To understand how functional forebrain circuits, which enable sensory perception, motor responses and cognition, wired up during development

Team research topics:

  Our general goal is to understand how functional forebrain circuits, which enable sensory perception, motor responses and cognition, wired up during development. Forebrain circuits begin to be established in the embryo by intrinsic developmental programs that coordinate the assembly of millions of neurons via a complex choreography of neuronal migration and axonal navigation. In addition, intrinsic programs can be perturbed by maternal environment, as illustrated by the fact that prenatal inflammation constitutes a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental diseases, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders.

Understanding how embryonic programs and maternal signals control forebrain wiring is thus essential not only to progress in our comprehension of cerebral morphogenesis but also to provide a framework for assessing the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. We are addressing these issues using a combination of experimental approaches in mice, which allow the easy manipulation of structures, genes and environmental factors.

To this aim, we are examining how migration shapes the assembly of forebrain circuits, how such circuits establish long-range axonal connections and how microglia, the brain resident macrophages that are activated by prenatal inflammation, contributes to both processes. 

Main techniques used:

Address :
46 Rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris

Team leader :
Sonia Garel
Name of co-team leader :

Administrative Contact Name :
VILLA Tommaso

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Key words : #Développement #cérébral activitée #microglies #interactions neuroimmunitaires #maladies neurodéveloppementales #Development #brain activity #microglia #interactions neuroimmune #diseases neurodevelopmental.