceptor. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 208, 97-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-021-01537-8 

Kobylkov D*, Musielak I*, Haase K*, Rook N, von Eugen K, Dedek K, Güntürkün O, Mouritsen H, Heyers D (2022) Morphology of the “prefrontal” nidopallium caudolaterale in the long-distance night-migratory Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). Neuroscience Letters 789, 136869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136869 *Authors contributed equally to this work.

Haase K*, Musielak I*, Heyers D (2021) The neuronal correlates of the avian magnetic senses. Neuroforum 27(3), 167-174. https://doi.org/10.1515/nf-2021-0008 *Authors contributed equally to this work.

Conference contributions

Haase K, Musielak I. Neural basis of magnetoreception: from sensor to decision. 11th RIN Conference on Animal Navigation, Egham, UK, 12-14 April 2023. Oral presentation. 

Haase K, Kobylkov D, Musielak I, Mouritsen H, Heyers D. Magnetic map processing in the brain of night-migratory birds. 28th International Ornithological Congress 2022, virtual, 15-19 August 2022. Oral presentation. 

Haase K, Musielak I, Warmuth-Moles L, Leberecht B, Zolotareva A, Mouritsen H, Heyers D. In search for the avian trigeminal magnetic sensor: organization of the ophthalmic sensory complex in the night-migratory Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). FENS Forum 2022, Paris, France, 9-13 July 2022. Poster presentation.