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Les maladies neurodégénératives comme la maladie d’Alzheimer ou de Parkinson sont associées à des déficits cognitifs prononcés reflétant des dysfonctionnements majeurs de la transmission de l‘information dans le cerveau. Cette transmission de l’information se fait au niveau de structure spécialisée

Appropriate food intake is essential for the survival of the individual and the species and healthy eating is critical for health and well-being. However, despite the evident logic of such statement, nutrient-related diseases such as obesity are currently on the rise. Thus, the unravelling of the bi

This project aims to provide a better fundamental understanding of the role of adhesion molecules in synapse assembly, along with molecular information useful for the design of new therapeutic agents able to alleviate the neurological disorders associated with autism and mental retardation. Our appr

Our specific goal is to understand how a relatively ‘simple’ brain forms concepts and learn rules. In the last recent years, several investigations by the applicant have shown that freely-flying bees can learn abstract concepts (e.g. sameness, above of, larger than, etc) in the visual domain. Here w

Our goal is to determine how fluctuations in the membrane potential (or synaptic noise) affect the different field properties of neurons in area V1, in particular orientation selectivity and center-surround interactions. The mechanisms underlying orientation selectivity, for example, have been hotly

In this project we study the molecular regulation of adult neurogenesis, thereby focusing on: 1. General gene regulation mechanisms that instruct neural stem cells to produce specific types of neurons. 2. Fine tuning mechanisms that increase the variability of neural stem cells. 3. Molecular m

In this application, we join forces and know-how in the physiology and molecular biology of chloride homeostasis and trophic factors as well as expertise in the neuropathology of epilepsy to further study the molecular and cellular pathophysiological mechanisms, the project has three specific aims:

The pathophysiology of pain remains poorly understood and there is clearly a need for new analgesics. Acid-Sensing Ion Channels (ASICs) have emerged as important players in the pain pathway. They form depolarizing cation channels activated by extracellular protons that are expressed in both sensory

This is a fundamental research project with the aim of elucidating molecular and cellular mechanisms surrounding a key cytoskeletal protein, Eml1, which has not previously been studied during neurodevelopment. This protein seems likely to play an important role in neuronal progenitor cells. The bioc

Based on a large body of functional, neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and local pharmacological data collected in rats over the last decade, our team, internationally recognized in the field of PS basic research, recently proposed a new functional model assigning to brainstem glutamate and GABA

The possibility to isolate and manipulate human neural stem cells (hNSC) has opened extraordinary perspectives for brain repair and treatment of neurological diseases or disorders linked to aging. hNSCs can be derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS

How is sensory information combined and encoded at the input to the cerebellum (by granule cells)? How is that same information transformed by internerneurons, in particular influenced by dendritic mechanisms? Can we better understand the complex transformations using mathematical and computat

The cerebral cortex (neocortex) is the site where all sensory information is integrated to generate complex behaviors and sophisticated cognitive functions. This is accomplished through the concerted, synchronous, and often rhythmic activity of intertwined cortical networks formed by highly heteroge

The mammalian cortex is organized into functional areas called «areas«. Each neocortical area is composed of six cell layers, each consisting of neuronal subtypes with unique molecular and cellular properties. The division into areas and layers originates from a tissue initially undifferentiated, in

The majority of human cognitive skills are thought to depend on structure and on the computing capabilities of the cerebral cortex, which is found only in mammals. For this reason, the evolution of intelligence is often only considered from studies on monkeys and apes, which are phylogenetically clo

Humans live in a complex environment within which they can navigate in purposeful or exploratory manners, seeking shelter, resources, or mere entertainment. With the exception of forest-dwelling hermits, the human living space is intrinsically social. In recent years, social scientists and ethologis