The long-term goal of our laboratory is to understand how the most anterior part of the mammalian brain, the forebrain, is wired during development. Brain functioning relies on the emergence of complex neuronal networks that are assembled during embryogenesis and remodelled during early postnatal life. The forebrain contains the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex, two structures that are essential for controlling motor functions, sensory perception, behaviours and cognitive functions. There is increasing evidence that developmental abnormalities participate in the etiology of several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Thus, understanding how the forebrain wires is essential not only to gain insights into its normal functioning but also to progress in our understanding of neuropsychiatric pathologies. Both cell migration and axon guidance play essential roles in forebrain development by controlling the accurate positioning of neuronal subtypes and the formation of specific connections. We have recently shown that these two processes are intriguingly coordinated to ensure the formation of a major axonal tract of the mouse forebrain. These results revealed a novel role of cell migration in axonal guidance and opens new perspectives on the emergence of forebrain connectivity. In particular, they raise the questions of the mechanisms underlying this remarkable process and how it relates to forebrain wiring. We currently address these issues, by combining mouse molecular genetics, ex-vivo manipulations and advanced imaging techniques.
Our research is funded by national and international grants. Our main sources of funding are: Avenir Program (Inserm), European Young Investigator Award (EURYI), Career Development Award from Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), Start-up grant from the City of Paris.