Research interests
We investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying behavior, with a particular focus on acoustic communication in birds. Songbirds serve as our primary model because, like humans, they are capable of vocal learning and sound imitation. They possess well-characterized and discrete neural circuits dedicated to song learning and production. Although birdsong is simpler than human speech, both systems share important behavioral, genetic, anatomical, and neurobiological parallels.
Our laboratory currently focuses on two major research directions.
1/ We identify and characterize the functional roles of the brain nuclei involved in vocalization. While the general organization of the song control system is well established, the precise contribution of individual nuclei is not sufficiently understood.
2/ As the songbird brain regenerates after injury, we investigate the functional significance and mechanisms of adult neurogenesis, including factors regulating cell proliferation and integration into neural circuits, and the contribution of newly generated neurons to behavioral plasticity.
To pursue these directions, we use a multidisciplinary approach integrating behavioral analyses (e.g., acoustic analysis and auditory preference testing), neuroanatomical techniques (tract tracing, targeted brain lesions, pharmacological manipulation), and molecular biology methods (including immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization). Additionally, we employ non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging, which enables repeated mapping of brain structure and function within the same individuals.
People
Mgr. Ľubica Niederová-Kubíková, PhD. – head of the group
Mgr. Eva Pavuková, PhD.
Mgr. Vladimíra Hoďová – PhD. student
Mgr. Rebecca Radič – PhD. student
Vladimír Géci – animal keeper
Bc. Jana Šalkovičová – MSc. student
Nina Bukvová – High school research project (Gymnázium sv. Uršule)
Allumni
2022 – Mgr. Justína Polomová (Mertušová), PhD. – PhD. thesis
2016 – Mgr. Kristína Lukáčová, PhD. – PhD. thesis
2012 – Mgr. Eva Bosíková (Pavuková), PhD. – PhD. thesis
2025 – MSc. Nikola Kubáňová – MSc. thesis (Erasmus)
2024 – Mgr. Valentína Marešová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2022 – Mgr. Rebecca Gerőfiová – MSc. thesis
2020 – Ing. Viktória Mikulášková – MSc. thesis
2019 – Mgr. Jana Plaskoňová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2018 – Mgr. Katarína Ambrušová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2017 – Mgr. Justína Polomová – MSc. thesis
2015 – Mgr. Dušan Gdovin – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2011 – Mgr. Andrea Berényiová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2010 – Mgr. Kvetoslava Smolíková – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2025 – Hugo Švieda – High school research project (Gymnázium Ladislava Novomeského, Bratislava)
2012 – Tereza Vargová – graduation project
Collaborations
Dr. Erich D. Jarvis na Duke University, USA
Dr. Svatava Kašparová a Dr. Ladislav Bačiak, STU Bratislava, Slovakia
Dr. Annemie van der Linden, University of Antwerp, Belgicko
Selected publications
- HOĎOVÁ, Vladimíra – MAREŠOVÁ, Valentína – RADIČ, Rebecca – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. A daily rhythm of cell proliferation in a songbird brain. Scientific Reports, 2025, vol. 15, no. 1, art. no. 4685.
- RADIČ, Rebecca – LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – BACIAK, Ladislav – HOĎOVÁ, Vladimíra – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. The role of cerebellum in learned vocal communication in adult songbirds. Scientific Reports, 2024, vol. 14, no. 1, art. no. 8168.
- PICHOVÁ, Katarína – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor. The Acute Pharmacological Manipulation of Dopamine Receptors Modulates Judgment Bias in Japanese Quail. Frontiers in Physiology, 2022, vol. 13, art. no. 883021.
- LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – HAMAIDE, Julie – BACIAK, Ladislav – VAN DER LINDEN, Annemie – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Striatal Injury Induces Overall Brain Alteration at the Pallial, Thalamic, and Cerebellar Levels. In Biology-Basel, 2022, vol. 11, no. 3, art. no. 425.
- KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – POLOMOVÁ, Justína – MIKULÁŠKOVÁ, Viktória – LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína. Effectivity of Two Cell Proliferation Markers in Brain of a Songbird Zebra Finch. Biology 2020, 9, 356.
- POLOMOVÁ, Justína – LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – BILČÍK, Boris – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Is neurogenesis in two songbird species related to their song sequence variability?. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 286(1895), 20182872.
- HAMAIDE, Julie – DE GROOF, Geert – VAN RUIJSSEVELT, Lisbeth – LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – VAN AUDEKERKE, Johan – VERHOYE, Marleen – VAN DER LINDEN, Annemie. Volumetric development of the zebra finch brain throughout the first 200 days of post-hatch life traced by in vivo MRI. NEUROIMAGE, 2018, vol. 183, p. 227-238.
- LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – VAN AUDEKERKE, Johan – VERHOYE, Marleen – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – VAN DER LINDEN, Annemie. Neuroplasticity in the cerebello-thalamo-basal ganglia pathway: A longitudinal in vivo MRI study in male songbirds. NEUROIMAGE, 2018, vol. 181, p. 190-202.
- LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – BACIAK, Ladislav – PAVUKOVÁ, Eva – PICHOVÁ, Katarína – KAŠPAROVÁ, Svatava – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Imaging of striatal injury in a songbird brain. General Physiology and Biophysics, 2017, vol. 36, p. 23-29.
- LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – PAVUKOVÁ, Eva – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor – BILČÍK, Boris – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Dopamine D3 receptors modulate the rate of neuronal recovery, cell recruitment in Area X, and song tempo after neurotoxic damage in songbirds. Neuroscience, 2016, vol. 331, p. 158-168.
- KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – BOSÍKOVÁ, Eva – CVIKOVÁ, Martina – LUKÁČOVÁ, Kristína – SCHARFF, Constance – JARVIS, Erich D. Basal ganglia function, stuttering, sequencing, and repair in adult songbirds. Scientific Reports, 2014, vol. 4, p. 6590.
- ARVIS, Erich D. – YU, J. – RIVAS, M.V. – HORITA, H. – FEENDERS, G. – WHITNEY, O. – JARVIS, S.C. – JARVIS, E.R. – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – PUCK, A.E. – SIANG-BAKSI, C. – MARTIN, S. – MC ELROY, M. – HARA, Erina – HOWARD, Ju. – PFENNING, A. – MOURITSEN, H. – CHEN, C.C. – WADA, K. Global view of the functional molecular organization of the avian cerebrum: mirror images and functional columns. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2013, vol. 521, no. 16, p. 3614-3616.
- BOSÍKOVÁ, Eva – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor – CVIKOVÁ, Martina – BILČÍK, Boris – NIEDEROVÁ-KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Song-related dopamine receptor regulation in Area X of zebra finch male. General Physiology and Biophysics, 2012, vol. 31, no. 3, p. 291-298.
- PAVUKOVÁ, Eva – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica. Birdsong: From Behaviour to Brain. Biologia, 2010, vol. 65, no. 3, p. 379-387.
- KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor. Dopaminergic system in birdsong learning and maintenance. Journal of chemical neuroanatomy, 2010, vol. 39, no. 2, p. 112-123.
- KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – VÝBOH, Pavel – KOŠŤÁL, Ľubor. Kinetics and pharmacology of the D-1- and D-2-like dopamine receptors in Japanese quail brain. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 2009, vol. 29, no. 6-7, p. 961-970.
- HARA, Erina – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – HESSLER, Neal A. – JARVIS, Erich D. Assessing visual requirements for social context-dependent activation of the songbird song system. In Proceedings of the Royal Society : B – Biological Sciences, 2009, vol. 276, no., p. 279-289.
- HARA, Erina – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – HESSLER, Neal A. – JARVIS, Erich D. Role of the midbrain dopaminergic system in modulation of vocal brain activation by social context. European Journal of Neuroscience, 2007, vol. 25, no. 11, p. 3406–3416.
- KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – TURNER, Elena A. – JARVIS, Erich D. The pallial basal ganglia pathway modulates the behaviorally driven gene expression of the motor pathway. European Journal of Neuroscience, 2007, vol. 25, no. 7, p. 2145-2160.
- JARVIS, Erich D. – GÜNTÜRKÜN, Onur – BRUCE, Laura – CSILLAG, András – KARTEN, Harvey – KUENZEL, Wayne – MEDINA, Loreta – PAXINOS, George – PERKEL, David J. – SHIMIZU, Toru – STRIEDTER, Georg – WILD, J.Martin – BALL, Gregory F. – DUGAS-FORD, Jennifer – DURAND, Sarah E. – HOUGH, Gerald E. – HUSBAND, Scott – KUBÍKOVÁ, Ľubica – LEE, Diane W. – MELLO, Claudio V. – POWERS, Alice – SIANG, Connie – SMULDERS, Tom V. – WADA, Kazuhiro – WHITE, Stephanie A. – YAMAMOTO, Keiko – YU, Jing – REINER, Anton – BUTLER, Ann B. Avian brains and a new understanding of vertebrate brain evolution : opinion. Nature reviews : neuroscience, 2005, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 151-159. ISSN 1471-003X.
- REINER, A., PERKEL, D. J., BRUCE, L. L., BUTLER, A. B., CSILLAG, A., KUENZEL, W., MEDINA, L., PAXINOS, G., SHMIZU, T., STRIEDTER, G., WILD, M., BALL, G. F., DURAND, S., GÜNTÜRKÜN, O., LEE, D. W., MELLO, C. V., POWERS, A., WHITE, S. A., HOUGH, G., KUBIKOVA, L., … Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum (2004). Revised nomenclature for avian telencephalon and some related brainstem nuclei. The Journal of comparative neurology, 473(3), 377–414.